Embrace the heartwarming simplicity of Nicole Maguire’s Comforting Country Chicken Pie. This recipe streamlines home cooking with store-bought puff pastry and a heartwarming mix of chicken and seasonal vegetables, all nestled in a rich, creamy gravy!

This pie is the ultimate comfort food that requires no special equipment. It’s on repeat at my place because how could you not want to eat flaky golden pastry filled with chicken and country veg smothered in a delicious creamy gravy regularly? I use store-bought puff pastry as I’m all about the ‘working smarter not harder’ life. You’ll be blown away by the flavour you are able to create with minimal effort. It’s easily adaptable for you to use any vegetables you like based on what’s in season, but I love the classic carrot, peas and potato trifecta. It’s the best!

Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium–high heat. Add the onion, celery and carrot and cook, stirring, for 4–5 minutes until softened. Add the chicken, 1 teaspoon salt and the pepper and cook, stirring, for a further 3–5 minutes until browned.

Add the potato and butter to the pan and stir them in. Once the butter has melted, add the flour and stir to form a thick paste. Stirring constantly, slowly pour in the chicken stock followed by the milk. Add the dijon mustard and dried thyme and stir them through. Bring the mixture to the boil, then reduce the heat to the lowest setting and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.

Remove the pan from the heat. Add the peas and parmesan and stir them through, then allow the mixture to cool.

Preheat the oven to 200°C fan-forced.

Spoon the cooled mixture into a pie dish. Layer the top with the thawed puff pastry rectangles so they slightly overlap each other. Brush with the egg, season with the remaining salt and sprinkle with the sesame seeds. Bake for 30–35 minutes or until the pastry is golden and crispy.