Chicken and Ham Pie

This is traditional English cooking at its best: chicken and ham pie with peas, a luscious white sauce, and puff pastry.

This chicken and ham pie is a real family dish. It's easy to make and comforting. And you can be pretty sure that everybody, picky kids included, will love it!

You will love this chicken and ham pie! It's warm and hearty, and that golden, flaky pastry on top is irresistible. It's perfect for serving on a weeknight and also suitable for Sunday lunch or dinner.

And if you like this kind of pie, check out the Chicken Pot Pie in the Cast Iron Skillet, Chicken Mushroom and Leek Pie, or the Chicken Leek Pie.

Recipe ingredients

How to make chicken and ham pie?

Make the pie filling

• Step #1: Gently cook the chicken breasts, adding the frozen peas during the last 3 minutes of the cooking time. If using leftover chicken, remove the skin and the bones, if necessary. Then, defrost the peas and set them aside.
• Step #2: Drain, but reserve the cooking liquid.
• Step #3: Let cool briefly, then chop into cubes.
• Step #4: Chop the ham into small cubes as well.

Make the white sauce

• Step #1: Cook the very finely chopped onion in the melted butter until golden.
• Step #2: Sprinkle the flour on top and stir it until golden.
• Step #3: Gradually add the reserved cooking water and the milk while whisking continuously.
• Step #4: Simmer on low heat, stirring, until the desired thickness is achieved, about 8 minutes. Add salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste.
• Step #5: Stir in the chicken, ham, and peas. Adjust the taste again and pour the mixture into a pie dish.

Assemble and bake the pie

• Step #1: If using already rolled puff pastry, unroll the disc and cover the pie with it.
• Step #2: Seal the pie by pressing the pastry firmly onto the edge of the dish. I used a fork to press and crimp all around the edge. Trim off any extra pastry. You can use the leftover pastry to cut out shapes like leaves or flowers to decorate the pie, but this step is optional.
• Step #3: Mix the egg yolk and milk in a small bowl. Brush the pastry with this mixture. If you've added any shapes like leaves or flowers, brush them with the egg mixture, too.
• Step #4: Cut a small "X" in the center of the pie and make a few simple slits around the edges.
• Step #5: Bake the ham and chicken pie for about 20 minutes until golden brown.

Good to know!

You can also use shortcrust pastry to cover the chicken and ham pie. Just buy a disc that's big enough to cover the pie. Bake until golden brown; it may take about 5 minutes longer than puff pastry.

Store and reheat

Chicken and Ham Pie

This is traditional English cooking at its best: chicken and ham pie with peas, a luscious white sauce, and puff pastry.

4.84 from 6 votes

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Course: Poultry

Cuisine: English

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 -6 servings

Calories: 379kcal

Author: Adina

Equipment

• ▢
  Pie dish about 28 cm/ 11 inches diameter

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Ingredients 

Chicken:

• ▢ 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts 450 g, Note 1
• ▢ 5 peppercorns
• ▢ 2 bay leaves
• ▢ 4 allspice corns
• ▢ 1 cube chicken stock
• ▢ 1 ¼ cup frozen peas 200 g
• ▢ 7 oz cooked ham 200 g

White sauce:

• ▢ 2½ tablespoons butter
• ▢ 1 small onion
• ▢ ⅓ cup all-purpose flour 40 g
• ▢ 1 cup cooking water from the chicken 250 ml
• ▢ 1 cup cup milk 250 ml
• ▢ a few gratings of nutmeg
• ▢ fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Chicken and ham pie:

• ▢ 1 disc puff pastry large enough to cover the pie, about 12 inches/ 30 cm diameter, Note 2
• ▢ 1 egg yolk
• ▢ 2 tablespoons milk

Instructions

Chicken:

• Cook chicken: Place the chicken breasts in a pot, and cover with water. Add peppercorns, bay leaves, and allspice. Bring to a boil, add a little sea salt and the stock cube, turn the heat down, simmer for about 10 minutes or until the chicken breasts are cooked through.

  1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts/ 450 g + 5 peppercorns + 2 bay leaves + 4 allspice corns + 1 cube chicken stock + water
• Add the frozen peas during the last 3 minutes of the cooking time.

  1 ¼ cup frozen peas/ 200 g
• Chop chicken: Lift the chicken from the water, and let it cool for about 5 minutes. Chop into 0.7 inch/ 2 cm cubes. Chop the ham into small cubes as well. Drain the peas reserving the cooking water. Discard the spices.

  7 oz cooked ham/ 200 g

White sauce:

• Preheat the oven to 180°C/ 360°F.
• White sauce: Chop the onion finely. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Cook the onion until golden. Sprinkle the flour on top and stir gently until the flour gets lightly golden as well.

  1 small onion + 2½ tablespoons butter + ⅓ cup all-purpose flour/ 40 g
• Add liquids: Gradually add the reserved cooking water and the milk while whisking continuously. Turn the heat down and stir until the desired thickness is achieved, about 8 minutes. Add salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste.

  1 cup cooking water from the chicken/ 250 ml + 1 cup cup milk/ 250 ml + a few gratings of nutmeg + fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Combine: Take off the heat and stir in the chicken, ham, and peas. Adjust the taste again, adding more salt, pepper, and nutmeg if necessary. Pour the mixture into the pie dish.

Bake the pie:

• Cover with pastry: Unroll the puff pastry disc and cover the pie with it. Seal the pie by pressing the pastry disc firmly on the sides of the dish. I used a fork and pressed and crimped all around the pie dish. Trim off the excess pastry. You could use this excess to cut out leaves or flowers to decorate the pie with. It is not a necessary step.

  1 disc puff pastry
• Egg wash: In a small bowl, mix the egg yolk and the milk. Brush the pastry with this mixture. Place the leaves or flowers on top of the pie and brush them with egg as well.

  1 egg yolk + 2 tablespoons milk
• Bake: Make a small slit in the form of an X in the middle of the pie and some simple slits two or three times around the edges of the pastry. Bake for about 20 minutes until golden brown.

Notes

1. If using leftover chicken, skip the chicken cooking part. Remove the skin and the bones from the cooked chicken, and chop the meat. Defrost the peas. Mix chicken and peas with the white sauce.
2. Pastry: Frozen puff pastry can be used instead. Defrost and roll according to the packet's instructions.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/6 of the dish | Calories: 379kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 40g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 139mg | Sodium: 697mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g

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