Frugal Family Fare: Roast Chicken & Ham Pie with a Suet Dumpling Crust
Frugal Family Fare:
Roast Chicken & Ham Pie with a Suet Dumpling Crust
Frugal Family Fare: Roast Chicken & Ham Pie with a Suet Dumpling Crust
Who doesn’t love a pie, well we all do in my house and especially when it’s as easy to make as this one is…..it’s essentially a Sunday Roast pie made with the left overs from a few weeks ago, but, it’s also loosely following a recipe for a recipe I found in a book, Traditional Farmhouse Fare, called Rabbit Feast. Yes, I realise there are no bunnies in this pie, but I did follow the recipe insofar that is uses a cooked rabbit that is shredded and then added to bacon and assorted vegetables………I used chicken and ham and my Sunday lunch veggies, and then added a suet dumpling crust to “bulk” the recipe out for a filling family supper dish.
Frugal Family Fare: Roast Chicken & Ham Pie with a Suet Dumpling Crust
The recipe wasn’t my top choice of recipe, it was what I was faced with when I “randomly” picked a book and random page for Dom’s Random Recipes challenge over at Belleau Kitchen.….and although I am okay with rabbit, I was unable to find one to use in this recipes, so I substituted chicken instead! This thrifty recipe was enjoyed by all of us today and the suet dumpling crust makes it a very tasty and filling recipe. I had to add my mum’s old pie funnel “blackbird” too, it’s not just practical (it lets the steam out) but it always brings a smile to my face when I use it, and I cannot remember how many pies Mr (or Mrs!) Blackbird has been in over the years.
Blackbird baked in a pie
This recipe is just perfect when made with leftovers, but you can also make it with a freshly cooked chicken breast and some cooked, sliced ham, as well as a few fresh vegetables, I have added these suggestions to my recipe which is shared below. When I costed it out made this way, the cost of the meal came to £2:95, which means it is perfect for the current challenge, Cooking on a budget for Trussell Trust, where you are encouraged to make a meal for two using ingredients under £3.
Frugal Family Fare: Roast Chicken & Ham Pie with a Suet Dumpling Crust
As the weather continues to become more Arctic by the day and as many of us struggle to make ends meet, this is the perfect recipe to warm the cockles of your loved one’s hearts as well a not breaking the bank – a real “win win”. It make not be “haute cuisine” but it is thrifty and tasty, and those are far more important to me right now, especially with all of the extra spending for Christmas just around the corner. I served my pie with simple steamed seasonal vegetables, bought from the local farm shop – carrots, potatoes and Savoy cabbage, great accompaniments to the rich filling of the pie.
Frugal Family Fare: Roast Chicken & Ham Pie with a Suet Dumpling Crust
As this is a Credit Crunch type of meal, I am also entering it into Camilla and Helen’s monthly challenge for Credit Crunch Munch, which is being guest hosted by Sarah over at Dinner with Crayons this month. That’s it for today, I will be back tomorrow with some more new recipes…….see you then, Karen
Frugal Family Fare: Roast Chicken & Ham Pie with a Suet Dumpling Crust
Roast Chicken & Ham Pie with a Suet Dumpling Crust
Print recipe
| Serves | 4 to 5 |
| Prep time | 10 minutes |
| Cook time | 45 minutes |
| Total time | 55 minutes |
| Meal type | Lunch, Main Dish |
| Misc | Child Friendly, Pre-preparable, Serve Hot |
| Occasion | Casual Party, Christmas, Easter, Halloween, Thanksgiving |
| By author | Karen S Burns-Booth |
Ingredients
- 150g - 200g left-over cooked chicken, shredded (or one large chicken breast, cooked and cut into small pieces)
- 75g to 100g left-over cooked ham, cut into small pieces (or cooked ham slices from the deli)
- 150g left-over cooked vegetables (or 1 rib of celery, 1 carrot, 1 small leek and 1 onion, peeled and diced)
- 300mls left-over chicken gravy (or 300mls fresh gravy made with a stock cube)
- 225g self-raising flour
- 115g shredded suet
- salt and pepper to taste
Note
A delicious pie that has a suet dumpling crust and that is made from Sunday lunch leftovers, or any leftovers you have to hand. The suet crust makes for a tasty alternative to shortcrust pastry and is light and fluffy as well as being golden brown and crisp on top. Perfect frugal family food that doesn't cost and arm and a leg!
Directions
| Step 1 | If using left overs, then arrange the meat and vegetables in a pie tray/tin and spoon the gravy over the top. If using fresh vegetables, sweat the vegetables in a little fat until soft and add them to the cooked meats. |
| Step 2 | Put the flour into a bowl and add the suet, season with salt and pepper and mix with a little cold water until the dough is soft and manageable. |
| Step 3 | Place the dough onto a floured board and roll out to fit the pie tray/tin. |
| Step 4 | Place a pie funnel in the middle of the pie filling and then ease the suet crust dough over the top, making sure it fits snugly around the pie funnel. Seal pastry around the edges and glaze with a little milk. |
| Step 5 | Bake the pie ina pre-heated oven 200C/400F/Gas 6 for between 30 and 45 minutes, or until the filling is piping hot and the suet crust is golden and crisp. |
| Step 6 | Serve immediately with streamed seasonal vegetables and potatoes. |
Frugal Family Fare: Roast Chicken & Ham Pie with a Suet Dumpling Crust
Frugal Family Fare: Roast Chicken & Ham Pie with a Suet Dumpling Crust
Herbert Appleby says
this gives me a great idea for the turkey leftover of Christmas day 🙂
Karen says
This would be PERFECT for leftover turkey at Christmas! Great idea!
Tracy Nixon says
OMG Dumplings – so naughty but so nice! Shared! G+
Karen says
BAKED dumpling crust Tracy, even better! 🙂
Dom says
Love it! I really like the idea of a suet crust too. I love when dumplings get a bit crispy! Shame you couldn’t find rabbit. I love rabbit too but I imagine the chicken would be a great substitute. Thanks so much for the entry this month Karen xxx
Karen says
Thanks Dom, I DID find some rabbit in the end, but it needed skinning and I am not adept enough to do that! Still, I was true to my random recipe and tried to adapt it to my shopping basket! Karen
Maya Russell says
Thank you for suggesting cooked ham slices – an easy ingredient to get. The pie looks delicious.
Sarah, Maison Cupcake says
Warming winter food, just what I fancy right now! Thanks for submitting it to CCM.
We’ve recently discovered these fabulous roast in the bag bacon joints from Tesco for a fiver for nearly a kilo’s worth of ham and never need to buy ham for hubbies sandwiches anymore, plus it’s much better quality.
Karen says
WOW! I must get down to Tesco for one of those hams Sarah, as we love ham and it’s a cut of meat that just keeps on giving! Also like the idea that it cooks in a bag too……Karen
ursula hunt says
Definately going to give this a go, looks nice and filling
Maya Russell says
I really do like the blackbird! Where do you get one of those? Fab recipe. Thanks.
Phil in the Kitchen says
Suet topped pies really take me back to when I was very young (I think Queen Victoria may have still been on the throne). I seem to remember that I loved the suet but whatever it was underneath didn’t really fit into the category of food. This looks so much nicer than anything I can remember.
ursula hunt says
I love suet crusts instead of any pastry crust
Nicole Stanfield Caile says
Wow! I love savoury pies, but the suet crust takes it to a whole new level! Would love to experiment with different meats. Yum!
Zoe Roxby says
Amazing Im deffinately gonna have to try this out all my favourite things
Galina V says
A great recipe, and what a cute birdie funnel. I got a fab book called Pie recently, and plan to do more pies this winter.
Claire Willmer says
hmm gorgeous , perfect food for this weather x
Angel says
Comfort food at its best.
Renate Kriegler Edwards says
Frugal and hearty – and an excellent way to use up that old packet of suet in the cupboard hehe Thank you!
Louise Smith says
This is great recipe for this time of year with it being cold. I can hear my mum saying “you need something that will stick to your ribs when it’s cold” unfortunately, it usually sticks to my waistline as well!
Michelle Hollingsbee says
The suet dumpling crust sounds amazing!
Barbara Bunning says
Not a lot of pennies left after Christmas, so this is great.. thanks x
kimmyl says
This looks like a great yummy recipe for the cold winter days.
Georgina Davies says
this sounds lovely, might try this for tea xx
Sheila Reeves says
Baked suet crust! Haven’t had that since my Mum was around, forgotten about it and is definitely on my list of things to try again, thanks
dragonfly63 says
A great way of using up a roast chicken, can’t stand wasting food – too many people are starving or wasting money they could spend on something sensible.
ursula hunt says
Great heartwarming food
Sheila Reeves says
I haven’t had a suet crust pie since my mum was alive – this has brought back some lovely food memories – such a tasty, filling pie, great for this time of the year
Rachel B says
This is such a fab pie recipe. I’ve just got into making hearty winter warming pies and the suet crust sounds like one I will have to try next.
Felicity Kelly says
Looks delicious!!
Jackie R says
Yum Yum Yum
Tried this yesterday, just wonderful. Kids want to know when I will be baking it again – will do it was so simple
Thanks
Karen Burns-Booth says
Thanks for letting me know Jackie! So pleased you all loved it! Karen
Kerri O'Kane says
Absolutely delicious, I left out the ham as I didn’t have any and upped the veg content by adding sliced mushrooms and petit pois (.also left out the leek due to having none in the fridge) Made my dumpling crust with veg suet (somewhat ironic when the pie contained chicken) but it was to hand and I can kid myself it’s a teeny bit healthier. Served with a couple of stuffing balls unearthed from the freezer dig and beans. Already got ideas for a sausage and onion or beef and ale variation. Best of all, I got to get my little pie bird out too.
Karen Burns-Booth says
I am so pleased you enjoyed this recipe Kerri! I LOVE my little blackbird pie funnel too!