Chicken Pot Pie with Stuffing Crust

Preheat oven to 338°F (170°C)

• Pan size recommendation: 12 inch oven proof pan
• Note: I used pre-diced carrot & swede mix where the veg is already chopped into very small cubes. If you go for bigger chunks of carrot & swede, extend the fry time in step 2 by around 5 minutes, adding the garlic a bit later.
• Start by adding the diced onion into the pan with 2 tbsp of butter on a medium to low heat to sweat until translucent, for around 6 minutes.
• Once translucent, add the fresh thyme, chopped garlic, diced swede & carrot mix and sliced chicken thighs into the pan. Gently fry the ingredients in the pan, continuously stirring for around 8 minutes. We’re not aiming to fully cook the chicken & carrots at this stage, as they will continue to cook in the oven. Season generously with salt and pepper.
• After this period, add the flour into the pan to fry for a couple of minutes before slowly adding the stock and reducing the heat to low. Slowly pour the cream into the mix and stir to combine. Add the frozen peas at this stage and gently simmer (very low simmer) whilst you prep the stuffing.
• Following the packet instructions, add boiling water to the pre-made stuffing mix and stir to form the raw stuffing. Set aside for the time stated on the packet before adding the stuffing into the pan (mine was 5 minutes), evenly distributed using a fork to spread, to form the stuffing crust. Allow a gap with the stuffing around the edge of the pan to allow some of the moisture to escape.
• Pop the stuffing chicken pot pie into the oven for 25 minutes until the stuffing forms a crispy golden brown layer. Leave to cool for 5 minutes before diving in.