Madhouse recipe : Chicken & Veg Puff

This was a recipe that started off as something completely different but changed half way when the school run took longer than planned and I needed to finish off quickly. Luckily a ready-made sheet of puff pastry saved the day and it actually turned out rather nice.

Chicken & Veg Puff

ingredients :

3 chicken breasts

1 onion

2 carrots

4 potatoes

a handful of frozen peas

a knob of butter

2 cheese spread triangles

a sprinkle of grated cheese

salt, pepper, garlic granules, smoked paprika

some smoked ham

1 ready made puff pastry sheet

a little milk

Chop the potatoes and carrots into small cubes and cook in salted water, along with the frozen peas.

Meanwhile, finely chop the onion and chicken and fry in a drizzle of olive oil.

Drain the cooked vegetables and return them to the pan. Add the butter, cheese triangles and grated cheese and crush slightly with a fork (but less than when making mashed potatoes - you still want lumps). Stir through the chicken and season to taste with salt, pepper, smoked paprika and garlic granules.

Spoon the chicken mash mixture down the middle of a sheet of puff pastry. Lay slices of smoked ham across the top.

Fold all four edges up and inwards. Brush with milk to help it go nice and golden. Bake in the oven at 180° for about 20-25 minutes until the pastry is golden and cooked.

The crumbly flaky pastry perfectly complemented the soft mash and it held its shape really well when cut into slices. Everyone thought it was nice but it could have done with a bit more chicken.