This is a lovely creamy pie filling recipe which feels really indulgent. I served the pie with  garden peas and that was enough for me however if you have a very hungry partner, you could always serve with some mash too!

I usually roast a whole chicken and use the shredded breast meat in the pie as I think it absorbs the sauce nicely. If you prefer to use raw chicken breast, use the same quantity of chicken, diced and seal in the saucepan for 6-7 minutes before you add the onion.

POINTS AND NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

Serves 4 – per serving 9 points or 344 cals, 6.7g fat, 29.0g carbs, 34.2g protein

Ingredients

1 white onion, finely chopped

3 leeks, woody end removed and sliced into rounds

3 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped

250g chestnut mushrooms, sliced

1 tbsp plain flour

125 ml white wine

1 chicken stock cube made up with 300ml boiling water

350g cooked chicken breast, shredded

1 tsp each wholegrain and Dijon mustard

2 tbsp light crème fraiche

1 tbsp light butter

3 sheets filo pastry, cut into squares (each sheet cuts into about 12 squares)

1 200g frozen peas

Low calorie cooking spray

Salt and black pepper

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan).
2. Take a large saucepan, spray with low-calorie cooking spray and pop on a medium heat.
3. Fry the onion and leek for 5–6 minutes until the onion starts to soften, adding a little water if the pan gets a bit dry. Add the garlic and mushrooms and fry for another few minutes.
4. Add the plain flour and stir through the veggies. Fry for a minute, then pour in the wine and simmer until reduced by half. Add the stock and the cooked chicken and stir through. Simmer for a few minutes and then reduce the heat.
5. Add the mustards and crème fraîche, season with salt and pepper to taste and stir so everything is nicely combined. Take the pan off the heat.
6. Spray a pie dish with low-calorie cooking spray and pour the filling into the dish. Leave to cool for a little bit if you can (at least 30 minutes).
7. Melt the butter in a small bowl. Top the pie with a single layer of pastry squares and brush on a layer of melted butter.
8. Add a second layer of pastry, brush lightly with the melted butter, and continue until all the butter is used. Make sure the pastry covers the edges of the pie dish, so the filling doesn’t leak out.
9. Pop the pie in the oven for 25 minutes. Cook the peas for the last few minutes that the pie is cooking. Serve both in nice deep bowls.

The post Creamy Chicken Pie first appeared on Slimming Kitchen Secrets.

This recipe makes four big portions of cottage pie so is perfect for Sunday lunch or, for tea for 2 with leftovers for 2 the next day.

POINTS AND NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

Serves 4 – per serving = 7 points or 520 cals, 18.7g fat, 46.6g carbs, 34.7g protein

Ingredients

For the filling

400g extra lean beef stewing steak, raw, cubed

1 tbsp plain flour

1 tsp olive oil

1 large onion, peeled and finely sliced

3 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped

2 carrots, peeled and diced

250g chestnut mushrooms, quartered

1 tbsp tomato puree

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 beef stock cube (made up with 500ml boiling water)

300ml Brown Ale (I’ve used the good old Newcastle Brown Ale and Aldi’s own – both were good!)

Pinch of sugar

½ sprig of fresh rosemary, leaves picked and roughly chopped (or 1 tsp dried rosemary)

Handful of fresh thyme, roughly chopped (or 1 tsp dried thyme)

For the mash top

600g potatoes (suitable for mashing, I used Maris Piper), peeled and roughly cubed

80g Blue Stilton cheese, crumbled

2 tbsp light crème fraiche

100ml skimmed milk, warmed

To serve

200g frozen peas

Method

1. Fill the kettle and pop on to boil. Preheat the oven to 150°C (fan).
2. Put the beef in a large bowl, add the flour and season well with salt and pepper. Coat the beef completely in the seasoned flour. Add the oil to a large saucepan, heat, and then add the beef. Fry for 4–5 minutes until the beef is sealed but not cooked through. Remove the beef from the pan and pop into a bowl to one side.
3. To the same pan add the onion, garlic, carrots and mushrooms. Fry for4–5 minutes until the onion starts to soften, adding a little water if the pan starts getting a bit dry. Add the tomato purée and Worcestershire sauce, fry for another minute, and then add the beef stock and brown ale with a pinch of sugar. Add the beef back to the pan with the rosemary and thyme, stir, and then bring to the boil.
4. Reduce the heat and simmer the pie mixture for 1 hour until the beef and carrots are soft and the sauce has reduced nicely. Remove from the heat and let the pie filling cool (for around half an hour if you have time) – this will stop the mash sinking into the beef.
5. While the filling is cooling, make the mash. Boil the potatoes in lightly salted water for 15 minutes until the potatoes are soft, then mash (or preferably rice) in a large bowl until nice and smooth.
6. Add the Stilton and crème fraîche and mix, pouring in the warmed milk until the mash is nice and smooth. Don’t overmix as the mash will become gluey. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
7. Take a large pie dish and pour the filling into the base, then spread (or pipe) the mash over the top. Pop in the oven for half an hour so the top of the mash goes nice and crispy.
8. After 30 minutes, remove from the oven and leave to rest while you make the peas. Pop the peas on to boil for 3–4 minutes and then drain and season.
9. To serve, add the pie to a nice deep bowl and eat with the peas.

The post Steak, Brown Ale and Blue Stilton Pie first appeared on Slimming Kitchen Secrets.