Chicken pie

For a chilled, assembled pie, bake at 200°C (180°C fan) for about 30–40 minutes, until the pastry is golden and the filling is piping hot. If it is frozen, follow the pack’s cooking instructions rather than thawing it first.

Cool the cooked chicken filling before adding it to the pastry, and avoid making the sauce too loose. Cut a small steam vent in the lid; for a crisp base, heat a metal baking tray in the oven and set the pie tin on it.

Yes. Assemble it, wrap it well and freeze it before baking, or freeze leftover baked pie once it has cooled. Defrost it in the fridge before reheating, and heat the centre until piping hot.

Peas, green beans or roasted carrots balance the rich pastry, while mashed potatoes make it a heartier meal. A sharp green salad is a lighter side.

Yes. Remove the skin and bones, shred or chop the meat, then fold it into a thick sauce with cooked vegetables. Since the chicken is already cooked, bake the pie until the pastry is golden and the filling is piping hot.

Use cooked turkey in the same way as chicken; mushrooms, leeks and lentils also make a hearty meat-free filling. Keep the sauce thick so the pastry stays crisp.

Their nutrition is broadly similar, but chicken pie has 246 kcal and 8 g of protein per 100 g, compared with 186 kcal and 6 g of protein in turkey pie. The recipe and pastry thickness can also make a noticeable difference.

A 100 g portion contains 8 g of protein. The amount in a slice depends on its size and how much chicken is in the filling.