Roast Chicken & Ham Pie with a Suet Dumpling Crust

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

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!

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

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.