Budget Leftover Chicken Pot Pie

First, make some REAL chicken stock for tomorrow's soup. This will need to settle and be refrigerated over night. Remove the chicken meat off the left over chicken from the previous nights roast and use for the pie recipe. In a large pot, put all remaining chicken bones etc. Add a sprig of thyme, half an onion and a carrot and fill with water to cover chicken. Bring to the boil then lower to a gentle simmer. Simmer uncovered for 1.5 hours, skimming off any impurities which settle on the surface. Be careful not to boil, as this will make the stock cloudy.

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 2 Tablespoons flour
• 1 cup chicken stock
  
• 1 cup milk
• ½ cup white wine or cooking sherry
• 1 desertspoon chopped fresh rosemary
  
• 1 desertspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1 ½ cup to 2 cups diced leftover chicken
• 2 large carrots, roughly diced
  
• 2 ribs celery, sliced into 2 cm chunks
  
• Salt and pepper to taste
  
• 1 sheet of flakey pastry (approx 35cm x 20cm long - depending on the dish you choose to bake with). These often come in a packet of 2, freeze the second sheet of pastry for another time.
  

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 210 Celcius.
2. Melt the butter in a small saucepan.
3. When butter begins to bubble, sprinkle in the flour and whisk to combine.
4. Slowly pour in the chicken broth. Whisk until smooth and beginning to thicken.
5. Add the milk, wine or sherry, rosemary, and thyme.
6. Combine the chicken, carrots and celery in a bowl.
7. Pour the sauce over the vegetables and meat and stir to combine
8. Pour the chicken, vegetable and sauce mixture into the baking dish.
   
9. Top with the pastry sheet and pinch around the edges to seal, or use a fork to do the same.
   
10. Bake at 210 degrees for 10 minutes, then lower heat to 180 degrees and bake for thirty minutes more.

Main Ingredients - based on Tesco's prices at date of posting:
(Not including cupboard staples and already purchased ingredients etc)

Jus Rol 2 Puff Pastry Sheets 425g - £1.60
7 loose Carrots Class 1 - £0.49 (use only two for this dish, the remainder for tomorrow's meal)
Tesco Celery Each - £0.78

Total approximate cost £1.27

Not too shabby!