Stove-Top Chicken Pot Pie

Before you start cooking, take your chicken out of the fridge, open the packet and let it air

Peel and finely dice the brown onion[s]

Chop the potatoes (skins on) into small bite-sized pieces

Top, tail, peel and dice the carrot[s] finely

Peel and finely chop (or grate) the garlic

Boil half a kettle

Heat a medium-sized pot with a matching lid with a drizzle of olive oil over a high heat

Once hot, add the diced chicken thigh and a pinch of salt and cook for 3-4 min or until starting to brown

Once the chicken has browned, reduce the heat to medium-high

Add the diced onion and chopped potato to the pot with the diced carrot and chopped garlic and cook for 3-4 min or until the onion has started to soften

Season with a pinch of salt and a generous grind of black pepper

Once the onion has softened, add 1 tbsp [2 tbsp] flour and cook for a further 1-2 min

Add the chicken stock mix and soft cheese to the pot with 200ml [350ml] boiled water and give everything a good mix up

Cook, covered, for 15-20 min or until the potatoes are fork-tender and the chicken is cooked through (no pink meat!)

Dust your work surface with a generous sprinkling of flour

Unwrap the puff pastry and roll it out to approx. 0.5cm thickness with a rolling pin

Score a 1cm border around the edge of the pastry with a knife, then carefully score inside the border in a criss-cross pattern

Heat a large, wide-based pan (preferably non-stick with a matching lid) with a knob of butter over a medium heat

Once hot, add the scored puff pastry and cook, covered, for 8-10 min on each side or until the pastry is cooked through, puffed up and golden

Tip: Cooking for 4? Use 2 pans!

Once cooked through and golden, transfer the cooked puff pastry to a clean chopping board and slice in half – these are your pie lids

Once the potatoes are fork-tender, add the blanched peas and cook for 1-2 min or until warmed through – this is your stove-top chicken pot pie