This is a simple and easy Greek traditional chicken pie with feta cheese and olive oil
This pie is very similar to a traditional one made by Greek women during the past years. It was made as a simple, quick, easy and nutritious lunch for the men when they were working in the fields. You see, women during the old times, had to invent such kind of recipes. Since they were responsible for all the things regarding good housekeeping and because amenities were sparse, easy and quick (but tasty) were the key words in everyday cooking. That’s why a lot of traditional recipes use easy to find ingredients and take very little time from start to finish.
Nowadays, though many things have changed, a lot of women are in a similar position. They not only have to sustain a decent household, but they also have to work and run all sort of chores everyday! Is free time a forgotten concept?
So, let’s say you’re finally on your way home, already exhausted after a full day at the office/work, knowing that you have some hungry mouths to feed… BUT, you don’t have anything prepared. What do you do?
Option #1 : Take out. Yes, that’s an option but you’ve already done it once or twice this month.
Option #2 : This quick simple tomato bacon spaghetti. You feel relieved… But then you remember you made that on Monday (disappointed face).
Option #3 : Use that leftover chicken/turkey from yesterday. But what to do with it? Well, why not make it into this very simple 30 minute chicken pie?! And serve it with a big bowl of green salad! This arugula, goat cheese and green apple salad is ideal! (happy face).
This pie is the answer to your prayers when you want to use any leftover chicken or turkey and at the same time you want to do this in a quick and easy way. You practically mix everything in one bowl and bake for approximately 20 minutes! Isn’t that fun?
Notes:
– This recipe works really well with any kind of leftover poultry. And if you don’t have any leftovers and still want to make it, just buy a rotisserie chicken, or sauté (or boil) a breast and cut it into pieces.
– I most often use feta cheese and sliced olives with this recipe, but sometimes I replace olives with chopped sundried tomatoes. If I had to choose though, I would choose the olives version.
– This recipe is meant to be thin (the batter should be about half an inch thick before baking), so as to bake quickly!
– If you don’t use any chicken and tomato/olives, you’ll have the Greek traditional pie from the old times! Plain and simple, just with feta cheese!
Fun fact: As you can see from the photos, this is not your common chicken pie. If I had to describe it I would say it’s probably more of a savory, really thin cake. Then why call it pie? Well, the word pie is believed to have originated from ancient Greece (according to Wikipedia!) and in Greek, pie and pita are the same word! Pita/pie in Greek means something level and flat, and usually round – OK, I just realized I made mine in a rectangular pan and audaciously named it pie.
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- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- A pinch of salt and pepper
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 cups milk
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup olive oil (or melted butter)
- 2 full cups crumbled feta cheese (about 8 oz / 250 grams)
- One chicken breast half, cooked and diced (or about 2 cups chicken or turkey leftovers)
- ¼ cup sliced olives or sundried tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon sesame for sprinkling
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C)
- Line a pan with baking paper. For a rectangular pan the dimensions should be approximately 14x11 inches (35x28 cm). For a round pan it should be 14 inches (35 cm) in diameter.
- In a big bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, oregano, and sugar.
- Add the milk, eggs and olive oil and stir until just combined.
- Add the chicken and olives/tomato and mix a little more.
- Transfer mixture into the pan and spread it evenly with a spoon. Sprinkle with sesame.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until slightly brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Eat warm or at room temperature.
Keep refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2-3 days.
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