How to make the best chicken pie with shop-bought pastry and other easy shortcuts

As the weather turns cooler, there is nothing more comforting than a creamy chicken pie with a crispy top

Ballymaloe Chicken Pie from 30 Years At Ballymaloe by Darina Allen. Picture: Laura Edwards

Pies are wonderful things. An all-in-one-dinner that looks as though it took a very long time to make, with a few smart shortcuts, you can cut your preparation time in half and nobody needs to know a thing. 

Use shop-bought pastry