Roasted Chicken (Pie) Pizza with Bacon and Leeks

The humble chicken pie is a classic British dish and family favorite across the UK, and for good reason. Packed with leeks, chicken, cream, bacon and cheese, it’s the ultimate comfort food and a sure-fired crowd pleaser. Here, England-based home cook and baker Grant Batty (@grantbatty) takes the chicken pie one step further, topping a pizza with those savoury, warm fillings for a familiar meal with an Italian twist. 

Growing up, Grant’s mother would always make a chicken pie on weekends, and while he’s watched her make it countless times, he struggled to replicate it. Rather than make up a completely new version, he asked her for her chicken pie recipe and adapted it to become a perfect pizza topper.

There’s a lot of nostalgia that comes with this recipe, not to mention a ton of flavour from the roasted chicken, sauteéd leeks, crispy smoked bacon and rich cream. And while this isn't your mother’s chicken pie, it’s certainly mum-approved.

Difficulty

Servings

Four 250-gram dough balls for 12-inch (30-centimeter) pizzas

Prep Time

4 hours

Cook Time

14 to 15 minutes (if using pre-cooked chicken) 58 to 63 minutes (if roasting and spatchcocking your chicken)

By Grant Batty

Roasted Chicken (Pie) Pizza with Bacon and Leeks

Note

This recipe would suit a variety of pizza styles, but we think our neo-Neapolitan or classic pizza dough works well–just be sure to set aside 3 to 4 hours for prep and proofing. Shop-bought or leftover chicken are ideal for this recipe, though, when we have the time, we're big fans of roasting spatchcocked chicken in an Ooni oven, too. Bacon lardons are available in many supermarkets, but if you can't find them, ask a butcher for slab bacon and slice it into batons at home.



1: Warm a sauté pan over medium heat, then add the olive oil and thinly sliced leeks.

Cook until soft and translucent (about 3 minutes).

2: Add the chicken, double cream, Dijon mustard and cheddar.

Stir well to combine. Cook for another 5 minutes over medium heat until the sauce thickens and all of the cheese has melted.

3: Remove from the heat; add salt and pepper to taste.

Stir to combine, then leave to cool.

4: Over medium to medium-high heat, place your bacon lardons into a skillet or a pan along with the garlic and rosemary.

5: Cook for approximately 5 minutes, stirring regularly to avoid the bacon catching on the bottom of the pan/skillet and burning.

Once cooked (the bacon should be crispy) set aside to cool.

Tip: You can also cook your bacon in your Ooni as it’s reaching temperature.

6: Fire up your Ooni.

Aim for 400 °C to 450 °C (750 °F to 850 °F) on the baking stone inside. Use the infrared thermometer to quickly and accurately check the temperature of the middle of the stone.

7: Place a dough ball on a lightly-floured work surface.

Push the air from the centre out to the edge with your fingers. Stretch the dough out to form a 12-inch (30-centimetre) base, then lay the stretched dough over your lightly-floured pizza peel.

8: Starting in the centre and working your way out to the edge, spread 5 tablespoons of the chicken and leek sauce, leaving ¼ to ½ inch (1 ½ to 2 centimetres) for the crust.

9: Top with 50 grams mozzarella and 25 grams smoked bacon lardons.

 uncooked pizza covered in chicken, bacon, and leek on top of a bamboo peel

10: Slide the pizza off the peel and into your oven.

Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, using a peel to turn your pizza about every 20 seconds to ensure an even bake.

11: Remove the cooked pizza from the oven, wait one minute for it to cool slightly, then top with Parmigiano Reggiano and fresh thyme leaves.

12: Slice into 6 pieces, serve and enjoy!

Repeat steps with the remaining dough balls.

Grant Batty

Recipe developer, baker and filmmaker based in Cornwall, England, Grant Batty has a passion for all things pizza, in particular creating authentic Sourdough Neapolitan-style pizzas. Follow him @grantbatty.
  • Four 250-gram dough balls

For chicken & leek cream sauce:

  • 30 millilitres extra-virgin olive oil
  • 100 grams leeks, thinly sliced
  • 300 grams cooked chicken, either boiled or roasted, torn or shredded
  • 300 milliliters double cream
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 75 grams cheddar
  • Fine sea salt, to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the smoked bacon lardons:

  • 100 grams smoked bacon lardons, cut into batons (¼-inch thick by 1-inch long chunks)
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 sprig of fresh rosemary

For the pizza:

  • Bench flour, for dusting and stretching
  • 200 grams mozzarella, torn into small pieces
  • Parmigiano Reggiano, for sprinkling
  • 2 sprigs of fresh thyme or lemon thyme