My First Pie Competition! {Buffalo Chicken Pie with Blue Cheese Crust}

Last night I tasted upwards of 25 pies.  Before you get disgusted, let me assure you that it was for a good cause.  How can you vote on the best pie in a pie competition if you haven’t tried all the pies?!  This is serious business!

Our friends Abbey and Phil host a competition every year for both sweet and savory pies.  There are awards in categories ranging from most creative to best crust, from most beautiful to ugliest but delicious.  I decided to try my hand at the savory category, because I felt like it would be an easier category to stand out in… and there’s usually less competition!  Can you guess what I made?

Buffalo chicken… shocker!  I debated long and hard between a blue cheese or a Frito crust.  I ultimately went with the blue cheese, and topped it with Fritos!  I’m glad I went with the blue cheese crust, because I really loved it.  The recipe I found for the crust was actually for a sweet pear and dried fruit pie, and I think it would have gone beautifully with that as well. 

Sadly I didn’t win the contest (there’s always next year!) but hey, at least my pie got eaten!

Buffalo Chicken Pie with Blue Cheese Crust

Blue Cheese Crust:
(From Food52)

• 10 oz all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 oz blue cheese
• 8 oz unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 3-5 tablespoons ice cold water (just enough to hold the crust dough together)
• 1/4 teaspoon finely ground pepper
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• Fritos (optional)

1. Mix the flour, salt, and sugar together and place in the freezer for 30 minutes to chill.  Cut the butter into 16-20 pieces and place in the freezer along with the blue cheese for 30 minutes.
2. Place the flour mixture in the bowl of a food processor and pulse several times to disperse the salt and sugar through the flour.  Crumble the blue cheese and add to the food processor. Pulse until mixed in (about 8 – 10 pulses). Add the butter and continue to pulse until the consistency is like coarse cornmeal.
3. Drizzle in the cider vinegar and 2 tablespoons of ice water. Pulse 8-10 times. Open the food processor and pinch the dough together. If it doesn’t stay together, add another tablespoon of water. Keep checking and adding small amounts of water until the pastry dough starts to hold together when pinched. Pulse as little as possible, as you don’t want to start developing too much gluten.
4. You should have around 22 ounces of pastry dough. Divide in two unequal halves and form into a 10 ounce disc and a 12 ounce disc. Wrap each in wax paper and place in the freezer for at least 30 minutes. The dough should be firm but you should be able to push it in with your finger.
5. Roll out the larger disc first into an 1/8″ thick circle.  Carefully transfer to a buttered pie plate (8-9″), pressing softly and draping the excess over the edge of the pie plate.  Grind black pepper lightly over the dough.
6. Roll out the second, smaller disc.  Pour the filling (recipe below) into the pie plate and cover with the smaller disc.  Crimp edges.
7. Lightly baste the crust with egg to facilitate a nice golden crust and crumble with Fritos, if desired.

For the Buffalo Chicken Filling

Adapted from Pillsbury

• 5 T butter
• 1/2 yellow onion, diced
• 6 stalks celery, diced
• 3 medium carrots, diced
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 deli rotisserie chicken (3 lbs)
• 1 to 1 1/2 cups Frank’s Red Hot
• 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella

1. Melt 3T butter in a saucepan over medium heat.  Add onion, celery and carrots and cook for 8-10 minutes until softened. 
2. Meanwhile, remove skin and bones from the chicken and discard.  Shred into small pieces. 
3. In a large bowl, combine vegetable mixture, chicken, buffalo sauce and cheese.  Melt 2T butter, drizzle over mixture and stir well.

Johanna