Chicken, Bacon, and Monterey Jack Cheese Pithivier

Hello fellow foodies! I'm super excited to present my recipe for Chicken, Bacon, and Monterey Jack Pithivier. What? You may be asking what on Earth is a pithivier and how do I pronounce that word? Those are great questions! A Pithivier is a free form pie made with puff pastry and has a double crust. It is usually sweet with fruit and almond paste but it can also be filled with meat and cheese. It has a characteristic dome shape to it and it is usually circular in overall shape. 
It is named after the French town of Pithiviers and if you check out Wikipedia, there is a pronunciation of the word that you can listen to.
 For my recipe, I played around with flavors and textures until I found just the right combination that I loved. For me, it is the perfect combination of meats, spices, and cheese. When I tested my final recipe, I could not get enough of the tasty pie! The cumin and chili powder work so well with the chicken, bacon, onion and peppers. And, the cheese, all melty and gooey, is so nice with the crispy layers of puff pastry. Yum! 
This pie is a meal by itself and it presents so nicely for any holiday or family gathering. You can make it ahead of time by assembling it and refrigerating it until ready to bake. That makes it a perfect party food for entertaining!
 Best of all, this recipe creates two pithiviers so there will be plenty to go around! 
I hope you enjoy my recipe!

Step 1: Ingredients

2 pounds chicken thighs cut into 1" cubes

12 ounces hardwood smoked bacon cut into 1" squares

1/3 cup cornstarch

1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 cup chopped yellow onion

1 cup chopped red, green, and yellow bell peppers

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

2-17 ounces puff pastry boxes (2 sheets each)
Egg wash:
1 egg white
1 tablespoon water

Step 2: Create the Filling

In a large skillet, sauté bacon until lightly browned over medium high heat on the stovetop.

Step 3: Create the Filling

In a medium bowl, toss chicken pieces with cornstarch, salt and pepper. Make sure the pieces are coated completely.

Step 4: Create the Filling

Add chicken to skillet and cook with bacon.

Step 5: Create the Filling

Add chopped peppers and onions.

Step 6: Create the Filling

Add chili powder and cumin and stir to incorporate. Cook until chicken is no longer pink and and onions are transparent.

Step 7: Create the Filling

Remove mixture from heat and drain all grease and juice. Cool in a medium bowl.
Refrigerate for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step 8: Prepare the Pastry

Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper and lay out one sheet of puff pastry. Use an inverted 9” cake pan to make a circular indentation to mark where the filling goes.

*The following steps will need to be done twice because this recipe creates two pithiviers.

Step 9: Assembly

Sprinkle pastry with 1/2 cup cheese.

Step 10: Assembly

Since this recipe makes 2 pies, you will add half the meat filling to one of the puff pastry sheets. Turn bowl over onto puff pastry so that filling creates a round dome shape. Add another 1/2 cup of cheese on top of the filling.

Step 11: Prepare the Pastry

On another sheet of pastry, use a cookie cutter to cut shapes for ventilation. Save shapes to decorate pastry surface.
Lay sheet over meat filling dome. Use an inverted cake pan to cut a 9"circle around using a knife.
Cut a 1" slice around the perimeter every one inch.
Add pastry shapes to the surface to decorate.

Step 12: Assembly

Create an egg wash by combining one egg white and 1 tablespoon water. Brush surface with egg wash using a brush.

Step 13: Bake

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until surface is golden brown. Slice and enjoy!

Step 14: Enjoy!

I hope you enjoyed my recipe. If you did, please check my other recipes at bakingintheburbs.net
Thanks a bunch!
Jennifer

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