Chicken Pot Pies (individual)

 

I am a pie lover.  Sweet or savory. I just adore pie. My mother made the best pot pies. Every time we had a roast dinner, be it chicken, turkey, pork or beef, we knew that we were going to have a delicious pot pie to look forward to with the leftovers.

This recipe is for four individual chicken pot pies that you make completely from scratch. I have utilized my sister's butter and lard pastry recipe for the crusts and have used the filling for a pot pie from a Mennonite cookbook I have entitled Hope's Table.

The original recipe made a full pot pie, sized for four to six people. I am only one person however and decided to adapt it to make several smaller pies that I could freeze.

  

This is a traditional old-fashioned chicken pot pie, with a delicious flaky crust and flavor-filled chicken and vegetable filling, with a creamy rich gravy. You will need individual pie dishes. I purchased mine on Amazon a number of months back. They came in a bundle of six.  This was the first time I had used them.

These are pure and utter comfort food.  There is no denying it. You can bake it as one full 10-inch pie for your whole family, or break it down into individual ones as I have done. The choice is yours.

One thing is for sure, you will love this rich, simple and delicious filling! It is filled with plenty of chicken and vegetables and a rich gravy. There is nothing lacking here!

 

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKECHICKEN POT PIES (INDIVIDUAL)

There is nothing complicated required to make these.  You will need four individual 6-inch pie dishes.  Alternately you can bake it as one large pie.

Chicken and Vegetables:

• 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 2 TBS butter
• 1/2 tsp seasoning salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 cup chopped, peeled carrots (2 medium carrots)
• 1/2 cup chopped celery (1 small stalk celery)
• 1 cup frozen peas, thawed (134g)

For the gravy:

• 3 TBS butter
• 1 medium onion, peeled and diced
• 1/3 cup (41g) all-purpose, plain flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 3/4 cup (420ml) chicken stock
• 2/3 cup (160ml) half and half (single cream)

You will also need:

• lard butter pastry (see recipe here) (you will not need it all, but you can freeze the unbaked pastry in rounds to use another time.)
• cream to brush on top

 

I trimmed as much fat as I could from the chicken thighs before cutting them into cubes. You could also use the equivalent in breast meat, or even leftover cooked chicken, cubed.

You could use 2 1/2cups of frozen mixed vegetables thawed if you don't want to prepare and cook your own vegetables.

It is more pastry than you will need. (The recipe makes six single crusts)  You can shape the unused crust into (single crust amount) flat discs, wrap tightly in cling film, place into a zip lock baggie and freeze until needed. To use, thaw out in the refrigerator overnight and leave to warm on the counter for about 15 minutes before rolling out.

If you don't wish to brush the tops with cream, you can use an egg yolk beaten with water in its place.

 

HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN POT PIES (INDIVIDUAL)

These may seem a little involved with having to make pastry and a separate filling, but once you have the individual components done, they do go together very easily and quickly.

Cut your chicken thighs into 1/2-inch pieces. Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the chicken pieces and sprinkle with the seasoning salt and black pepper.

Cook, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink and beginning to brown. Add the carrots and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until the carrots and celery are tender. Stir in the peas and cook for a minute longer. Remove to a bowl and set aside.

Melt the butter for the sauce in the saucepan. Add the onion and cook, stirring, over medium heat until softened.

Whisk in the flour and salt and pepper. Cook for a minute and then slowly whisk in the chicken stock and the half and half. Simmer, until the mixture thickens. Return the chicken and vegetables to the pan and give everything a good stir to combine. Set aside to cool while you make your pastry.

You will need 4 (6-inch) pie dishes. Make your pastry and line the bottoms of the pie dishes with pastry, leaving a one-inch overhang. Divide the filling between the four pastry lined dishes. Brush the overhang with a bit of cream.

 

Roll out enough pastry to make four lids. (The remainder of the pastry can be shaped into discs, wrapped tightly and frozen.)

Cut out the lids and place over the filling in the pie dishes to cover. Bring the overhang of pastry up to seal the pies all around the edges and crimp.

Cut some slits in top of each pie and brush the tops lightly with cream. Place onto a baking tray.

 

Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4.  Place the baking tray of pies into the oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes until golden brown and the filling is bubbling.

Leave to cool for 5 to 8 minutes before serving.

Notes

You can freeze the individual pies either before cooking or after. In either case wrap well in cling film and place into an airtight zip lock baggie. Pop into the freezer where they will keep well for up to six months. Thaw completely in the refrigerator overnight and then bake as above for unbaked frozen pies. (You can also bake from frozen, but they will take longer to bake, about 45 to 50 minutes.)

 

What I love about this pie is the fact that the gravy is not super thin.  I remember the pot pies of my childhood that were all gravy with very little meat and vegetables. That is not the case with these!!  There is plenty of everything encased in a buttery flaky crust.

I froze three of these, unbaked and then baked the one which I then enjoyed with a leafy salad on the side. It was a meal made in heaven for this pie lover!!

  

We love savory pies in my family.  We would eat them every night of the week if we could.  Here are a few other savory pies that we enjoy!

SCOTTISH STEAK PIE FOR TWO - This pie boasts a delicious melt-in-the-mouth beef and gravy filling, topped with a lush puff pastry lid. It is delicious served with mashed, boiled, or roasted potatoes a vegetable and a pot of extra gravy on the side.

CHICKEN AND MUSHROOM PIE - This is one very delicious pie!  With a fabulous pale ale gravy and plenty of tender pieces of chicken and mushrooms, topped with a buttery puff pastry lid. It always goes down a real treat!

Yield: 4 small (6-inch) pies

Author: Marie Rayner

Chicken Pot Pies

Prep time: 30 MinCook time: 40 MinTotal time: 1 H & 10 M

This recipe makes four delicious single serving pies. They freeze very well, baked or unbaked. (See notes for freezing unbaked pies and cooking instructions.)

Ingredients

Chicken and Vegetables:

• 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 2 TBS butter
• 1/2 tsp seasoning salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 cup chopped, peeled carrots (2 medium carrots)
• 1/2 cup chopped celery (1 small stalk celery)
• 1 cup frozen peas, thawed (134g)

For the gravy:

• 3 TBS butter
• 1 medium onion, peeled and diced
• 1/3 cup (41g) all-purpose, plain flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 3/4 cup (420ml) chicken stock
• 2/3 cup (160ml) half and half (single cream)

You will also need:

• lard butter pastry (see recipe here) (you will not need it all but you can freeze the unbaked pastry in rounds to use another time.)
• cream to brush on top

Instructions

1. Cut your chicken thighs into 1/2-inch pieces. Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the chicken pieces and sprinkle with the seasoning salt and black pepper.
2. Cook, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink and beginning to brown. Add the carrots and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until the carrots and celery are tender. Stir in the peas and cook for a minute longer. Remove to a bowl and set aside.
3. Melt the butter for the sauce in the saucepan. Add the onion and cook, stirring, over medium heat until softened.
4. Whisk in the flour and salt and pepper. Cook for a minute and then slowly whisk in the chicken stock and the half and half. Simmer, until the mixture thickens. Return the chicken and vegetables to the pan and give everything a good stir to combine. Set aside to cool while you make your pastry.
5. You will need 4 (6-inch) pie dishes. Make your pastry and line the bottoms of the pie dishes with pastry, leaving a one inch overhang. Divide the filling between the four pastry lined dishes. Brush the overhang with a bit of cream.
6. Roll out enough pastry to make four lids. (The remainder of the pastry can be shaped into discs, wrapped tightly and frozen.)
7. Cut out the lids and place over the filling in the pie dishes to cover. Bring the overhang of pastry up to seal the pies all around the edges and crimp.
8. Cut some slits in top of each pie and brush the tops lightly with cream. Place onto a baking tray.
9. Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4.
10. Place the baking tray of pies into the oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes until golden brown and the filling is bubbling.
11. Leave to cool for 5 to 8 minutes before serving.

Notes

You can freeze the individual pies either before cooking or after. In either case wrap well in cling film and place into an airtight zip lock baggie. Pop into the freezer where they will keep well for up to six months. Thaw completely in the refrigerator overnight and then bake as above for unbaked frozen pies. (You can also bake from frozen, but they will take longer to bake, about 45 to 50 minutes.)

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