These individual puff pastry potpies are topped with rounds of homemade puff pastry. Storebought will work just as well. The filling features tender pieces of chicken thigh simmered together with mixed vegetables in a rich, thick veloute sauce enriched with heavy cream. Don't miss this one! NOTE: Cooking time is the combined time for the filling and baking the potpies. This recipe is easily halved to make 4 individual pot pies
4boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts if you prefer
salt and pepperto taste
4Tablespoonsoilbacon fat, butter, or other fat of your choice (I used spray-on Duck Fat), divided use
1large sweet onionsmall dice
2ribs celerysmall dice
4Tablespoonsapple cider or red wine vinegar
1medium baking potatopeeled, small dice
4Tablespoonsflour
2teaspoonpoultry seasoning
8ozheavy cream
16ozwater
1Tablespoonchicken baseI use Better Than Bullion
12ozmixed frozen vegetablessuch as Veg-All
2ozfresh baby spinach
To Assemble and Bake
A little cold water
½recipe homemade puff pastry or 1 sheet of storebought
1egg beaten with 1 teaspoon of water and a pinch of salt
Instructions
Make sure you have your onions, celery, and potatoes diced and ready to go.
Keep your puff pastry in the fridge until after you make the filling.
Heat the oven to 375F (convection or conventional) and place a rack in the center position.
Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and season with salt and pepper.
Heat a large saute pan over medium heat.
Add about 2 Tablespoons of your Fat of Choice.
Cook the chicken until browned on all sides, tossing occasionally, about 6 minutes.
Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside. There should be some browned bits in the bottom of your pan. Leave them.
Add another Tablespoon or so of fat to the pan and cook the onions and celery with a little more salt and pepper until somewhat softened, about 4-5 minutes. NOTE: If the browned bits start getting a little too brown, turn down the heat and deglaze with a little water.
Once the aromatics are soft and becoming translucent, add the potatoes and vinegar and cook for about 5 minutes so the potatoes start picking up a little color.
Add another Tablespoon or so of fat and the flour, and stir for a minute or two to cook off the raw taste of the flour.
Add the poultry seasoning and mix in.
Add the water, chicken base, and cream to the pan and bring to a boil.
Bring to a boil, and then add the mixed vegetables. If using frozen, no need to thaw.
Bring back to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 5-7 minutes to reduce the sauce a bit.
Taste and adjust the seasonings.
Add the chicken back in and stir. Simmer a couple of minutes to heat through, then add the greens and stir in well.
Evenly distribute the filling among your ramekins (8, if you have 10 oz ramekins) and place on a parchment-lined sheet pan.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the puff pastry to 1/8"-3/16" and cut out circles approximately 1" larger than your ramekins.
Brush (or use your fingers) a little water onto the rims of the ramekins and press a round of parchement on top of each one. There should be about 1/2" overhand all around.
Cut some slits in the tops of the pastry, freeze for about 30 minutes or refrigerate for about 45 minutes.
Brush the pastry lids with eggwash and bake for 20-30 minutes.
Rotate the pan after 15 minutes. The pot pies are done when the puff is deeply golden brown, nicely puffed, and you can see some of the sauce bubbling up through the vents you cut.
Serve hot, or cool and refrigerate. Reheat to serve.
Notes
VARIATIONS
Here are some ideas for how to vary the flavors and vegetables in your filling:
Cajun-inspired pot pies: Use half Andouille sausage and half chicken for the meat. Include green bell pepper in with your onions and celery. Add a healthy dose of Tony Chachere’s to your sauce either in addition to or in place of the poultry seasoning. Use mixed bell peppers either in addition to or in place of the mixed vegetables I used
Mexican-inspired pot pies: Use half chorizo and half chicken for the meat. Include a minced jalapeno in with the onions and celery. Use chili powder and cumin in place of the poultry seasoning. Replace some of the stock/cream mixture with Herdez guacamole salsa
Other vegetables to consider adding:
mushrooms
cauliflower
pearl onions
lima beans
zucchini
cubed delicata or butternut squash
peas
CHICKEN POT PIE Q & A
How long will these keep? Store fully baked and cooled chicken pot pie in the fridge, loosely covered, for up to 5 days. To reheat, I like to microwave them for 2-3 minutes and finish them in my toaster oven on convection 375F for about 15 additional minutes.
Does chicken pot pie freeze well? Yes. Freeze before or after baking. To bake, thaw overnight in the fridge, eggwash, and then bake. To reheat, thaw in the fridge overnight and then reheat in the microwave for a couple of minutes and then in a hot oven until heated through.
Is this pot pie gluten free? No, it’s not. You can make the filling gluten free by using cornstarch or another alternate, gluten-free starch for the roux. Use gluten-free pie crust for the “lids,” and you’ll be good to go.