Making little pastry-covered pies was once a creative way to use leftover chicken or other meats. Now we just love them for their warmth and comfort. The filling for these little ramekins can be doubled and made ahead of time if you want to serve them to more than your family. Or fill a larger casserole or deep-dish pie plate and create one delicious pot pie for a Sunday supper. They can also be assembled ahead and frozen in 5-inch foil pot pie pans, then baked on demand while still frozen.
PERSONAL CHICKEN POT PIES
Makes 4 servings
FILLING
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 leeks, halved, thinly sliced
1 large carrot or parsnip, chopped
2 stalks celery + some leaves, chopped
1⁄2 cup baby button mushrooms, sliced
1⁄2 cup all-purpose flour
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1⁄2 teaspoon dried thyme
1⁄4 teaspoon crumbled sage
Freshly ground pepper
1 quart chicken broth
3 cups chopped cooked chicken
PASTRY TOP
1 sheet rolled refrigerated pie pastry (from a 15-ounce box)
1 egg yolk, beaten with 1 teaspoon water
Garlic salt
DIRECTIONS
Heat butter and oil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add leeks, carrot, celery, and mushrooms. Cook for 5 minutes or until vegetables are lightly browned.
Stir in flour, salt, thyme, sage, and pepper. Cook and stir for about 5 minutes, until mixture is pale golden brown (mixture will be lumpy).
Whisk in broth. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Cook 8 minutes or until thickened. Stir in chicken.
Spoon chicken mixture into 4 (12- to 16-ounce) baking dishes; refrigerate for 20 minutes or until room
temperature.
Heat oven to 375 ̊F. Unroll pie pastry; cut into desired shape* to cover filling. Lay pastry on top of each
baking dish. Brush with beaten egg yolk and sprinkle with garlic salt.
Bake for about 30 minutes or until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbling.
*Cut pastry into wedges or into fluted rounds with a biscuit cutter. You can also use other pastry or cookie cutters to make different shapes.