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Individual Chicken Potpies – Comfort Food, Indeed!

Individual Chicken Potpie Goodness

Chicken Potpies are sometimes ranked right up there as the quintessential comfort food. Where puff pastry is utilized, how can a dish go wrong?  Puff pastry  –  the icing on the cake.    It’s placed on top of each chicken potpie baking dish, enveloping the brothy chicken goodness below. I cut the puff pastry squares larger than the original recipe suggested because when served, I wanted sufficient overhang to be able to tear off and dip and scoop the deliciousness underneath.

I used a recipe found in Everyday Food and it’s spot on good!    You can assemble pieces ahead of time and/or split up baking some of the baking dishes one night and the rest the next evening.    This takes minimal time to assemble but requires some cooling down time of the chicken broth mixture and re-chilling the puff pastry step, so plan accordingly if you whip these up.     You won’t be disappointed serving these portion-controlled potpies, it’s a keeper.

Teenie Notes
  • If you’d rather make one large potpie, use a 2-quart baking dish and roll pastry so that it’s 1-inch wider than the baking dish; cut vents and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
  • The original recipe called for four 12-ounce baking dishes. I didn’t have that size so I prepared them in 8-ounce ramekins. The chicken broth mixture filled 7 1/2 8-ounce ramekins.
  • Puff Pastry: I wanted more of an overhang and the ability to break off pieces to dip and scoop up the brothy goodness below so I cut my pastry squares larger than directed. Otherwise, cut your pastry squares so that they are 1-inch larger than your baking dishes.
  • Other add-in ideas: Sweet Corn, celery, broccoli. I haven’t tried these, but if you have some of these ingredients and need to use them before they go bad, 1/2 cup or so may be great additions.
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Individual Chicken Potpies
source modified from Everyday Food, Issue 66

Makes 4 – 7 servings (depending on baking dish(es) used)

Ingredients

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium onion, diced
2 carrots, diced

1/2 cup all-purpose flour, plus additional for rolling out pastry
1/2 teaspoon salt
Ground pepper, to taste

4 cups low-sodium, low-fat chicken broth

3 cups (1 pound) cooked chicken, cut into 1-inch pieces – (about 3 chicken breasts)
1 cup frozen peas
1 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

1-2 sheets frozen Pepperidge Farms® Puff Pastry, thawed (see notes above)

1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon water

Directions

In a medium saucepan or stockpot, melt butter over medium to low heat. Add the onions and carrots and cook until the onions softens, about 6 minutes. Add flour, salt and pepper. Cook, constantly stirring until the mixture is a pale yellow, has a nutty aroma and has thickened (like cooked oatmeal), about 5 minutes.

Add chicken broth and continue whisking frequently. Bring to a boil and continue stirring until it thickens, about 8-10 minutes. Reduce the heat source and simmer, cooking for about another 10 minutes. Stir in the chicken, peas and thyme; season with salt and pepper to taste.

Evenly distribute the mixture among either 4 12-ounce baking dishes -OR- 6-7 8-ounce baking dishes. Refrigerate until the chicken broth mixture is at room temperature, about 20-30 minutes (this previous steps can be done ahead of time and left in the refrigerator for the day until you’re ready to add the pastry top and serve).

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Individual Chicken Potpie Goodness - prep

On a lightly floured work surface, roll puff pastry to 1/8-inch thick. Cut into 4 equal squares, allowing 1-inch plus larger than dish (if you are using smaller baking dishes, plan the pastry out to cover each baking dish. I used two sheets for 7 1/2 baking dishes). With the tip of a knife, cut vents into the pastry. Place the pastry squares on top of each baking dish.

Beat the egg yolk and water in a small bowl. With a pastry brush, brush egg wash on pastry. Refrigerate the prepared baking dishes for 15-30 minutes.    Meanwhile, line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil.     Place the baking dishes on the lined cookie sheet, evenly placed.    Bake until pastry is golden brown and juices are bubbling, about 25-35 minutes.

Set the hot baking dishes on top of individual serving plates and serve.

Side Note:  Don’t forget to warn the loved ones you are serving that the baking dishes are hot.

Individual Chicken Potpie Goodness

Reader Interactions

Comments

  3. sippitysup says

    The weather has turned chilly here in So Cal. These would be agreat to make a head on the weekend and pop into the oven ona cold evening during the week. GREG

  4. denise @ bread expectations says

    Oh yes please! These look simply amazing! Love the extra crust overhang!

  7. Roxan says

    Hi Cristina! I know this is a late response, but I found the salad mix w edible flowers at Bristol Farms… I don’t really see many of them but I have one of them right around the corner from my place. It’s expensive there!

  9. Nicole @ The Dirty Oven says

    What a great idea. I would have never thought to make little pot pies…to cute! Mini comfort food you can get behind and enjoy guilt free. Thanks for the post. As always, love love love your blog!

  11. redkathy says

    Oh wow how beautiful those are! I do prefer the large size, all men in my house. I like to use leftover turkey for pot pie as well. I do agree puffed pastry is the icing on the cake!

  13. Magic of Spice says

    Oh my goodness…you know I love mini everything and these are just too perfect 🙂
    Potpies really are on the ultimate comfort food list…
    Have a wonderful weekend 🙂

  14. Julie says

    This comfort food alright! Much healthier to make your own than to buy the processed ones at the store isn’t it? Gorgeous photogaphy!

  16. Patty says

    Thanks for sharing this easy and delicious looking recipe, I’ve been thinking about making chicken pot pies for weeks now;-) I’m curious why you are not going to be sharing on FB as much this year? Your photos are always gorgeous and the photos on this post are no exception;-)

    • Cristina - Teenie Cakes says

      Thanks Patty: I’ll still be adding to FoodBuzz, just won’t be working through the Inbox feature (sending a notification to all my FoodBuzz friends). I the find the Inbox overwhelming and counter-productive. So in lieu of that I’ve spent some time setting up my reader (I changed from using Pageflakes) and will be following foodie friends that way. My reader includes many favorite foodies that aren’t using FoodBuzz or don’t use the Inbox feature either. Everything is in one place.

      I’ll share more about it in this month’s end-of-the-month wrap up. :o)

      Have a great weekend, Patty – it’s February already!

  22. Monet says

    So beautiful and so simple and so delicious! This is exactly the kind of dinner recipe I love. Puff pastry makes such a difference…I love the stuff (I only wish it wasn’t so expensive here!) Thank you so much for sharing, sweet girl. I hope you have a wonderful Friday!

  24. Julie M. says

    What beautiful little pot pies! I really love how you made the puff pastry bigger. I would never have thought of it myself but I will definitely utilize it in the future. who doesn’t love dipping the buttery goodness into their pie juice? Delicious recipe Cristina!

  25. GourmetGetaways says

    How gorgeous! This would be an excellent comfort food for winter. I always intended to make pot pies and have never got around to it so now I have a recipe there is no excuse. I love a pie with only a small pastry lid. I feel “healthy”

  32. Michelle B says

    As usual Christina great pic, you make everything look so yummy 🙂 Any suggestions for those of us that want to reduce our white flour intake? I understand that the pastry is pretty much set, but should I substitute corn starch for the flour as a thickener?

    • Cristina - Teenie Cakes says

      Hi Michelle and thank you.

      You should be able to substitute corn starch for the flour as a thickener. I believe for whatever the amount of flour is called for in a recipe, use half that amount of corn starch. So in this case, a 1/4 cup of corn starch “should” do it. That’s a workaround rule but I need to preface that I haven’t myself tried it in this recipe – it should do the trick. 😉

  36. Georgia @ The Comfort of Cooking says

    A girl after my own heart – I LOVE chicken pot pie, and I love it even more in cute, individual servings like this. This is such a great meal to share, especially this time of year. Great job on them, and thanks for reminding me of one of my favorite comfort foods!

  38. Priscilla - She's Cookin' says

    Puff pastry adds flaky buttery goodness to everything and chicken pot pie is no exception. We all love pot pie – who doesn’t?, and it’s been awhile since I’ve made it. You’ve inspired me to make some of these cute individual ones. Thanks, Cristina. And congrats on your Top 9 today!

  40. Roxan says

    Cristina, I’ve missed you!! 🙂 I can’t wait to start catching up with your blog, I’ve been so out of the loop. These individual pot pies look great, I LOVE pot pie. Extra crust for me please!

  43. MaryMoh says

    wow..this looks very beautiful and delicious. I have just learned how to make chicken pie recently…in a big dish. I should make them into individual pots like yours. Would be so easy and nice to serve.

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