Do you always look for more pie crust when you scoop your share? Because I do! There is never enough crust for everyone on a single pot pie. Solution? Make mini individual pies so you’ll get to eat pie crust with every bite! You end up using the same amount of pie crust to make these as you would need to make one large pie. It is a longer process but it really pays off, especially for small dinner parties. Follow the step by step instructions with pictures below and you will be pleased with these mini pies.
If you don’t have enough time on the day you would like to serve these, make them ahead and refrigerate overnight. Simply microwave the pies then put them in the oven for a few minutes. If you are just reheating a single pie, microwave for 1 minute then throw it in the toaster oven (with rack on the lowest placement) until the crust is slightly brown. Microwaving it for a short period will allow the filling to warm up quicker so you can reheat in the oven just for the pie crust to have a nice crunchy texture. These are perfect leftovers :).
It has been raining a lot in Boston lately and I love to make pot pies in this weather. These are the perfect days to stay in and bake some delicious, hearty pies. I am guilty for not eating enough vegetables and I must say that pot pies are a great way of making up for it. The key is to saute and season all the vegetables well before baking. This guarantees every bite to be tasty and flavorful.
Have you ever tried pot pies with a dash of Cholula hot sauce? Cholula is not too spicy so it doesn’t overpower the filling. It adds a great flavor to these pies. I highly recommend it! Cholula is a great addition to your kitchen. Use it on sandwiches, burritos and burgers. How do you use your Cholula?
Here are the vegetables you will need. I like green beans in my pot pie but feel free to use peas if you prefer that. I enjoy eating red potatoes with the skin. It also gives the filling a good color!
Prep your vegetables, onion, and garlic first so you can easily add them in the mixture later. Cut the vegetables into 1 – 1.5 inch size so you can get a good mix of ingredients to fit in each mini pie.
In a medium pot, fill halfway with water and add the chicken breast tenderloins. Cook for 10-12 minutes total (for 1-1.15 pound of chicken), including the time it takes to boil. Remove from heat then cut into 1 inch cubes and set aside. Don’t worry if you have some light pink areas as you cut through the chicken as long as they are not completely raw because it will continue to cook in the oven later. The last thing you want is dry and overcooked chicken in a pot pie!
To make chicken stock, fill a small pot with 2 cups of water and 1 + 1/2 cubes of chicken bouillon and bring to boil. Once the cubes have dissolved, remove from heat and set aside.The chicken bouillon package indicates to use 2 cups of water for 1 cube. I find that using an additional half a cube without the extra cup of water really gives it a perfect flavor and also keeps the filling nice and thick. If you would like to substitute the cubes with 2 cups of chicken broth, you may want to taste your filling before you add the chicken as it could need more seasoning.
In a large pot over medium heat, melt the butter then add onions and saute for about 4 minutes or until they are slightly browned. Stir in garlic and cook for another 2 minutes. Pour celery, carrots, potato and green beans into the onion and garlic mixture. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Stir continuously for about 5 minutes or until vegetables are slightly golden brown. The vegetables will continue to soften in the oven. Pour in the can corn and combine.
Add flour and thyme then stir constantly for about 2 minutes to prevent flour from lumping together. You should see little bits of flour forming around the vegetables.
Pour the chicken stock into the mixture then add the cubed chicken. Turn the heat to high and stir continuously. Once the mixture starts to bubble, immediately turn the heat down to a low setting. The mixture should start to thicken. If you used chicken broth instead, stir for a minute and taste to see if you need any additional salt and pepper before adding the chicken.
Pour half of the milk into the mixture and stir until combined, then pour the other half and mix again. Remove from heat and set it aside. The filling should look similar to the above when it is done. If you like your filling to be less thick, add more milk before removing from heat.
Preheat the oven to 425F while we move onto assembling the individual pies.
Slightly roll out one of the pie crusts and use a large cookie cutter to form 8 circles.
Carve out 8 more circles using the other pie crust when you are done. If you don’t have a cookie cutter, use the top of a mug to shape the dough.
Roll out a circle of dough slightly more so that it is big enough to hang over the edges of the ramekin.
Place dough over a ramekin with some dough hanging over the edges of the ramekin. If you don’t have individual ramekins, use a large muffin pan instead. It works the same way and will taste just as good :). It may be slightly more difficult to take the pies out of the muffin pans. If you choose the muffin pan method, grease your pans before placing the dough so it doesn’t stick after baking.
Poke a hole in the middle of the ramekin while keeping quite a bit of overhang along the edges. We will be using this to seal the pies. Repeat this step for all 8 ramekins.
Pour filling into each ramekin. Fill a little higher than the ramekin so they will look nice and puffy on top.
Roll out the remaining 8 circles of dough just enough to cover the top of each ramekin. Place the dough on top of each filled ramekin and press top and bottom pieces of dough together to seal. I lifted the bottom piece of dough up and folded in with the top piece then pressed it around the corners of the ramekin. You can also crimp the pie crust like you would with a regular size pie.
Cut two steam vents on each of the pot pies. Place all the ramekins on a baking pan and bake for 25-30 minutes at 425F or until crust is light golden brown. Some of the filling might ooze out as they bake but don’t worry about it. It will still taste amazing! If you are making these ahead of time and refrigerating them, do not bake for more than 25 minutes to allow for the crust to get a little more brown during the reheating process.
Remove the pies from the oven and you’re done!
The pie filling is extremely hot right out of the oven so allow it to cool for a few minutes before serving.
Cholula it up! Nom nom nom….
Makes 8 mini pot pies
2 Tbsp garlic, minced
1 medium yellow onion, diced (1 cup)
4 stalks of celery, diced
3 carrots, sliced
1 red potato, sliced
1 c green beans, sliced
1 small can of corn (8.25oz), water drained
1 lb of chicken breast tenderloins, cubed (1 inch)
1+1/2 chicken bouillon cubes
2 c water
2 Tbsp butter
1/2 tsp of salt
1/2 tsp of pepper
1/3 c flour
1 tsp thyme (dried)
1/2 c milk
1 box pie crust
Optional but highly recommended:
Cholula Hot Sauce
8 ramekins (5 -6 oz each)
Making the Filling
1. Prep the vegetables (first 7 ingredients) and set aside.
2. In a medium pot, fill halfway with water and add chicken breast tenderloins. Cook for 10-12 minutes total (for 1-1.15 pound of chicken), including the time it takes to boil. Do not overcook chicken as it will continue to cook in the oven.
3. To make chicken stock, fill a small pot with 2 cups of water and 1 + 1/2 cubes of chicken bouillon and bring to boil. Once the cubes are dissolved, remove from heat and set aside.
4. In a large pot over medium heat, melt butter then add onions and saute for about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another 2 minutes.
5. Pour celery, carrots, potato and green beans into the onion and garlic mixture. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Stir continuously for about 5 minutes or until vegetables are slightly golden. Pour in corn and combine.
6. Add flour and thyme then stir constantly for about 2 minutes to prevent flour from lumping together.
7. Pour the chicken stock into the mixture then add the cubed chicken. Turn the heat to high and stir continuously. Once the mixture starts to bubble, immediately turn the heat down to a low setting.
8. Pour half of the milk into the mixture and stir until combined, then pour the other half and mix thoroughly. Remove from heat and set aside.
Assembling the pot pies
1. Preheat the oven to 425F.
2. Slightly roll out one of the pie crusts and use a cookie cutter to form 8 circles. Carve out 8 more circles using the other pie crust when you are done. If you don’t have a cookie cutter, use the top of a medium size mug to shape the dough.
3. Roll out a circle of dough slightly more so that it is big enough to drape over the ramekin. Place dough over a ramekin with dough hanging over the edges of the ramekin. Then poke a hole in the middle of the ramekin. Repeat this step for all 8 ramekins. (see pictures)
4. Pour filling into each ramekin. Fill a little higher than the ramekin so they will look nice and puffy on top.
5. Slightly roll out the remaining 8 circles of dough just enough to cover the top of each ramekin. Drape the dough over each filled ramekin and press top and bottom pieces of dough together to seal.
6. Cut two steam vents on each of the pot pies.
7. Place all the ramekins on a baking pan and bake for 25-30 minutes at 425F or until crust is light golden brown. Some of the filling might ooze out as they boil but don’t worry about it. It will still taste amazing!
8. Remove baking pan with pies from the oven. Let the pot pies cool for a few minutes then serve with Cholula!
These individual pot pies are the perfect size! There’s just the right amount of crust and filling.