Hearty mini chicken pot pies packed with tender chicken, vegetables, potatoes, and a rich homemade gravy wrapped up in a buttery crust is on the menu today.
Mini Chicken Pot Pies for the win!
We have four hearty delicious mini chicken pot pies in my oven. Our whole house smells wonderful, buttery and delicious and I wish you could be here. Wouldn't it be fabulous if there was some way we could invent scratch and sniff computer screens? These chicken pot pies are making us hungry. Stomach is rumbling...
We just looked though our oven door window and we can see our chicken gravy bubbling though the little hand cut heart vents on the top of the pies. The mini chicken pot pies' crust are golden brown and perfect. Check out that flaky crust!
We made these mini chicken pot pies in some little mini cheesecake tins. Brilliant, I tell you. They pop right out as a whole mini pie without any problem at all. We made both a bottom and top crust as I wanted to fill up the hungry crew. As a matter of fact, the boys will be home very soon so that means getting some quick photos before the food vanishes.
Hearty mini chicken pot pies are packed with tender chicken, vegetables, potatoes, and a rich homemade gravy wrapped up in a buttery crust is just the perfect solution for comfort food on a cold day.
Right now, you may be asking yourself, "WHAT"shall I eat for dinner tonight?
However, there are many people around the world that wonder "IF" they will be able to eat anything at all.
1 out of 7 people in the world will go to bed hungry tonight.
In Hong Kong, 1 out 5 people live in poverty and don't know where their next meal will come from. In addition, the weather is getting cold in Hong Kong and people have no place to go to stay warm.
Our heartfelt thoughts are going out to those in need. If we could just make about 10 more of these delicious hearty mini chicken pot pies and start passing them out to the hungry souls, then at least they could have a hearty warm meal for tonight. However, that is not a very good long-term help plan. We started searching the internet for groups or soup kitchens in Hong Kong to see if I could lend a helping hand on a larger scale.
If you live in Hong Kong, there is something that you can do to help the community. There is a dynamic group called Feeding Hong Kong. The mission of this group is to feed people in Hong Kong who would otherwise go hungry. They simply gather the still edible food from supermarkets and restaurants and feed those that cannot afford to feed themselves.
Over 3,200 tonnes of still edible food from Hong Kong's restaurants and supermarkets will be thrown in the dumpster each and every day. Feeding Hong Kong Team breaks this cycle and feeds the people instead of the over filling landfills. The Feeding Hong Kong Team needs volunteers and donations to make this work. Here is the link to find out how to get involved.
These mini chicken pot pies are perfect for warm weather and you can use up all the little bits and bobs in your refrigerator.
This mini chicken pot pie recipe has all kind of potential for adaptation. You can use any vegetables you have in your refrigerator or freezer or add more potatoes if you do not have enough chicken to fill the pies. I know it looks like it is a long list of ingredients. However, if you look real closely, many of those spices listed are repeated as I like to season along the way as this really helps the flavours bloom in this recipe.
This pie crust is so easy and flaky that you will never be buying one of those pre-made expensive store-bought ones again. If you have access to a food processor, this dough comes together so fast and can be rolled out in about 5 minutes flat.
We also saved little by making our own homemade gravy. We started out by making a little easy roux, almond milk (as that is what we have on hand) and some seasonings and herbs and this really what makes this recipe stand out from the rest.
Sending warm thoughts your way.
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Mini Chicken Pot Pies
Ingredients
Chicken and Vegetable Mixture
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 stalks celery
- 2 carrots
peeled and diced - 1 cup potatoes
peeled and chopped (or about 2 large potatoes) - ½ cup onion peeled and chopped
- 2 cloves garlic
peeled and minced - 4 cups chicken breasts
chopped into small cubes (You can also use dark meat, white meat, left overs from a previous chicken meal) - salt and black pepper
to taste - 1 teaspoon herbs de Provence
- ½ ts[ paprika
- ½ cup white wine
Homemade gravy
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon flour (I used quinoa flour as that is what I had on hand and it gave it a lovely nutty flavour but you can use any flour you have in your pantry)
- ¾-1 cup milk
(I used almond milk as that is what I had on hand but feel free to use whatever kind of milk you have on hand) - salt and black pepper to taste
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon herbs de Provence
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
Pie Crust
- 3 cups flour
(and a little extra for rolling out the dough) - ½ cup butter
cold - ⅕ teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoon ice water
- 1 egg - 1 beaten egg beaten (to brush on the crust to make it brown and glossy)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 190 degrees Celsius (375 F).
- Make the Chicken and Vegetable Mixture-part 1: In a medium pot, cook onions, potatoes, celery and carrots in a little of olive oil until the potatoes and carrots are fork tender (about 5-7 minutes) Add garlic and season with salt and pepper. Remove the vegetables out of the pot and keep warm.
- Make the Chicken and Vegetable Mixture-part 2 Add a little more olive oil in the pan and add chicken sauté until the chicken is no longer pink. Salt and pepper to taste, add paprika and herbs de Provence. Add white wine to deglaze the pan. Add the vegetables back to the chicken and turn the burner down to low or off while you make the roux.
- Make the Chicken Gravy: Place equal amounts of butter and flour into a sauce pan. Stir continuously and allow the flour taste to cook off about 2 minutes. Slowly add milk a little bit at a time while writing the roux with a whisk. Stir and add milk until it is the consistency of a creamy soup. Season with salt and pepper, paprika, herbs de Provence and nutmeg to taste. Add the roux mixture to the chicken and vegetable mixture and stir until well incorporated. Turn the burner off and keep chicken mixture warm.
- Make the Pie Crust: If you have a food processor, this step is a breeze. Place your very cold butter, salt and flour in the processor and pulse until it it makes little granules. (If you have a small food processor like I do, you might have to make the crust in 2 batches as it will not all fit into the mini food processors) Add your super cold water to the food processor and pulse until the dough comes together and forms a ball. Depending on your humidity level, you may need a little less or a little water so just add a little bit at a time and stop once your dough forms a ball. If you do not have a food processor you will have to do this step by hand. (There is no need to let the dough rest, you can begin working with it right away. This dough is really easy to work with.)
- Assembly- Cut the dough into 8 sections (if making 4 mini chicken pot pies- I used 4 mini cheesecake tins and these worked brilliantly or your could use medium ramikens) or 2 sections (if making one large chicken pot pie). Place a little flour on your clean and dry surface and roll out the dough in a round disks to fit the size of your pie tins with about a 1 inch overlap. Spray your pie tins with a little cooking spray and place the bottom crust flat on the bottom of pie plate and allow 1 inch to hang over the edges.
- Put the chicken,vegetable and gravy mixture on top of the bottom crust of your pie plates/plate. If you have mini pie plates, divide the chicken, vegetable and gravy mixture evenly amongst the 4 pie tins. If using just one large pie plate, place all the chicken, vegetable and gravy mixture inside the one pie plate. Cover the chicken pot pies with top crust and pinch edges over and use a curved edge or even just use a fork to pinch edges close for a simple design. Next, make vent holes with a knife or even a cute little heart on top to allow the steam to escape. Bush tops of mini chicken pot pies with beaten egg. Bake in oven for about 1 hour. The crust should be golden brown and the chicken gravy should be bubbling.
- Allow mini chicken pot pies to cool for 5-10 minutes, if you can wait that long. Remove the mini chicken pot pies from the cheesecake tins (if using cheesecake tins) Serve hot with a nice tossed salad. Enjoy!
Dawn says
Wow do this look delicious. I am definitely going to make these for my girls when my husband is away - I think it would be too hard to make this non-dairy and have it taste as delicious as yours look. Thanks BAM for a GREAT recipe!!
bitsandbreadcrumbs says
I really want some of those mini cheesecake pans. They really do make perfect little pot pies and having a crust that wraps all the way around is really comfort in a mini dish! A great idea, and since I may roast a chicken this eve, I'll be sure and use some leftover chicken for pot pies. A great idea about getting involved in soup kitchens and other ways to feed the hungry.
The Foodie Affair says
My stomach is rumbling just looking at these! Great idea on using your mini tins! Your quest to help those less fortunate warmed my heart, Bam!
bakeaffairs says
Hi Bam, they look absolutely delicious and mouth watering and the pictures are beautiful!
Hannah (BitterSweet) says
Whether they're sweet or savory, there's something really special about getting your very own personal pastry. These are adorable! So meticulously crafted, I'm sure you can taste the love in every bite.
thatskinnychickcanbake says
Bill likes nothing better than chicken pot pie! Your minis would make him very happy 🙂
Healthy World Cuisine says
Bill, I am sure is a very lucky guy as everyday you are making gorgeous dinners and desserts for him and your family. Have a super weekend Liz!
Bernice says
Looks wonderful and I love individual servings. Especially for chicken pot pie since you get so much more of the wonderful crust!!
Joanna says
I love that this is a homemade gravy and not a 'cream of' something... makes it so much healthier! These are beautiful, Bobbi!! I bet I could make these with my Non GMO whole wheat white flour!! Om nom nom...
John@Kitchen Riffs says
Great looking pies. I always like the ones with the bottom crust. And great things you're doing. You're a hero!
Healthy World Cuisine says
I have to do what ever I can do to fill my hungry teenager boys up so making a bottom and top crust was the perfect solution. I just want to help out any way I can in our community. We are going on our fifth year here in Hong kong and it feels like home.
Maureen | Orgasmic Chef says
You're a very special person and I'm really glad I know you.
These pies look SO good. My family would go nuts over these.
Fine Dining at Home (@fdathome) says
I don't think a chicken pie could get any better.
nancyc says
Those mini pot pies are so cute! Great idea! 🙂
Kristy says
These do look so warm and filling Bam. I have no doubt the boys gobbled them right up. Glad you got to share the photos with us first! 😉
Healthy World Cuisine says
Hi Kristy, I am sure you have the same problem with getting photo shots. I always have hands or bites out of the food before I have a chance to get some quick shots. However, I would have it no other way. I only photo the things we are going to eat so it is a scramble to get a couple of shots and keep everything warm whilst my family waits for dinner to come to the table. Take care
chef mimi says
Brilliant is right! Beautiful! I somehow quit following you. I don't know what happened!
thecompletebook says
How lovely you are getting involved in feeding those in need. It is such a big problem the world over.
Your individual pot pies look fantastic!
Have a super weekend Bam.
🙂 Mandy xo
Healthy World Cuisine says
Hi Mandy, this is a worldwide problem. I have noted that after the holidays pass that people start to forget that they need help all year around, especially in the cod winter months. You have a super weekend too!