Mini chicken pot pies

One dish that's especially comforting in cold weather is chicken pot pie. I make it year-round but it's even better when the air is bit chilly. The pictures will show when I recently made it using turkey and it's wonderful either way.

Makes one 9-inch pot pie or 3-4 individual pot pies

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1/4 cup flour
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
Salt and pepper to taste
2 1/2 to 3 cups cooked chicken (or turkey) breasts, cubed
1 1/2 to 2 cups carrots, cooked and sliced
1 1/2 to 2 cups frozen peas, thawed
1 egg white
Pie crusts

Preheat your oven to 400 F. In a saucepan, melt the butter and mix in the flour. Add the milk a little at a time, while whisking continually. Add the broth, and salt and pepper.

Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in the cooked chicken, carrots and peas.



Fill in 3-4 individual oven-safe bowls with the chicken mixture.



Brush an egg wash (1 egg white mixed with 1 tablespoon of water) on the rim of each bowl. Top with a pie crust, using a knife to cut off any extra.


Below are the pie crusts I use and due to the size of my bowls, I need one crust for each pot pie. If you prefer to do a traditional pot pie, simply use a crust on the bottom of a regular-size pie plate, fill it with the chicken mixture and top it with another crust. Make a couple of slits on the top and bake it the same way.


Brush some egg wash on the pie crust which will make it a beautiful shiny golden brown when cooked. Using a knife, make a couple of slits in the crust. Instead of slits, I usually put each family member's initial on their pot pie but a heart would be nice too.



Put the bowls on a baking sheet and bake at 400 F for 20 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 350 and bake another 10 minutes. Be careful that you do not burn your crust! Then take them out of the oven and let them cool on a rack for a minute.



Now dig in and enjoy! :)