Mini Chicken Pot Pies (Golden, Flaky, 45 Minutes)

Name: Mini Chicken Pot Pies
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 sheets (about 320 g) ready-rolled puff pastry, thawed; 1 tbsp butter; 1 small onion, finely diced (about 100 g); 2 carrots, diced small (about 150 g); 1 celery stick, diced small; 2 tbsp plain flour; 240 ml (1 cup) chicken stock; 120 ml (½ cup) double cream; 300 g cooked chicken, shredded or diced; 100 g (¾ cup) frozen peas; 1 tsp dried thyme; ½ tsp salt; ¼ tsp black pepper; 1 egg, beaten, for egg wash

Everything good about chicken pot pie, shrunk into golden little cups: flaky pastry, creamy chicken filling, and a top that shatters when you bite into it.

Baking them in a muffin tin means every pie gets maximum crisp pastry, and they are ready in 45 minutes from start to finish.

They are the kind of dinner that disappears fast, so make a double batch if you are feeding a crowd.

Ingredients

2 sheets (about 320 g) ready-rolled puff pastry, thawed
1 tbsp butter
1 small onion, finely diced (about 100 g)
2 carrots, diced small (about 150 g)
1 celery stick, diced small
2 tbsp plain flour
240 ml (1 cup) chicken stock
120 ml (½ cup) double cream
300 g cooked chicken, shredded or diced
100 g (¾ cup) frozen peas
1 tsp dried thyme
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper

To finish

1 egg, beaten, for egg wash

Instructions

Heat the oven: Heat the oven to 200°C (400°F) and lightly grease a 12-cup muffin tin.
Cook the vegetables: Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat, add the onion, carrots and celery, and cook 5 minutes until just softened.
Make the sauce: Stir in the flour and cook 1 minute, then pour in the stock and cream, stirring until the sauce thickens and turns glossy, about 3 minutes.
Fill the pies: Stir in the chicken, peas, thyme, salt and pepper, then take the pan off the heat and let the filling cool slightly.
Cut the pastry: Unroll the pastry and cut 8 large circles (about 10 cm) for the bases and 8 smaller circles (about 7 cm) for the tops.
Assemble: Press the large circles into the muffin cups, spoon in the filling, then cap with the smaller circles, pressing the edges together to seal.
Bake: Brush with beaten egg, cut a small slit in each top, and bake 22–25 minutes until deep golden and puffed. Cool 5 minutes before lifting out.

Tips for the best result

Keep the pastry cold until you use it; warm pastry will not puff as well.
Do not overfill the cups, or the sauce will bubble out and stick.
A standard drinking glass works well as a cutter if you do not have round cutters.

Storing and reheating

Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days and reheat in a 180°C (350°F) oven for 10 minutes until crisp again. Freeze baked pies for up to 1 month and reheat from frozen at 180°C (350°F) for about 20 minutes.