Individual Chicken Pot Pies

A delicious comfort food favorite- perfect for these cold winter nights!

Ingredients:

Pie Crust:

¾ cup whole wheat flour

¾ cup AP flour

2 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

4 Tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into ½” cubes

½ cup buttermilk

Filling:

2 Tbsp. butter, divided

1 small onion or leek, diced

1 small russet potato, diced into small cubes

1 carrot, sliced

1 celery rib, sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 bay leaf

2 tsp. minced thyme

4 oz. mushrooms, sliced

2 Tbsp. flour

1.5 cups chicken broth, warmed

½ cup milk or cream, at room temperature

1 cup cooked chicken, diced or shredded (chef likes using a mixture of white and dark meat)

1/3 cup peas

1 egg, lightly beaten

Directions:

Pie Crust: Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl, or pulse a few times in your food processor. Blend in the butter with your fingertips or a pastry blender (or pulse with the food processor) until it resembles coarse meal. Add the buttermilk, stirring until mixture just forms a dough, then gather into a ball and pat into a disc. Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.

To make the filling: Melt 1 Tbsp. butter in a deep saute pan. Add the onion, potato, carrot, and celery and cook until tender. Stir in the garlic, bay leaf, mushrooms, and thyme, and cook until mushrooms have given up their juices.

Add the remaining 1 Tbsp. of butter to the pan to melt. Sprinkle in the flour and cook about 1-2 minutes until combined and no longer raw. Slowly stir in the warmed chicken broth, followed by the milk to cream. Continue simmering over medium low, stirring, until thickened. Turn off the heat and stir in the chicken and peas. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Preheat the oven to 375.

Place the baking dishes on a sheet pan, and pour the filling into them.

Roll out your pie dough on a floured surface and cut 4 circles that are about 1/2″ bigger than the tops of the baking dishes you are using. Place each circle over the baking dish and press the sides to adhere. Brush the beaten egg on top of the dough, and then cut a slit into each dough round, for steam to escape.

Bake for about 25-30 minutes, until pie crust is golden. Makes 4 pies.

Source: Elly Says Opa