She Strengthens

Comforting Chicken Pot Pies: A Hearty Delight

The Perfect Combination

Indulge in the ultimate comfort food experience with our delectable chicken pot pies, carefully crafted with tender chunks of poached chicken, cremini mushrooms, leeks, carrots, and peas, all wrapped in a flaky, buttery pastry crust. Serve with a refreshing side of Butter Lettuce and Pumpkin Seed Salad for a truly satisfying meal.

Planning Ahead

To make the most of your time, prepare the dough up to a day in advance or store it in the freezer for up to a month. Thaw it in the fridge the day before assembling the pot pies. Don’t forget to explore our other mouth-watering recipes, such as chicken mushroom pasta and turkey pot pie.

Ingredients

For the Flaky Pie Dough:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3/4 cup very cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• 8 tablespoons ice water, plus more if needed

For the Filling:

• 4 bone-in, skinless chicken thighs or 2 bone-in, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 pounds total)
• 2 medium carrots, diced
• 1 large leek, trimmed, quartered lengthwise, and sliced
• 7 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Kosher salt, to taste
• 1/2 pound cremini mushrooms, trimmed and sliced
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the work surface
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

Making the Dough

In a food processor, combine flour and salt. Add cold butter and pulse until slightly broken up. Gradually add ice water, processing until the mixture comes together. Divide the dough in half, shape into disks, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 day.

Preparing the Filling

Poach the chicken in simmering water until opaque, about 15 minutes. Remove, cool, and shred the meat, discarding bones and excess fat. Set aside. In a saucepan, cook carrots and leeks in butter and olive oil until crisp-tender, about 15 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. In a separate saucepan, melt butter, then whisk in flour and cook until bubbly. Slowly add chicken broth and milk, whisking constantly until smooth. Combine the cooked chicken, carrots, leeks, mushrooms, and peas, and season with salt, thyme, and black pepper.

Assembling and Baking

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Roll out the chilled dough to a large rectangle, about 1/8 inch thick. Cut out 4 circles, 1/2 to 1 inch larger than the circumference of your ramekins or baking dishes. Divide the filling among the ramekins and top with the pie dough. Tuck the edges underneath and fit the dough inside the ramekin. Brush the egg and water mixture on the dough. Bake until bubbly and the pastry is brown and cooked through, about 40 minutes.