In my job as a photographer I am blessed often times with eating whatever is being served at the given venue, when applicable. I photographed a private party for a one year old little girl recently, and her aunt, being a professional chef, made all of the food items for the party. One of the menu items was mini chicken potpies. After consuming, wait…more accurately said…inhaling about 5 of them I was in love. I asked her what she did to make those potpies so droll worthy and she told me she smoked the chicken. I could also see there were mushrooms inside. I set out to recreate these insanely delicious chicken potpies for our recent fall gathering with our fellow church friends. I also figured I’d add a more fluffy and flaky touch to the tops of the pies by replacing the traditional pie shells with Pepperidge Farm’s circular puff pastry shells. They not only look pretty but also melt in your mouth with each bite of the chicken potpie filling as well.
Now for smoking the chicken, I had three boxes of different smoking chips at home: mesquite, hickory, and applewood. I wanted to choose woodchips that would impart a subtle flavor onto the chicken but not overpower the flavor of the entire chicken potpie. The applewood chips worked and I was beyond happy with the flavor of the chicken.
I got the seal of approval from everyone at the fall gathering from adults and children alike. It is now an added staple recipe to our recipe box at home for fall, or any season really. This potpie recipe is savory and will leave you with a serious craving for more. These mini applewood smoked chicken potpies are the perfect party/tailgate food to be served as either an appetizer or the main course. I dare you to only eat one.
Mini Applewood Smoked Chicken Pot Pies
Ingredients
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
1 medium onion, finely diced
2 medium carrots, finely diced
12 oz. sliced mushrooms
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth, plus more as needed
1/4 cup dry white wine (or chicken broth)
2 cups shredded or chopped cooked chicken breast
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground thyme
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup half-and-half
1 pack Pepperidge Farms Round Puff Pastry
2 rounds refrigerated pie crust
1 large egg
You’ll also need:
4 6 -inch individual foil pie pans or a standard muffin tin
Prepare
Soak applewood chips in water in a medium mixing bowl for 30 minutes.
Place chicken on a BBQ with applewood chips underneath.
Barbeque each side for 4-5 minutes, remove and shred in a stand mixer for 1-2 minutes.
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat, then add the onion, carrots and celery. Cook, stirring the vegetables around, until they start to soften, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the veggies and stir to combine. Cook the flour-coated veggies for 1 minute, then pour in the chicken broth (and wine, if using!) and stir to combine. Let it heat up and start to bubble and thicken, about 3 minutes.
Stir in the chicken, then add the turmeric and thyme, then season with salt and pepper. Add the half-and-half, then stir the mixture and let it bubble up and thicken, about 3 minutes. If it seems overly thick, splash in a little more broth. Turn off the heat and let the filling cool to room temperature.
Meanwhile, roll out the pie crusts slightly and cut out 8 dough circles just a bit larger than the pie pans (if using a muffin tin, you’ll need sixteen 3 3/4-inch circles). Press a dough circle into each pie pan (or 8 muffin cups), making sure the dough comes almost to the top of each pan. Fill the pies with the chicken mixture. Lay the puff pastry over the top of each pie. Press the dough so that the edges meet, then use a fork to seal the edges., or choose to leave loose. Mix the egg with 2 teaspoons water and brush it all over the surface of the crust. (Discard any extra egg wash.) Cut small vents in the surface of the crusts.
If you’re baking the pies right away, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, place the pies on a baking sheet and bake 25 to 30 minutes, until the crust is deep golden brown and the filling is bubbly. Serve them straight out of the pie pans or turn them out of the pan and serve them upside down!
- 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- 2 medium carrots, finely diced
- 12 oz. sliced mushrooms
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth, plus more as needed
- 1/4 cup dry white wine (or chicken broth)
- 2 cups shredded or chopped cooked chicken breast
- 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon ground thyme
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1/4 cup half-and-half
- 1 pack Pepperidge Farms Round Puff Pastry
- 2 rounds refrigerated pie crust
- 1 large egg
- Soak applewood chips in water in a medium mixing bowl for 30 minutes.
- Place chicken on a BBQ with applewood chips underneath.
- Barbeque each side for 4-5 minutes, remove and shred in a stand mixer for 1-2 minutes.
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat, then add the onion, carrots and mushrooms. Cook, stirring the vegetables around, until they start to soften, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the veggies and stir to combine. Cook the flour-coated veggies for 1 minute, then pour in the chicken broth (and wine, if using!) and stir to combine. Let it heat up and start to bubble and thicken, about 3 minutes.
- Stir in the chicken, then add the turmeric and thyme, then season with salt and pepper. Add the half-and-half, then stir the mixture and let it bubble up and thicken, about 3 minutes. If it seems overly thick, splash in a little more broth. Turn off the heat and let the filling cool to room temperature.
- Meanwhile, roll out the pie crusts slightly and cut out 8 dough circles just a bit larger than the pie pans (if using a muffin tin, you'll need sixteen 3 3/4-inch circles). Press a dough circle into each pie pan (or 8 muffin cups), making sure the dough comes almost to the top of each pan. Fill the pies with the chicken mixture. Lay the puff pastry over the top of each pie. Press the dough so that the edges meet, then use a fork to seal the edges., or choose to leave loose. Mix the egg with 2 teaspoons water and brush it all over the surface of the crust. (Discard any extra egg wash.) Cut small vents in the surface of the crusts.
- If you're baking the pies right away, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, place the pies on a baking sheet and bake 25 to 30 minutes, until the crust is deep golden brown and the filling is bubbly. Serve them straight out of the pie pans or turn them out of the pan and serve them upside down!
