These Mini Chicken Pot Pies are an amazing but easy canape or finger food when entertaining. A chicken pot pie filling, big on flavour, encased in crisp shortcrust pastry. These pies can be made ahead of time and frozen until ready for baking - see the notes section for more information.
2teaspoonsnigella seeds or black sesame seeds, optional
For best results, always weigh ingredients where a weight is provided
Equipment
Large saucepan
2 patty tins (or 1 muffin tin, see notes)
Instructions
In a large saucepan, heat the oil and butter over medium heat until it melts. Add the garlic and onion and saute for about 2 minutes until it softens.
Add the flour and cook stirring regularly for a minute or two to cook the flour (the smell of raw flour should be gone).
Very slowly, drizzle in the evaporated milk while continuing to stir until the flour is fully incorporated into the milk to make a creamy sauce. Add the stock and stir it all together.
Add the herbs and salt and cook for another minute or two so that the flavours infuse. Now add the parmesan and stir until it has totally melted into the sauce. You should have a fairly thick creamy sauce now.
Finally add the mixed vegetables and chicken.
Mix it all through and add pepper to taste. Allow the mixture to cool in the fridge before proceeding.
Preheat the oven to 180C (160C fan) / 350F.
Using circular cookie cutters, cut 8x 5cm disks and 8x 6cm disks of pastry from each sheet of pastry (if you cut them right next to each other, you'll get 8 pies out of each sheet).
Spray a little cooking spray or oil in each hole of a 12 hole patty tin, press the larger pieces of pastry into the base of each hole. If using a muffin tin, see notes first.
Fill each hole with about 1 ½ tablespoons of the chicken mixture (you want it to be just slightly higher than the edge).
Cover each pie with the smaller disks of pastry then brush each one with the beaten egg. Cut a small hole in the top of each with a sharp knife, then sprinkle lightly with nigella seeds, if using.
At this stage you can freeze them (see notes) until you're ready to bake or bake them straight away.
Bake for around 25 minutes or until the top is golden brown.
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Notes
I use a standard Australian 20ml tablespoon (4 teaspoons worldwide)
Patty tins: Patty tins are baking trays that have small concave circles (similar to a madeleine tin in depth but a simple circle with no pattern). You can also make these mini pot pies in a 12 hole muffin tin, however,
you will get about 18 pies (with thanks to reader, Jayne, for testing that out), as they'll take more filling.
you'll need to cut the pastry circles for the bases a bit larger so they come up the sides of the muffin tin holes.
Freezing/Making Ahead: You can make and freeze them ahead of time. Freeze them in the tins until solid, then remove and store in an airtight container in the freezer. When it's time to cook the pies, spray a little oil in each hole of a 12 hole patty tin and place the frozen pies in. Bake for around 30 minutes until golden.
Chicken: I use leftover chicken (rotisserie chicken) but you can just cook up some chicken breasts or chicken thighs and use that instead.
Vegetables: You can use any frozen or tinned veggies you like. I use a frozen mix of peas, carrot and corn and often add tinned champignons (mushrooms). Whatever you choose, you want a total of 1 ¼ cups.
Have you tried this recipe?Don't forget to leave a rating and comment below and let me know how it was! I love hearing from you. Nutrition information is approximate and derived from an online calculator. The brands you use may cause variations.