Individual Chicken Pot Pies With Herb Crust Food

INDIVIDUAL CHICKEN POTPIES

Steps:

• 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 a second round of dough over the top of each pie. Press the dough so that the edges meet, then use a fork to seal the edges. 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!
• Find this recipe and more in Ree's new book, The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Dinnertime ($30, William Morrow Cookbooks).

INDIVIDUAL CHICKEN POT PIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 F. Spray sides and bottom of baking dishes with non-stick cooking spray.
• Melt butter in a small pot over low heat. Stir in flour to make a smooth paste (this is called a roux).
• In a separate pan, bring chicken broth to a boil. Lower heat to medium-high. Add roux, a tablespoon at a time, to the chicken broth, continually whisking. Continue whisking until the mixture is thickened.
• Add milk, a little at a time, and continue stirring over heat until the mixture is smooth and has a pudding-like consistency. Do not allow to it get too thick as it will continue to thicken as it bakes in the crust. You can add more milk if it becomes too thick.
• Add chicken, mixed vegetables, poultry seasoning, salt, and thyme. Stir and set aside.
• Unroll the pie dough onto a floured surface. Roll dough out lightly. Using one of the dishes you are baking in as a template, cut the shape of the bottom of the dish out of the pie dough. You may need to gather pieces and reroll dough as you cut. Place a piece of dough in the bottom of each dish.
• Cut pieces out of dough to fit the top of each dish plus one extra inch all the way around.
• Fill each dish about ¾ full with the chicken filling.
• Create an egg wash by mixing an egg and 1 Tbsp milk with a fork, whipping lightly. Brush around edges of each top piece. Flip pieces over onto the tops of the filled dishes.
• Fold top pieces under about 3/4 inch onto itself and crimp the edges. Brush the surface of the tops with egg wash. Use a knife to cut an "X" in the tops to allow steam to escape.
• Bake on center rack of the oven for approx. 30-35 min. or until golden brown.

CHICKEN POT PIE WITH HERB CRUST

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. In 4-quart saucepan or Dutch oven, heat chicken, vegetables, soup and broth to boiling stirring occasionally. Boil and stir 1 minute. Spread in ungreased 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish.
• In medium bowl, stir together remaining ingredients except parsley; pour evenly over soup mixture (crust will rise during baking).
• Bake uncovered 30 to 40 minutes or until golden brown. Sprinkle with parsley. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

CHICKEN POT PIES

Steps:

• Place chicken in a large stockpot and add enough water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce to a simmer, and cook until chicken is cooked through (until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 165 degrees), about 50 minutes to 1 hour. Use tongs to remove chicken. When cool enough to handle, pull off and discard the skin, then separate the meat from the bones and tear into bite-size pieces. Reserve 2 cups of stock for the pot pie and the rest for another use.
• In a large heavy-bottomed pot, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add potatoes, carrots, and onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until potatoes and carrots are fork-tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Add mushrooms, cooking until mushrooms are heated through. Add cognac and cook for 2 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Pour in reserved 2 cups chicken stock and milk. Bring to a simmer; cook, stirring constantly, until thick and bubbly, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in chicken, peas, parsley, and thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle into six (12-ounce) ramekins, let cool.
• Roll out thawed puff pastry on a lightly floured surface to a 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out six circles that are 1 inch wider than ramekins or bowls being used. Cut a 1/2-inch vent hole in the center of each circle. Transfer puff pastry circles to a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze for 20 minutes.
• In a small bowl, whisk together egg, egg yolk, and 1 teaspoon water. Remove puff pastry circles from freezer. Top each ramekin with a puff pastry circle, crimping edges over sides to seal, and brush with egg wash. Transfer to refrigerator and chill for 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Transfer ramekins to a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until puff pastry is deep golden brown and filling is bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes.

HERB CRUST CHICKEN POT PIE

Steps:

• Over high heat melt the filling butter, and add flour to make a roux.
• Add milk and chicken stock, whisk together.
• Reduce heat, add garlic powder, black pepper and pulled chicken meat, and simmer.
• Meanwhile, chop carrots and potatoes to bite sized pieces, and boil in medium saucepan until tender.
• Warm frozen peas and green beans in microwave or over stovetop as directed on package.
• Drain veggies and add to the cream mixture. Remove from heat.
• Sift together dry crust ingredients.
• Cut in cold butter, add water and gently pat together. Do NOT over mix!
• Divide dough in half and roll out on a floured surface.
• Line the bottom of a 10-12-inch glass bowl with half of the rolled dough. Press gently against inside.
• Add filling and top with the other half of the rolled dough.
• Seal edges by squeezing together top and bottom dough.
• Using a knife, cut several small incisions on surface of dough to allow steam to escape.
• Bake at 400°F on center rack for 45 minutes, or until golden brown.