Chicken Pot "Hand" Pies ~ Diane's Vintage Zest!

Chicken Pot "Hand" Pies

Last week, I shared my favorite hand pie crust.  I named it the Simple, No-Fail Pie Crust because it is exactly what the title says.  Now, what does the perfect pie crust need?  A filling!

I promised to share a couple of fillings and today I have one of my favorites…  chicken pot pie!  The and pie version is a bit different from your average pot pie because I like to keep it on the less-creamy side so it doesn't explode in your mouth as you are eating it, or even worse in your lunch bag.




The best part of the pot pie filling is that you can practically personalize it with anything you like!  The chicken is a given, but you could use turkey instead or leave it out as a hearty vegetarian pot pie.  As you will see, I actually was out of carrots, but it turned out delicious nonetheless.  At the end of the recipe I will include a few variations that we like to use in our hand pies.  Enjoy!


Chicken Pot Hand Pies on Diane's Vintage Zest


Chicken Pot "Hand" Pies
A Vintage Zest Original



Ingredients
1 Tbsp. butter
1/2 onion, chopped
2 small red skinned potatoes, diced
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 carrot, diced (not pictured, but recommended for flavor and color)
2 Tbsp. all-purpose or whole-wheat flour
1 3/4 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup Parmesan, shredded
1/2 cup frozen broccoli, chopped
1/2 cup corn
1 cup shredded chicken (I use the chicken from my homemade chicken stock)
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
Pie crust, premade or homemade


Chicken Pot Hand Pies on Diane's Vintage Zest



Directions

1.  Melt the butter in a medium-sized pan over medium-high heat.

2.  Add the onion and cook until translucent.


Chicken Pot Hand Pies on Diane's Vintage Zest


3.  Add the potatoes and cook 2 to 3 minutes, until cooked through.


Chicken Pot Hand Pies on Diane's Vintage Zest


4.  Add the celery and carrot (if using) and cook 2 to 3 minutes, until cooked through.

5.  Next, add the flour and cook for 1 minute more, just until the flour is not raw, making sure there are no lumps.

6.  Add the 1 1/2 cups of the chicken broth (reserving 1/4 cup) and cook for an additional 2 minutes.

7.  Add the Parmesan cheese and cook until melted.

8.  Mix in the shredded chicken and corn.

9.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste.  If the mixture is too dry, add the remaining 1/4 cup of chicken broth.

10.  Set aside to cool while working on the pie crust.


Chicken Pot Hand Pies on Diane's Vintage Zest


11.  Make sure each hand pie crust is in a 5" circle.


Chicken Pot Hand Pies on Diane's Vintage Zest


12.  Preheat oven to 425°.

13.  Add 1 heaping Tbsp. of your filling of choice.

14.  Fold dough over filling and either press edges together with a fork to seal or crimp shut.  (I experimented, as you can tell and I recommend laying the pies flat to avoid burnt edges.)

15.  Place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.  You may cut 1 to 2 slits in top of each pie to release the steam.

16.  Whisk together egg and 1 Tbsp. water and brush each pie.


Chicken Pot Hand Pies on Diane's Vintage Zest


17.  Bake at 425° for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden.


Chicken Pot Hand Pies on Diane's Vintage Zest


18.  Remove from pan to a wire rack, and cool 15 minutes.


Chicken Pot Hand Pies on Diane's Vintage Zest


That's it!  Personally, I ended up loving this version of my pot pie, even without the carrots.  Delicious!  As for the variations, here are a few ideas for you...




Other vegetables that I like to add:
  • Mushrooms
  • Cauliflower
  • Yukon potatoes: they are a bit creamier than red skin or Russet potatoes
  • Peas
  • Red or green bell peppers
  • String beans or asparagus

Also, if you like a very creamy sauce, you may want to replace some of the chicken stock with milk or cream as in a typical pot pie.  Really, this is one of my favorite way to use up veggies and have something delicious to eat afterwards!

Another tip from me is that you can freeze these and they hold up really, really well.  The pie crust that I use keeps together, so you can have something delicious and homemade any time at all!


What would you put in your hand pie?  Have you ever made one before?




29 comments:

  1. Looks delicious! Can you send me a batch? ;-)

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  2. Yum! These look delicious. My kids would love them! Thanks for sharing. :)

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  3. Thanks! They really are delicious, and I'm afraid they would never make it to the post office. ;)

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  4. Thans for visiting, and I hope they're a hit at your house!

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  5. Thank you for sharing!!! This looks yummy! Stopping by from the blog hop!

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  6. These look so fabulous! I have never made anything that gorgeous before. Yours looks so delicious!!!

    Have a wonderful
    Wednesday!! :)

    x Crystelle

    Crystelle Boutique

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  7. These look yummy. I stopped by from Cast Party Wednesday because I am looking for a good dinner for my daughter's birthday and these looked like something she might enjoy. I'll have to have her check them out when she gets home! HUGS

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  8. Ooh I'm excited to try these. I bet the kids will like them. Hello from Treasure Box Tuesdays.

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  9. Oh you so made my day!! I'm going to whip up a batch of these tomorrow. Thanks for sharing on Foodie Friday

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  10. Hi Diane,
    Your Chicken Pot Hand Pies look fabulous, we will just love your creations. Hope you are having a great day and thanks so much for sharing your awesome recipe with Full Plate Thursday.
    Come Back Soon!
    Miz Helen

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  11. Thanks for sharing on MM tonight! Pinned and sharing on G+ Have a great week!!

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  12. These look amazing! My husband would love these! I will be trying this recipe!

    We would love for you to come and link up at Your Designs This Time, Mondays 8:00am EST.
    http://www.elizabethjoandesigns.com

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  13. These look so delicious! I pinned them last week!

    Thanks for joining the Link Up this week!

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  14. Brilliant! My husbands favorite diner just got a new twist. You're being featured at Gingerly Made today.

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  15. Note to self: never read a delicious new recipe when hungry! This looks Mmm-azing! We'd love it if you were to hop on over and link up with us over at this weeks Tell it To Me Tuesday! http://www.sweetsillysara.com/2014/03/tell-me-about-it-tuesday_24.html

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  16. Thanks so much, I hope you both enjoy them! :)

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  17. Thanks so much! I hope he likes the twist. :)

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  18. Ha! I am so guilty of that all of the time. :) Thanks for the invite! :)

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  19. This looks amazing! I'm going to have to try it. Pinned!

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  20. This looks every kind of wonderful! Thanks for linking up with What's Cookin' Wednesday!

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  21. Thanks! I hope you enjoy it. :)

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  22. Diane - these look SO delicious!
    Congratulations - you are one of our featured guests at this week's Inspire Me Monday party at Create With Joy and I can't wait to try this recipe! :-)

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  23. Thank you so much! I hope you enjoy them. :)

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  24. What a FAB idea. Thank you for telling us what to do with your delicious crust!

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  25. I love that these can go in a lunch box. Awesome idea!

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  26. Yes, it's my favorite kind of lunch!

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I love to hear your comments! And putting in your two cents is always free. :)

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