These miniature chicken potpies warm the soul

The classic marriage of golden, flaky pie crust with rich and creamy chicken is like a warm hug from your grandmother. Not only is chicken potpie instantly comforting, but for many of us, it’s a familiar flavor from childhood that leads us on a walk down memory lane.

As one of seven kids with a working mother, I ate a ton of those small, frozen chicken potpies. They were cheap, easy for my mom (or us kids) to heat up on a busy school night, and thanks to their inoffensive medley of diced carrots and peas tucked under the crust, a dish that pleased even the pickiest kid’s palate.

Now I make my potpies from scratch, usually with chicken picked from the breast of a plump, grocery store rotisserie chicken. Depending on my mood, I sometimes throw a handful of diced potatoes into the filling along with frozen peas and carrot. I’ll also add button mushrooms for a richer, earthy flavor or a cup of diced apple when I want to make the filling a little sweeter.

Without fail I use Martha Stewart’s pie crust recipe because its flaky and buttery texture goes well with both sweet and savory fillings. It’s also easy to follow, requires only a handful of ingredients and the dough is so forgiving that it’s pretty hard for even novice cooks to mess up.

While you can, and probably should, make chicken potpie in a 9-inch crust for an easy, one-dish family dinner, it’s just as easy to make mini potpies using a muffin tin — simply cut the dough into rounds large enough to line each muffin tin cup and divide the filling among them.

The handy, single-serving packages can be enjoyed right away, or frozen and reheated whenever the urge for comfort food hits.

If you’re making the potpies ahead of time for later use, place unbaked pies in muffin cups, wrap the muffin pan in foil, and freeze until solid (about 2 hours). Then wrap the unbaked pies in plastic wrap, place them in a large resealable freezer plastic bag and freeze for up to 3 months.

From Gretchen McKay, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

For the crust:

For the filling:

Directions:

Prepare the crust: In a food processor, pulse together flour, sugar and salt. Add butter and pulse again until the mixture resembles coarse meal, with a few pea-size pieces of butter remaining.

Divide dough in half, gently shape each one into a disk and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. Then place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 20 to 30 minutes while you prepare the filling.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Prepare the filling: In a large sauce pot or Dutch oven, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add carrots, celery and onion and cook until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Then stir in chopped mushrooms. Continue cooking for another 2 minutes.

Add flour and stir well to cover the vegetables, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes to eliminate raw flour taste. Slowly pour in chicken broth and milk, a little at time, and stir occasionally until it forms a smooth sauce. Let sauce simmer until it thickens, about 5 minutes, then add dried herbs. Mix to combine well and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Stir in cubed chicken and Parmesan cheese, if using. Set aside while you roll out dough.

Lightly butter or spray a 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray. Place a rough round into each muffin cup, with side hanging over.

Divide chicken mixture between the cups, place another round on top and fold the overhang inward. Crimp the edge with a floured fork.

Cut a few vents in the top of the dough to allow steam to escape, sprinkle with a little grated Parmesan and place in the oven. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until top is golden brown and filling is bubbling out around the edges.