Marie Saba

From My Kitchen To Yours

Handheld Pot Pies

These Handheld Pot Pies are the ultimate cozy meal! With tender chicken, fresh vegetables, creamy gravy, and a buttery, golden crust, this classic dish is guaranteed to impress!

For the filling, you can use leftover turkey (I’m posting this on Thanksgiving!) or a simple rotisserie chicken. Having the meat already cooked is such a time saver! For the vegetables, I use the p re-chopped onion, celery and carrots from the grocery. Another time saver! Then it’s just fresh garlic, thyme, and frozen petite green peas. Easy peasy, right?

For the gravy, we use a bit of flour as a thickener, along with equal parts white wine, chicken broth, half-and-half and a splash of Worcestershire. Together, these ingredients add layers of flavor and depth to the otherwise simple mixture of chicken and veggies.

For the crust, you can use a pie crust (store-bought or homemade) or puff pastry (all butter if you can find it!). Then, to bake the handheld pot pies, you can use the air fryer or the oven. Prefer a full-size pot pie? Check out my Chicken Pot Pie and Ultra-Flakey Pie Crust along with the video tutorial.

Handheld Pot Pies

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons (28 g) unsalted butter
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, diced
1 carrot, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic, diced
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup frozen peas
2 to 2 1/2 cups cooked, shredded or diced chicken or turkey
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
3 pie crusts or puff pastry (homemade or store bought)
Egg wash: 1 egg + 2 teaspoons water, whisked

Instructions

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrots and celery and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, about 15 minutes. Add garlic, thyme, salt and pepper. Cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
Reduce heat to medium and sprinkle flour over vegetables and cook, stirring frequently, about 1 minute. Add wine and broth, stirring and cooking until flour is no longer visible and some alcohol is cooked off, about 4 minutes.
Add half-and-half, peas, chicken, and Worcestershire; stir and continue cooking 2 minutes more. Taste and adjust salt if needed. Transfer filling to another container and refrigerate until completely cool.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out one pie crust into a 15×10-inch (38×25-cm). (Puff pastry may roll out a little smaller, depending on the brand.) Cut into 4 rectangles. Place about 1/4 cup filling on one side of each rectangle, leaving room around the edge. In a small bowl, whisk together egg and water. Using egg wash to brush around the edge, fold the rectangle in half, and press to seal. Using the tines of a fork, press around the edge to create a decoration and further seal the edge. Cut 3 slits in the top of the crust so steam can escape. Repeat with remaining filling and pie crusts.
Just before baking, brush pies with egg wash.
AIR FRYER: Place 2-4 pies in the basket of an air fryer. Set temperature to 350 F (176 C) and air fry for 15-18 minutes. Serve warm.
OVEN: Place pies on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Preheat oven to 400 F (204 C) and bake for 18-20 minutes. Serve warm.

Variations:

For a wine-free version, use 1 cup chicken broth, 1/2 cup half-and-half, and 1/2 teaspoon apple cider or white balsamic vinegar.
For a lighter version, use whole milk in place of half-and-half.

Make-Ahead Tips:

To freeze before baking: Freeze on a parchment-lined baking sheet for about 2 hours. Wrap in plastic and store in a freezer bag or container for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, remove plastic, add egg wash, and air fry at 350 F (176 C) for 18-20 minutes.
To freeze after baking: Cool completely. Freeze on a parchment-lined baking sheet for about 2 hours. Wrap in plastic and store in a freezer bag or container for up to 2 months. To reheat, remove plastic and air fry at 325 F for 10-12 minutes.

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