These individual chicken and mushroom pot pies are crammed with chicken and mushrooms, with a few leeks thrown in for good measure. There's also a delicious thick and creamy sauce all topped with a layer of crispy puff pastry.
This recipe is based on my creamy chicken, leek and mushroom pie, which has been a readers' favourite for ages. The difference is, these are smaller individual chicken pies, that you can pop into the freezer and then take out when you need a meal-in-a-hurry.
These individual chicken and mushroom pies are also the perfect way to make a couple of chicken breasts stretch to feed 4 people when money is tight.
Just to give you an idea of how many people you can feed with 2 chicken breasts, I made this recipe and divided it up into 3 x 5" x 6" dishes. Hubby and I shared one each, and I've got 2 more in the freezer for other meals. You can't get much more cost effective than that!
Plus, I didn't even use an entire roll of puff pastry! There was a quarter of a roll left over which means I'll be able to make an extra 2 blueberry cream cheese Danish pastries next time I find blueberries on offer in the supermarket.
I'm all for saving money where I can, and with food prices sky-rocketing everywhere, this is a great recipe to help you save money.
Not only do these pies feed lots of hungry tummies, they also help keep electricity costs down. Once they've been cooked and frozen, it's only a quick 10 minutes in the oven to bring them back to a freshly-baked state for a delicious and easy meal.
And what you end up with are individual chicken pies, filled with tender chicken pieces, flavoured with delicious leeks and mushrooms, all swimming in a creamy sauce with a crispy puff pastry crust.
Unfortunately, when I took this photo the pies had already gone cold and the sauce had thickened, so you can't see the delicious runny, creamy sauce that fills the hot pies. On the other hand, you can see how the filling thickens when the pies are cold, meaning they make a delicious meal either hot or cold 🙂 .
Let me show you how to make them.
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Ingredients
This is sufficient for 3 5" x 6" pies. Or you could use slightly smaller dishes and make 4 pies.
- Chicken breasts - the chicken breasts should be cut into smallish pieces (less than an inch in size) so that they fit nicely into the pie dish.
- Puff pastry - this is store-bought puff pastry. It is used for the lids on the pies and you may not need it all.
- Leeks - the leek should be sliced in half from top to bottom and then sliced into semi-circles.
- Mushrooms - you can use whatever mushrooms you have available. They should be cut into halves or quarters depending on the size.
- Butter - this is used for frying the leeks and mushrooms. You can use either salted or unsalted butter but if you use salted butter take this into account when seasoning the pie filling.
- Stock - this is chicken stock which I made with a chicken stock cube.
- Cream - I used double cream, but you could use single cream instead. Along with the stock, this forms the creamy sauce.
- Flour - used for thickening the filling.
- You will also need salt and black pepper for seasoning, a little sunflower oil for frying trhe chicken. cornflour to coat the chicken before it is fried and a small egg to eggwash the pies.
**You can find the exact ingredient quantities on the printable recipe card at the end of this post**
Instructions
Preparation and filling
Step 1: Cut the mushrooms into halves or quarters and slice the leeks. Cut the chicken into small pieces and coat it with cornflour seasoned with a little salt and black pepper to taste.
Step 2: Melt the butter in a frying pan, turn the heat to medium and add the leeks and mushrooms.
Step 3: Stir the leeks and mushrooms on medium heat for about 5 minutes until the leeks have softened and the mushrooms have released their moisture.
Step 4: Remove from the heat and stir in the flour. Transfer the leeks and mushrooms to a plate while you fry the chicken.
Step 5: Wipe the pan with a piece of paper towel and add 2 tablespoons of sunflower oil. Fry the chicken pieces on moderate to high heat until they start to brown slightly.
Step 6: Return the leeks and mushrooms to the pan and stir in the stock. Bring to a boil and stir until the mixture starts to thicken.
Step 7: Stir in the cream, taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if necessary.
Assemble and bake
Step 8: Allow the filling to cool, then divide it equally between your baking dishes.
Step 9: Unroll the puff pastry and divide it into 4 equal pieces.
Step 10: Lay the pastry on top of each pie and press the edges of the pastry against the sides of the baking dish with a fork. Brush the top of the pies with lightly beaten egg and optionally score a pattern into the pastry with the back of a knife.
Step 11: Bake in a preheated oven (200C / 400F) for 20 to 25 minutes until the pastry is risen and golden.
Tips for a perfect result
Here are my top tips to ensure your chicken and mushroom pot pies turn out perfectly every time.
- When softening the leeks and mushrooms, turn the heat to low and cover the pan with a lid. This way the leeks and mushrooms saute in their juices and soften without drying out.
- When browning the chicken, stir constantly, turning the chicken over so that it browns evenly on all sides.
- Don't forget to taste the sauce for seasoning and add salt and black pepper if necessary.
- Do allow the filling to cool before covering it with puff pastry. If you lay puff pastry on top of hot filling the pastry will start to melt and will not puff up as it should when it bakes.
Equipment
You will need a saute pan or frying pan with a lid for making the filling.
I used 3 x 5" x 6" dishes to bake the pies, and one pie was sufficient for 2 people. You could use smaller dishes to suit your family's appetite.
Variations
You can vary this recipe in a variety of ways:
- Instead of adding cream to the sauce, stir in half a small tub of cream cheese. The creaminess of the cheese goes really well the the leeks and chicken.
- Add a handful of frozen peas or whole kernel corn to the filling.
- You can use this filling to make a quiche rather than individual pies. Line a 9" baking dish with shop-bought shortcrust pastry, and pour in the filling. Cover with a sprinkling of grated cheese and bake according to the recipe instructions. Serve cold (so the filling can set before you slice into it). You may need an extra tablespoon of flour to ensure the filling is firm enough to slice.
Storage
You can freeze the pies either baked or unbaked.
Wrap the pies in tin foil and cover with a layer of plastic wrap. Freeze for up to three months. If freezing baked pies, allow them to cool completely before freezing.
To use:
- pre-baked pies - allow them to defrost then reheat in a hot oven for 6 to 7 minutes until piping hot.
- unbaked pies - allow them to defrost then bake according to the recipe instructions.
Leftover pie can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, and can be reheated or served cold.
Save for later
If you would like to make these chicken and leek pot pies why not save the recipe to one of your Pinterest boards so you can find it easily? Just click on the image below.
Alternatively, you can save the recipe by clicking on the floating heart icon on the right-hand side of the screen.
Related recipes
Visit my pie recipes page for other delicious pie recipes. Here are a few you might enjoy:
📋The recipe
Individual chicken and mushroom pot pies
(Click the stars to rate this recipe)
Equipment
- Saute pan with lid or
- Large frying pan with lid
- 3 to 4 small baking dishes
Ingredients
- 14 ounces / 400 grams chicken breast fillets (or 2 large fillets)
- 11 ounces / 320 grams puff pastry
- 1 large leek
- 5 ounces / 150 grams mushrooms
- 2 ounces / 60 grams butter
- 2 tablespoons / 20 grams flour for thickening
- 1 cup / 240 ml chicken stock
- ½ cup / 120 ml double or heavy cream
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons / 15 grams cornflour (or cornstarch) for coating the chicken
- Sunflower oil for frying
- 1 small egg beaten (for egg washing the pies)
Instructions
- Cut the chicken into one-inch cubes and coat it with cornflour seasoned with a little salt and black pepper to taste.14 ounces / 400 grams chicken breast fillets, Salt and black pepper to taste, 2 tablespoons / 15 grams cornflour (or cornstarch)
- Wipe the mushrooms with a damp cloth or paper towel and slice them into halves or quarters. Rinse the leek in cold water to remove any grit. Split it in half lengthwise and then slice it into half-inch semi-circles.5 ounces / 150 grams mushrooms, 1 large leek
- Melt the butter in a frying pan, turn the heat to medium and add the leeks and mushrooms.2 ounces / 60 grams butter
- Stir the leeks and mushrooms on medium heat for about 5 minutes until the leeks have softened and the mushrooms have released their moisture.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the flour. Transfer the leeks and mushrooms to a plate while you fry the chicken.2 tablespoons / 20 grams flour
- Wipe the pan with a piece of paper towel and add 2 tablespoons of sunflower oil. Fry the chicken pieces on moderate to high heat until they start to brown slightly. The chicken does not need to be fully cooked as it will complete the cooking process in the oven.Sunflower oil
- Return the leeks and mushrooms to the pan and stir in the stock. Bring to a boil and stir until the mixture starts to thicken.1 cup / 240 ml chicken stock
- Stir in the cream, taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if necessary.½ cup / 120 ml double or heavy cream
- Set the filling aside to cool.
Assemble and bake
- Preheat the oven to 200°C / 400°F.
- Divide the cooled filling equally between your baking dishes.
- Unroll the puff pastry and divide it into equal pieces, each large enough to cover a pie.11 ounces / 320 grams puff pastry
- Lay the pastry on top of each pie and press the edges of the pastry against the sides of the baking dish with a fork. Brush the top of the pies with lightly beaten egg and optionally score a pattern into the pastry with the back of a knife.1 small egg
- Bake in a preheated oven (200C / 400F) for 20 to 25 minutes until the pastry is risen and golden.
Notes
- When softening the leeks and mushrooms, turn the heat to low and cover the pan with a lid. This way the leeks and mushrooms saute in their juices and soften without drying out.
- When browning the chicken, stir constantly, turning the chicken over so that it browns evenly on all sides.
- Don't forget to taste the sauce for seasoning and add salt and black pepper if necessary.
- Do allow the filling to cool before covering it with puff pastry. If you lay puff pastry on top of hot filling the pastry will start to melt and will not puff up as it should when it bakes.
- You can freeze the pies either baked or unbaked.
- Wrap the pies in tin foil and cover with a layer of plastic wrap. Freeze for up to three months. If freezing baked pies, allow them to cool completely before freezing.
- pre-baked pies - allow them to defrost then reheat in a hot oven for 6 to 7 minutes until piping hot.
- unbaked pies - allow them to defrost then bake according to the recipe instructions.
Nutrition
I am not a nutritionist. The nutrition information has been calculated using an on-line calculator, and is intended for information and guidance purposes only. If the nutrition information is important to you, you should consider calculating it yourself, using your preferred tool.
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VJ says
This is a great recipe to fill your freezer for those days when you don't feel like cooking.