Mini Open-Faced Chicken Pot Pies

“I only had one bite but it was amazing.” – Austin, age 9

These mini pot pies were a hit with my age 9-12 year old kids cooking class I teach each week. I also teach a teen class. The pot pies can be adapted to throw in many different veggies, and they might be a good addition to the lunch box. Keeping them open-faced means they are less stodgy, with more protein and veggie filling to focus on, instead of excessive pastry. Enjoy!

Mini Open-Faced Chicken Pot Pies: (Yield: 24 muffin cup-sized pies – you may have leftover filling and pastry for a large standard pie plate-sized pot pie also)

½ cup to 1 cup pure olive oil

3 medium yellow potatoes, finely diced

2 cups parsley, finely chopped

1 large yellow onion, finely chopped

3 stalks celery, finely diced

2 Pemberton carrots, finely diced

1 large red pepper, finely diced

3 cups brown mushrooms finely diced (you could try other varieties)

2 lbs chicken thighs (boneless and skinless) chopped into small pieces about 1 cm in diameter

2 tbs butter

2 tbs pure olive oil

3 cups no-salt chicken broth

2 tbs spelt flour

2 tsp pepper

2 tsp salt

 

Pastry:

1 box Tenderflake lard

5 cups spelt flour

1 egg

1 tbs white vinegar

2 tsp salt

Water

Method:

Sauté veggies. Heat ½ cup pure olive oil in large pot and sauté all veggies, order not important but all veggies need lots of time to sauté. When well caramelised, add 3 cups of chicken broth and spelt flour.

In separate pan, sauté chicken pieces in 2 tbs butter and 2 tbs pure olive oil, until cooked through. Add 1 tsp pepper. When cooked thoroughly, add chicken to finished veggie mixture.

Make pastry:

Measure flour and salt into large bowl. Add lard. Mix until incorporated. Add one beaten egg in a liquid measuring cup with 1 tbs vinegar and fill the rest to the one-cup mark with water. Mix together. Roll out. Cut into circles about 5 cms wide. Place into muffin cups and press down snugly to form a cup.

Fill cups with veggie and chicken mix.

Bake at 400F for 20-25 minutes.

Cool and eat. Enjoy!!