Metro’s Chicken Pot Pies

Two individual pot pies set on top of a white tea towlel with a blue stripe.

5 from 1 vote

Metro’s Chicken Pot Pies are a make-ahead comfort food recipe built with roast chicken, potatoes, carrots, celery, mushrooms, peas and a velouté-rich filling under puff pastry. Baked straight from the freezer, they make four individual pot pies that are practical for weeknight meals.

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Prep Time:1

Cook Time:1

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Carrots, Celery, Chicken, Peas, Velouté

Season: Spring

Servings: Pot Pies

Calories: 1225kcal

Author: Annie Addis

Ingredients

For the Filling

¾ pound gold potatoes, peeled and diced ½ inch
1 carrot, peeled and diced about ¼ inch (about ½ cup)
1 tablespoon neutral oil, such as canola or vegetable oil
½ large yellow onion, diced ½ inch (about 1 cup)
2 stalks celery, diced ½ inch (about 1 cup)
½ cup mushrooms, cleaned, stems trimmed and quartered
4 cups roast chicken, diced (½ roast chicken, white and dark meat removed from bones, no skin or wings)
White wine, or water, as needed
2 tablespoons Italian parsley, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
¼ cup frozen peas, or fresh shelled peas in spring

For the Velouté

4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour, plus more if needed
3 cups chicken stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For Assembly

1 package puff pastry, thawed

Instructions

Make the Velouté

Melt the butter in a sauté pan or medium pot large enough to accommodate the liquid. Using a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula, stir in the flour to form a blond roux. Cook, stirring constantly, until the raw flour flavor is gone and the mixture is cohesive with no butter separating, about 5–10 minutes. If butter begins to leach out, add flour 1 tablespoon at a time until incorporated. This is your roux.
Begin whisking in the stock, starting with about 1 cup and working it fully into the roux. The mixture will become quite thick and lumpy at the start; this is normal.
Continue adding stock gradually, whisking until smooth before each addition. Once all the stock is incorporated, simmer gently 5–10 minutes, until thickened to a gravy-like consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Prepare the Filling

Fill a medium-sized pot halfway with water and bring to a boil. Add the potatoes and cook until halfway tender, about 5–6 minutes. Add the carrots and continue cooking until both potatoes and carrots are tender, about 5 minutes more. Drain and reserve.
Heat neutral oil in a medium-sized pan over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until translucent. Add the celery, then the mushrooms and chicken. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add a splash of white wine (or water) to lightly moisten the mixture. Stir in the parsley and the reserved potatoes and carrots. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Stir in the prepared velouté, then add the peas. Taste again and adjust seasoning as needed. Let the filling cool completely.

Assemble the Pot Pies

Divide the cooled filling equally among four 12-ounce ramekins. Cut the puff pastry into squares about the same size as the diameter of your ramekins. Cut a small X in the center or use the tip of a knife or a piping tip to cut a small round vent. The pastry can either hang over the edge of the ramekins, or you can fold the corners towards the middle.
If you can find puff pastry squares (I found mine at Indo China Market in Goleta), use as many as you need for the number of pot pies you’re making. You may need to roll them out slightly to reach the size you’d like.
If freezing for grab-and-go meals, wrap each pie tightly in plastic wrap or foil and place on a sheet pan. Freeze until solid, then stack and store in your freezer.

Bake

Preheat oven to 375°F. Place frozen pies (no need to defrost) on a foil-lined sheet pan. Bake for 1 hour. They are done when the filling is bubbling slightly through the vent on the top, the pastry is lightly golden, and the internal temperature has reached 165°F. Cool slightly and enjoy!

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