Chicken pot pie is one of the most comforting things to eat in the Winter. So my savory mini pies are inspired by that flavor. A few years ago, I was dealing with seasonal affective disorder, anxiety, and fear. I was really lost and lonely. Feeling like all of my friends have moved and moved on and that living with my family during a pandemic was not cutting it. I have always fought this feeling by being “really good at spending time alone”; self-care, listening to toxic spiritual podcasts about how you don’t need anyone besides yourself. But sometimes you do need people and my personality thrives when I’m around a group of people I trust. 

“Internal” Travel + Savory Mini Pies

One of the things I do to escape when I’m feeling lonely is let my mind travel to another world. I’ve always done this, since I’m an only child. I used to play imaginary games with myself and my toys. Explore the woods and the beach and take photos for fun. I used to paint with my hands and indulge in chapter books and fairy tales. As I got older, I realized it was uncool or weird to still have such a big imagination, which is sad. Why can’t we have a big imagination as an adult? What is inherently bad about it? I used to love writing book outlines with creative plots and characters who had superpowers and I used to design houses with magic markers. I miss getting lost in that magic.

Lately I’m trying to reconnect with that part of myself and bring out my inner child. I’m allowing him to feel safe again after so many years of trying to be serious, or impressive, or mature, or to fit in with the rest of society. I am finding myself painting looser, being outside more, and baking. I’m getting my hands dirty. My favorite thing to do to chase this feeling of traveling internally is to watch TV.

One of my favorite shows of the last few years was something my mom and I watched together during the pandemic – Outlander. It’s pretty intense, and graphic, and sad a lot of the times, but so was the pandemic. It’s about a woman who accidentally time travels to the 1700’s from the 1900’s and has to survive. Of course, she finds love and romance and all these things, but the core theme of the show is family. 

Outlander and Chicken Pot Hand Pies

One day during the pandemic I had an especially hard day, battling my mental health. It was rainy, foggy, and cold. We decided to sit down and watch Outlander. I wanted to make a day out of it, so I got to work in the kitchen, experimenting with recipes. We decided that it was perfect chicken pot pie weather, and we could throw one together with the ingredients we had. We had store bought pie dough, so I decided to create savory mini pies using the chicken pot pie filling. It was challenging at first, figuring out how much to fill them. How to crimp the edges. How to keep the dough cold. I remember peacefully cooking in the kitchen on that dark day for hours, and my mind calmed. 

When the savory mini pies were done, the house filled with an incredible buttery, savory smell. I also sprinkled sea salt and parmesan on top, so the combination was intoxicating. I took them out of the oven and marveled at the dark brown edges, the caramelized colors on the parchment paper, the butter lightly sizzling through the dough. After letting them cool we each took turns picking out the one that we liked. Giant, wonky chicken pot hand pies with unevenly crimped edges. We sat in the living room with the hot pies on plates in our laps. We turned on Outlander and watched a few episodes. I got completely lost in the journey from Scotland to America. In the challenges and struggles of imaginary people. It was such a lovely day. A silver lining in the dark cloud of the pandemic. 

Chicken Pot Pie Filling and Savory Mini Pies

I’ve been thinking more about that theme of family and how much family means to me. They are the people you can be your absolute worst around. Yet, they always forgive you (within reason). I’ve been spending much more time with my family again recently after a pretty busy period of my life. I’m falling in love with slowing down again. Relaxing. Spending quality time with people I care about. And indulging in TV. I’ve never understood the people who look down on watching TV or who don’t have one in their home. It feels like they’re completely missing the joy of escapism and creativity. Of storytelling. It’s one of my favorite things. And it helps me feel like a kid again. 

So, last week I decided to revive the chicken pot hand pies and create my own recipe to use time and time again. I started early so I could photograph everything, but the extra hour of daylight helped! I made a rich chicken gravy with butter and vegetables and cream and cooked it down until it thickened. Then, I let it thicken further in the fridge so it would be easy to scoop. While I waited, my mom and I went for a walk. It was incredibly windy and cold and I remember saying to her something like “we’re really not normal.” But, we love walking, and I’ll do anything to spend time with my family. When we came home, the filling had chilled, and I had a pie dough I’d made the day before resting in the fridge. 

Easy-to-Roll Pie Dough

I rolled out one huge brick of pie dough (my recipe is adapted from this recipe, which I love and is so reliable) into a long and somewhat thin blanket on our blue counter. I haphazardly eye-balled congruent rectangular shapes and cut them with a knife. Then, I placed the savory mini pies on two baking sheets, about 5 or 6 on each. I topped half of them with the cooled chicken pot pie filling. Then, I lightly re-rolled the remaining rectangles and pressed them over the filling-topped pies.

I then took my fork and crimped the edges quickly, trying not to be a perfectionist. Finally I took an egg and cold cream from the fridge and whipped it up into an egg wash. I brushed the tops of the chicken pot hand pies with my yellow silicon egg wash brush. Then I finished them off with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt. Off they went into the oven.

We watched a new show this time while waiting, Somebody Feed Phil. Ironically, he was headed to Scotland. When the timer went off, I hoisted my baking pans onto our oven and marveled at the golden brown edges. The dark, red and orange spots of deeply caramelized butter and egg. I was reminded of these colors while painting. I tried to channel my inner child as I painted, as I usually do. Haphazardly applying coats of different shades of golds and browns and orange-reds onto the dough. With some sense of practice and control of course, acquired naturally from years of painting. It looked so realistic when I was done that I wanted to eat it!

Enjoying the Quiet of Winter With Hand Pies

We enjoyed our hand pies in the living room, as always, while escaping to another world. I’ve been especially anxious and a little down lately, which I suppose is just a side effect of being human. Especially these days. But cooking and eating memories and escaping with imagination always helps. I’m feeling a little lonely again after traveling the world. Being social 24/7. It’s hard to fully relax and sit in these moments of quietude. But I’m trying to be grateful for it. For the ease and stillness. Because as life goes, it will all change and I’ll miss these afternoons cooking at home and watching TV with my parents. 

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Print Pin

Chicken Pot Pie Hand Pies

A handheld winter pie with extra crust

Course Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword chicken recipes, Hand Pie, Pot Pie, whoopie pies

Prep Time 4 hours hours

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Servings 8

Author theforkedring

Ingredients

• 3 3/4 cups AP flour
• 2 tsp salt
• 3 sticks unsalted butter
• 3 eggs + 1 egg for wash
• 1 tbsp heavy cream
• 3 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 cup ice water
• 1 1/4 lb chicken breast / thighs
• 1 cup chopped white onion
• 1 cup chopped and peeled carrot
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup fresh or canned peas
• 4 tbsp butter
• 4 tbsp AP flour
• 1 tsp fresh chopped rosemary
• 1/2 tsp ground thyme
• 1/2 tsp ground sage
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp sea salt + more for topping

Instructions

• Start by making the pastry. In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, and chopped butter.
• Incorporate the cold butter into the flour with a dough cutter, fork, or your hands. Press and rub into the flour until the texture is like sand.
• Add the 3 eggs and work into a shaggy dough. Then, add the ice water and bring together.
• Wrap dough in cling film and transfer to fridge to cool for 3-4 hours.
• In a large sauté pan, heat 1 tbsp neutral oil over medium/high.
• Cook chicken for 3-5 minutes on a side, or until internal temperature reads 160°F – 165°F. Let rest.
• In the pan drippings, add 4 tbsp butter and melt.
• Chop onion, celery, and carrots and add to your sizzling butter. Also add your peas if using fresh (if using canned, add them after the other vegetables are cooked). Cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes until vegetables are soft.
• If mixture is dry, add 2-3 tbsp extra butter so that the vegetables because saucy. Add your 4 tbsp flour and stir together to coat the vegetables.
• Cook for 3-5 minutes to cook the flour taste out. Add herbs and salt and pepper to taste.
• Deglaze pan with chicken stock and heavy cream. Cook for 10-20 minutes until the mixture has considerably thickened.
• Remove from heat and add Parmesan cheese and season to taste. Let mixture cool, then transfer to chill in the refrigerator for at least 3-4 hours until cold and thick.
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Remove dough from fridge and let rest for 5 minutes.
• Flour a work surface and roll out your dough into a large rectangle, about 1/4″ thick. The dough should roll out to about 18″ x 24″.
• Cut out 16 equal-sized rectangles and place 8 onto parchment-lined sheet trays.
• Remove filling from fridge and place a generous dollop or two on each dough rectangle.
• The the other dough rectangles and place on top of each pie and crimp the edges with a fork around the filling, making sure not to let any filling spill out. Once you have 8 sealed hand pies, reserve excess dough.
• In a small bowl, mix one egg and heavy cream until combined and brush on top of each hand pie until glossy. Sprinkle tops of hand pies lightly with flaky sea salt.
• Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden and crisp. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.