SERVES 2
TIME 1½ hours
Why This Recipe Works
To simplify our Chicken Pot Pie for Two, we opted to make two individual pies inside of ramekins. A single boneless, skinless chicken breast was super easy to work with and substantial enough for two pies when combined with the rest of the ingredients. Cooking the chicken right in the sauce imparted layers of flavor and also saved time on cleanup. A little soy sauce added complex flavor that would normally require hours of simmering to achieve. For the crust, we turned to a store-bought option, which we parcooked on a baking sheet to ensure it didn’t collapse into the filling.
Ingredients”
1 Pillsbury Just Unroll! Pie Crust
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 carrots, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 small onion, chopped fine
1 small celery rib, sliced 1/4 inch thick
Salt and pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 ¾ cups low-sodium chicken broth
⅓ cup heavy cream
½ teaspoon soy sauce
1 (8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breast, trimmed
¼ cup frozen peas
2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley
¼ teaspoon lemon juice
Before You Begin
We use two ovensafe 12-ounce ramekins or bowls to make this dish. If you don’t own any, you can use 14-ounce disposable mini loaf pans, cutting the crust to fit.
Instructions:
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Unroll dough on baking sheet. Use 12-ounce ovensafe ramekin as guide to cut out 2 rounds of dough about ½ inch larger than mouth of ramekin. Fold under and crimp outer ½ inch of dough, then cut 3 vents in center of each crust. Bake until crusts just begin to brown and no longer look raw, about 7 minutes; set aside.
Meanwhile, melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add carrots, onion, celery, and ½ teaspoon salt and cook until vegetables are softened and browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in garlic and thyme, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute.
Slowly whisk in broth, cream, and soy sauce, scraping up any browned bits. Nestle chicken into sauce and bring to simmer. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until chicken registers 160 degrees, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer chicken to plate; let cool slightly. Using 2 forks, shred chicken into bite-size pieces.
Meanwhile, return pan with sauce to medium heat and simmer until thickened and sauce measures 2 cups, about 5 minutes. Off heat, return shredded chicken and accumulated juice to pan. Stir in peas, parsley, and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Divide filling between ramekins and place parbaked crusts on top of filling. Place pot pies on baking sheet and bake until crusts are deep golden brown and filling is bubbling, 10 to 15 minutes. Let pot pies cool for 10 minutes before serving.