MINI CHICKEN POT PIES

Picky-picky husband loves chicken pot pies, but they definitely  have not been on my "quick fix" list until now. This "recipe" is almost a cheater recipe, because you can skip the filling recipe below and just use your favorite leftover chicken (or turkey) and gravy to make
these. 

They were so tasty that picky-picky husband went back for seconds!! With this quick and easy technique, I can see we will be having mini chicken pot pies a lot more often.



2 potatoes  cubed fairly small
1 cup favorite veggies(I use a frozen pea-corn-green bean mix)
1/2 stalk celery chopped fine
1 tablespoon onion chopped fine
1 carrot sliced thin
1 COOKED chicken breast (or leftover turkey) small cubed
1 tube of refrigerator rolls (see note about brand)
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
2 1/2 cups chicken broth (see note)
2 teaspoons chicken bullion
pepper to taste

In a large sauce pan, saute the onion and celery in a little butter until soft. Add the chicken broth, potatoes, veggies, bullion and pepper (DO NOT ADD THE CHICKEN or TURKEY MEAT AT THIS STAGE). Boil about 5-8 minutes or until potatoes and carrots are fork tender.

Drain but SAVE THE BROTH!! In a medium size sauce pan, melt 3 tablespoons of butter then add 3 tablespoons flour and stir, (cook for about a minute to cook out the raw flour taste).  Add the saved chicken broth (whisk like crazy when you add the broth). Cook until the mixture thickens, then put the cooked veggies back in. Remove from heat and set aside. Note: If the "gravy' seems a little thick, just add a couple tablespoons more chicken broth.

Spray a large (Texas size) muffin pan lightly with vegetable spray (even if it is a non-stick pan). Roll out each refrigerator biscuit very thin and place one in each muffin cup.

Then use your fingers to press the thinned out biscuit up the sides and to the top of each cup.

NOTE: If you don't have a Texas size muffin pan, see note below.

NOTE: We call tube refrigerator biscuits "whomp rolls" because of the sound they make when you "whomp" them on the edge of the counter to open them. I've tried several brands and they will ALL work, but the very best one (for these mini pot pies) is a Kroger brand biscuit called JUMBO butter biscuits (our Fred Meyer sells them).

Place pieces of cooked chicken in the bottom of each little pot pie and then spoon the veggies and gravy over it (almost to the top).

Place the muffin pan on a cookie tray (in case you've filled them too much) and bake in preheated 375 oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.

Remove from oven and let sit for 3 or 4 minutes BEFORE taking them out of the pan; this will really help.

Don't worry, they stay hot forever!! Use a butter knife to assist you in lifting these out of the pan.

NOTE:  If you don't use chicken bullion, you'll have to add a little salt to the sauce.

NOTE: On occasion, I buy Pillsbury Grands refrigerator biscuits, but they don't work well for this recipe (too bready). The Kroger brand of Jumbo Butter Biscuits roll out nice and thin and they bake into a thin crusty-buttery shell.

NOTE: I don't think this recipe will work very well in a standard cupcake pan unless you chop everything VERY small and use only half of a refrigerator biscuit (but I've never tried it).

ENJOY !!!