Recipe
Filling Ingredients:
6 medium carrots , peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 small celery ribs, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 medium onion , chopped fine
2 medium garlic cloves , minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme (or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme)
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
Salt
1/4 cup dry sherry
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 bay leaves
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 5 medium breasts), trimmed of excess fat
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup half-and-half
1 cup frozen green peas
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
Ground black pepper
Crusts:
One package Pillsbury rolled refrigerated pie crusts (use for bottom crusts)
One package Pepperidge Farms frozen puff pastry, thawed (use for top crusts)
Make the filling:
1. *Combine the carrots, celery, onion, garlic, thyme, oil, and ½ teaspoon salt in a large Dutch oven. Cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until the vegetables have softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the sherry, broth, and bay leaves, and bring to a simmer. Nestle the chicken breasts into the sauce. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the chicken is no longer pink in the center and the thickest part registers 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate; set aside to cool.
2. Return the sauce to a simmer. Whisk the cornstarch and half-and-half together, then whisk into the simmering sauce. Continue to simmer the sauce until thickened, about 1 minute. Off the heat, discard the bay leaves, stir in the peas and parsley, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. *Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred it into bite-sized pieces. Stir the shredded chicken into the sauce.
Make the pies:
Preheat the pie maker.
Cut bottom and top crusts.
Place bottom crusts into hot pie maker. *Add 1/3 cup hot filling into each crust and then add top crusts. *Close pie maker and cook 10 minutes.
Makes 12 pies. *Excess filling may be frozen. *This is good with a few steamed diced white potatoes. *If not making mini pies, place filling into a 9x13 inch casserole, top with a cornmeal biscuit crust and bake at 375 for about 20 minutes.
