Oh Pot-Pie!
How comforting…
How satisfying…
How delightful in minified-form you are!

These little fellows started as a twinkle in my eye after dog-earring this recipe from Cooking Light.  But, wouldn’t you know, after trips to two grocery stores, I was left feeling very Goldielocks about my peasant roll situation… they were just either too big or too small.  Besides, what’s a pot-pie without a nice crisped crust, anyway?

And so, I set about to make a more traditional pie, individually potted for portion control (and, uh, adorableness), and topped with herbed/asiago-ed pizza crust.

A few notes:

I used disposable pot-pie tins because I knew we’d be taking the leftovers to work for lunch and these suckers have handy-dandy plastic lids.  If I were making these for guests, I would have used my large ramekins – both options hold about 9-10 oz.  This recipe made 6 of those.  Or, you could definitely go casserole-style with this dish.  Either way, when cutting your crust, trim slightly larger than your cooking vessel so you can “tuck” the crust in!

{Use store-bought pizza crust if you wish, but, I implore you, do not bust out with frozen veggies. They get all mushy and have no flavor and just… no. The peas are negotiable if it’s Wintertime. But go fresh for the rest. And don’t feel confined to the produce I used – go hog wild in that produce section!}

Tarragon Chicken Pot-Pie with Herbed Asiago Crust

Ingredients:

• 1 pizza crust, rolled thin (I used half a recipe of Pioneer Woman’s)
• dried tarragon, rosemary, shredded Asiago cheese
• 3 T. all-purpose flour
• 1.5 c. milk (I used 1%)
• 3/4 c. fat-free less-sodium chicken broth
• 3/4 c. dry white wine
• 1 T. olive oil
• 1 sweet onion, finely diced
• 2 bunches green onions, chopped (green parts only)
• 2 yellow squashes, sliced to 1/3 in., then quartered
• 5 large carrots, sliced to 1/3 in.
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 bunch of broccoli, stems trimmed, broken into small florets
• 1 lb chicken breast cutlets, cut into small pieces
• 1 t. dried tarragon
• 1 t. salt
• 1 t. pepper

Directions:

1. After rolling pizza dough very thin and placing atop a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, mist with olive oil and sprinkle with dried herbs and cheese.  Lightly pat herbs and cheese into dough.  Pop into the fridge to chill.
2. Place flour in a small bowl.  Slowly add milk whilst whisking to combine.  When flour is completely incorporated into the milk, add wine and broth.  Set aside.
3. Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in your largest skillet.  Add onions and chicken. Saute until onions soften and chicken is nearly cooked through.  Add vegetables and saute – 4 minutes.  Stir milk slurry into chicken and veggie mixure.  Bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer, stirring often, for 10-15 minutes to allow mixture to thicken.
4. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375.  Remove pizza dough from fridge.  Cut circles into the dough to form the crusts, using your cooking vessels as a rough guide.
5. Spoon the chicken and veggie mixture into your baking dish of choice.  {I had a bit of the milk slurry mixture left over and discarded that so as not to overfill the tins.}  Place dough over mixture and tuck around the filling.  I tried to get fancy with my excess dough and make a design.  This failed miserably.  But rock out with braided crust or smiley faces or whatnot if you’re an all-star.  Cut small slits for venting in the crust.
6. Place pies on a cookie sheet topped with parchment paper.  Bake 20-30 minutes, depending on how crispy you want your crust.  Remove from oven and allow to sit for 5 minutes before serving.  Goes great with a fresh green salad!

{images courtesy of author’s personal collection}