Description

These easy chicken and leek pot pies are a comforting and delicious meal perfect for any day of the week. Soft leeks cooked in butter are combined with creamy cheese sauce, tender cooked chicken, and fresh chives, all encased in a flaky shortcrust pastry. Baked to golden perfection, these individual pot pies make for an inviting and hearty dish served best with green vegetables on the side.

Ingredients

Scale

Filling

25g butter
3 leeks, washed and sliced
350g tub fresh cheese sauce
½ bunch chives, snipped
200g cooked chicken, torn
3 tbsp milk
1 tbsp Dijon mustard

Pastry

320g pack shortcrust pastry
Plain flour, for dusting
1 large egg, beaten

To Serve

Green vegetables (optional)

Instructions

Cook the leeks: Melt the butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add the sliced leeks, cover the pan, and cook for 10 minutes until the leeks are very soft and tender.
Prepare the filling: Remove the pan from heat. Stir in the fresh cheese sauce, snipped chives, torn cooked chicken, milk, and Dijon mustard. Mix everything thoroughly to create a creamy filling.
Assemble the pot pies: Spoon the filling into small dishes or ramekins, filling each evenly.
Prepare the pastry tops: Roll out the shortcrust pastry on a lightly floured surface. Using a saucer or similarly sized round cutter, cut circles to fit the tops of your dishes. Place the pastry circles on top of the filled dishes, trim to fit, then crimp the edges to seal. Brush the top crusts with beaten egg to glaze.
Freeze option: If not baking immediately, cover the assembled pot pies and freeze for up to two months.
Bake the pot pies: Preheat your oven to 190°C (170°C fan) or gas mark 5. Place the pot pies on a baking tray and bake for 45 minutes until golden brown and bubbling.
Baking from frozen: If baking from frozen, preheat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan) or gas mark 7. Cover the pies with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Then reduce the oven temperature to 190°C (170°C fan) or gas mark 5, remove the foil, and continue baking for 45 minutes, removing foil during the last 30 minutes.
Serve: Serve the pot pies hot, accompanied by green vegetables if desired for a complete meal.

Notes

You can substitute the cooked chicken with leftover roast chicken or turkey if preferred.
For a vegetarian version, replace chicken with sautéed mushrooms or your favorite vegetable medley and use a vegetarian-friendly cheese sauce.
Make sure to seal the pastry edges well to prevent filling leakage during baking.
The pot pies can be assembled and frozen in advance for convenient meal prep.
Adjust baking times slightly if using larger or smaller ramekins.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes
Category: Main Course
Method: Baking
Cuisine: British

Keywords: chicken pot pie, leek pot pie, easy dinner recipe, comfort food, shortcrust pastry, creamy chicken pie