pretty poultry purses

Chicken pot pie purses. Chicken pot pie is very near the top of my list for of favorite comfort foods of all time.

You'd know that even without me telling you because I've posted many renditions of it on this blog, including classic, free-form, cobbler-esque, turnover-style, and even one with a barbecue twist. While it would be impossible to pick a favorite, I can't deny that puff pastry is a magical creation that somehow makes everything better, and that's what inspired these purses.

I made my standard chicken pot pie filling with a tad less liquid, and then I divided it among squares of puff pastry that had been draped over a standard muffin tin hole. Pinch the edges together to form a purse and bake away! It couldn't be easier and delivers all the comfort you crave from a chicken pot pie in a cute little package.

Some tips for making these as wonderful as possible:
*Fill the cups higher than you think you should. Everything will shrink a little in the oven and you want a full purse of goodies at the end!
*Squeeze and pinch the puff pastry together well before baking. You'll probably get some oozing anyway, but this will help keep the insides on the inside!
*The egg wash is key for a nice brown crust. I like to sprinkle some finishing salt on the top, but then again, I'm obsessed with salt.
*Let your filling mixture cool a bit before trying to load it into the cups--that's a good way to get a soggy bottom!
*Spray your muffin tin well. Duh.
*Eat immediately!

Chicken Pot Pie Purses
(printable recipe)

Makes 12 purses
Ingredients:

• 2 sheets puff pastry, thawed
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1-1/2 cups cubed cooked boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 1 onion, diced 1 celery rib, thinly sliced
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 1/2 cup frozen corn
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 cup milk
• Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
• 1 egg, for brushing

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and spray a muffin tin with nonstick spray.
Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat.
Sauté onion, celery, and carrots until softened, about 10 minutes.
Add peas and corn; sauté 3 minutes.
Add thyme and chicken and remove the mixture from the skillet.
Sprinkle flour over veggies and chicken, mix well, and pour the milk while stirring.
Add salt and pepper and keep stirring for a couple of minutes, until liquid is thickened. Take off heat.
Roll the puff pastry out to rectangles about 8x12" and cut into six 4x4" squares.
Gently place the pastry squares into the muffin cups.
Distribute the chicken pot pie filling evenly among the cups, then bring the edges of the dough together over the filling and press them together to seal.
Whisk the egg and brush every pot pie pocket top with the egg-wash.
Bake for 27-30 minutes, until browned and bubbly.