Haven't been cooking too many new things recently, but this was something I've been wanting to try ever since I found the recipe for a slightly sweet dough used for homemade pop tarts. I was initially told that the dough was far too salty for something that was supposed to be a sweet treat, so I doctored the recipe for those, as well as for these, because let's be honest, salty dough. Doesn't sound too appetizing, does it?
So here we have mini pot pies. Savory empanadas. Ripoff rissois. Whatever you'd like to call them. They were tasty and pretty filling despite being on the small side.
So here we have mini pot pies. Savory empanadas. Ripoff rissois. Whatever you'd like to call them. They were tasty and pretty filling despite being on the small side.
Dough
- 2 cups flour
- 3/4 Tbl. sugar
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter
- 2 large eggs
- 2 Tbl. milk
Insides
- 1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken
- 2 yellow potatoes, peeled & diced
- 1 large carrot, peeled & diced
- 1 cup shredded cheese of choice
- 1/8 Tbl. butter
- salt
- pepper
- garlic
- cayenne
- paprika
- parsley (optional)
- flour
- pot
- pastry blender
- rolling pin
- cookie sheet
- mixing bowls
Dough
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, and salt together. With the pastry blender, work the unsalted butter into the dry mixture until it has become small pea-sized morsels. Add one egg and milk and work with the pastry blender. Form the dough into two halves.
Flour the counter/workspace generously. Flour the rolling pin. Take one of the two halves and roll out into 1/8" thickness. What works best to cut these are small tupperware bowls. They shouldn't be too small in diameter. The smaller you make them, the less filling you will be able to put inside. Cut out the circles and set them aside, either in between sheets of wax paper to stop them from sticking, or on saran wrap. Refrigerate them, especially if it is warm out.
Filling:
Potatoes
Peel the potatoes and dice them into very small pieces. Throw them into a small pot with water just covering the tops with salt and pepper. Let the water boil until the potatoes become tender, but not so soft they crumble the moment they are touched. Strain excess water out and set aside in medium sized mixing bowl.
Carrots
Peel the carrot and dice them into very small pieces. In the same pot that you boiled the potatoes, add the carrots to a little bit of water and 1/8 Tablespoon of butter. You can add a couple pinches of parsley for added flavor, but it is not necessary. Let the water/butter combination boil until the carrots are more soft than hard, but not mushy. Strain the water and butter from the carrots and add them to the potatoes in the mixing bowl.
Chicken
In the same pot you boiled the potatoes and carrots, boil the chicken with salt and pepper until fully cooked. Shred into small pieces once done and add to the carrot and potato bowl.
Add salt, pepper, cayenne (not too much), garlic, paprika (very small amount), and mix in the bowl thoroughly. Let sit and cool. Remove the dough rounds from the refrigerator and let sit on the counter until workable. They should not be too stiff, otherwise in the folding process, they will not be as malleable.
Beat the second egg in a cup to use as a wash. Lay one dough round on a flat surface and coat the top side with the egg wash. Sprinkle shredded cheese of choice in a line in the middle of the flat. Spoon in the filling. Make sure it isn't overflowing. Fold the round in half and press firmly on the edges to close. It will be harder to make them stay closed if they are still very cold. Put a layer of egg wash on the top side of the pastry and set aside to finish the rest. When the top side has dried, flip over and brush the bottom with the wash.
Heat the oven to 400. Spray a cookie/baking sheet with Pam or similar cooking spray. Place finished pastries on the tray. They will not expand in any way, so feel free to pack the entire batch on if necessary. Let bake for 10-12 minutes on one side, then flip to finish baking for another 5-7 minutes. The outside shell should be a mix of the dough color and a nice golden-brown.
The filling is extremely hot so please be careful!
Note
The dough rounds do not have to be refrigerated, but as we're nearing summer months and the temperature is rising (especially in the kitchen!), it's easier to keep the dough from reacting. However, if the filling is made first, followed by the dough, there is no refrigeration necessary.
The grand total for this meal that made 12 mini pies is $4.27.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, and salt together. With the pastry blender, work the unsalted butter into the dry mixture until it has become small pea-sized morsels. Add one egg and milk and work with the pastry blender. Form the dough into two halves.
Flour the counter/workspace generously. Flour the rolling pin. Take one of the two halves and roll out into 1/8" thickness. What works best to cut these are small tupperware bowls. They shouldn't be too small in diameter. The smaller you make them, the less filling you will be able to put inside. Cut out the circles and set them aside, either in between sheets of wax paper to stop them from sticking, or on saran wrap. Refrigerate them, especially if it is warm out.
Filling:
Potatoes
Peel the potatoes and dice them into very small pieces. Throw them into a small pot with water just covering the tops with salt and pepper. Let the water boil until the potatoes become tender, but not so soft they crumble the moment they are touched. Strain excess water out and set aside in medium sized mixing bowl.
Carrots
Peel the carrot and dice them into very small pieces. In the same pot that you boiled the potatoes, add the carrots to a little bit of water and 1/8 Tablespoon of butter. You can add a couple pinches of parsley for added flavor, but it is not necessary. Let the water/butter combination boil until the carrots are more soft than hard, but not mushy. Strain the water and butter from the carrots and add them to the potatoes in the mixing bowl.
Chicken
In the same pot you boiled the potatoes and carrots, boil the chicken with salt and pepper until fully cooked. Shred into small pieces once done and add to the carrot and potato bowl.
Add salt, pepper, cayenne (not too much), garlic, paprika (very small amount), and mix in the bowl thoroughly. Let sit and cool. Remove the dough rounds from the refrigerator and let sit on the counter until workable. They should not be too stiff, otherwise in the folding process, they will not be as malleable.
Beat the second egg in a cup to use as a wash. Lay one dough round on a flat surface and coat the top side with the egg wash. Sprinkle shredded cheese of choice in a line in the middle of the flat. Spoon in the filling. Make sure it isn't overflowing. Fold the round in half and press firmly on the edges to close. It will be harder to make them stay closed if they are still very cold. Put a layer of egg wash on the top side of the pastry and set aside to finish the rest. When the top side has dried, flip over and brush the bottom with the wash.
Heat the oven to 400. Spray a cookie/baking sheet with Pam or similar cooking spray. Place finished pastries on the tray. They will not expand in any way, so feel free to pack the entire batch on if necessary. Let bake for 10-12 minutes on one side, then flip to finish baking for another 5-7 minutes. The outside shell should be a mix of the dough color and a nice golden-brown.
The filling is extremely hot so please be careful!
Note
The dough rounds do not have to be refrigerated, but as we're nearing summer months and the temperature is rising (especially in the kitchen!), it's easier to keep the dough from reacting. However, if the filling is made first, followed by the dough, there is no refrigeration necessary.
The grand total for this meal that made 12 mini pies is $4.27.
- dough ingredients 1.18$
- 1/2 lb. chicken 1.50$
- potatoes 67¢
- carrot 13¢
- cheese 79¢
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