Halloween: Individual Chicken Pot Pies with Puff Pastry

Note: using the reserved drippings will result in a thinner gravy. If you prefer a thicker gravy, omit entirely.

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Rub chicken with olive oil and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Place chicken in a baking dish and roast for 40–60 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken breasts. Chicken is done when cut into the thickest part and juices run clear.

When fully cooked, remove from the oven and let cool completely. When cool enough to handle, discard skin and bones and chop meat into small chunks. Leave oven on.

Meanwhile, heat a Dutch oven or medium sauce pot on medium-high heat. Add butter until melted. Once melted, add in onion and continue to cook until onion is fragrant and slightly translucent. Add carrot and celery. Place the lid on for 2–3 minutes and allow vegetables to sweat.

Once veggies have softened slightly, add flour to the pot, whisking constantly to create a well-distributed roux. Pour in the chicken stock and continue to whisk, scraping up any browned bits at the bottom. Add in parsley, chicken drippings, cream, thyme and bay leaf. Season the mixture with salt and pepper to suit your taste.

Bring mixture to a rolling boil and immediately turn down to a simmer. Mixture should be thick. Allow to simmer for 5 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and add in diced chicken. Separate the mixture into four individual ramekins that have been sprayed with cooking spray.

While the mixture is boiling/simmering above, cut puff pastry with Halloween cookie cutters. (If you are not interested in using Halloween cookie cutters, you could use the top of a coffee can to create little circles.) You may need 1–2 cutouts per serving, depending on the size of your dishes. Brush each cutout with the beaten egg. Place on a cookie sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray and bake for 7–10 minutes until browned.

Immediately top each ramekin with pastry and serve.