Ingredients:
2 -4 sheets frozen puff pastry ( her original recipe called for 4, I felt 2 was plenty)
1 eggs, beaten
4 chicken breast halves ( or 2 cups leftover cooked chicken)
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1/3 cup butter
2/3 cup all-purpose flour ( or less ( see chef’s note in directions)
1 quart milk ( Paula’s recipe called for cream)
1/4 cup chicken base ( or less ( see chef’s note in directions)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 small yellow onions, minced
1 cup frozen green peas, cooked
1 cup chopped cooked carrots
1 pinch fresh grated nutmeg (optional)
Directions:
For Crust: Preheat oven to 350 F Cover large cookie sheet with parchment paper. Cut each sheet of frozen puff pastry into 1-inch strips long enough to cover each pie. On cookie sheet, weave strips into squares. (I made one large square to cover 8×8 casserole with pieces close together. As a result, it didn’t cook all the way through in the center.) Brush beaten egg onto each lattice square.
Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until pastry has risen and is a nice golden brown. (It should be cooked through at this stage). Set aside until ready to assemble pies.
For Filling: Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and saute until cooked through. Remove from heat and cut into chunks.
In a large saucepan melt butter and then slowly add flour, stirring until consistency of peanut butter, but do not brown like a roux. NOTE: You may not need all of the flour–stop with it is the right consistency–it may only take 1/4 cup. Slowly add cream and keep stirring.
Add chicken base (NOTE: here again you may not want to use all 1/4 cup–it may be too salty so use caution), garlic, and onion and stir until thickened.
Add cooked peas and carrots, nutmeg, if using, and cut up chicken. Remove from heat.
To serve fill 4 individual oven-proof bowls with chicken mixture and then top each with a pre-cooked lattice square.
Servings: 4-6
Time preparation: 20 min.
Time total: 50 min.