I made some really yummy, really easy chicken pot pies the other night. I wanted to do a little twist on your typical pot pie recipe, so I used butternut squash and bacon. So. Good. (I will be honest, I had originally purchased the butternut squash as part of my fall decor, but then the healthy voice in my head suggested that I cook with it instead.)
These little chicken, bacon and butternut squash pot pies are totally delicious, but are very easy to make, including using Pillsbury Grands!® as the pie crust instead of making it from scratch. You can get them at Walmart, along with these super cute little ramekins from The Pioneer Woman’s line of dishware.
My boys scarfed these down and asked for more. You might want to make a double batch. A single batch is enough to make enough for six 4″ chicken pot pies.
For the filling:
- 6 chicken thighs (about 2 lbs)
- 1/2 large onion, diced
- 1 lb of bacon, chopped and fried crisp
- 1 butternut squash, peeled and diced into 1/2″ cubes
- 1 Tbsp fresh sage, finely chopped (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
- chicken broth (2 – 3 cups)
For the gravy:
- 3 Tbsp butter
- 3 Tbsp flour
- salt & pepper to taste
Coat the bottom of a stock pot with a little olive oil or butter and saute the onions until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the chicken thighs and pour in enough chicken broth to just cover the thighs. Add water if you need to. Bring to a boil over high heat, then cover, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
While the chicken simmers, drizzle the butternut squash with a little olive oil, toss to coat then transfer to a baking sheet. Roast in a 375 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes. It should be fork tender but still have some texture.
Using a slotted spoon, remove the chicken and onion from the stock pot. Reserve the broth. Shred chicken into bite sized pieces and add to a bowl along with the cooked onion, fried bacon pieces, butternut squash and sage. Mix together and season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide filling mixture among the ramekins.
Melt butter in a medium sized stock pot or sauce pan, and begin whisking in the flour, a little at a time to make a roux. When the mixture looks like wet sand, slowly whisk in the reserved chicken broth. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and let simmer until it is thick and bubbly and becomes a gravy like consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Carefully ladle over the filling mixture.
Pop open the roll of Pillsbury Grands!® and place on top of the filled ramekin. (This is scary for some of us, but be brave… it’s worth it.) You may need to stretch the dough a bit to completely cover the top. Place the pot pies on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes or so at 350 degrees. Keep an eye on them – you want them nicely browned.
If you’d like, you can even sprinkle a little Parmesan cheese on top before putting the pies into the oven. Just a ‘lil extra flavor. Yum! Serve with a nice, crisp salad or just savor on their own.
These little chicken pot pies blend in some of the flavors of the fall season to create some yummy and hearty comfort food. Enjoy!
Something else to think about…. how much would these be great for leftover turkey while you’re trying to use up all of those Thanksgiving leftovers?! Happy fall, happy Thanksgiving!
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Pillsbury. The opinions and text are all mine.
Leave a Reply