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The food and drinks are just as important on game day as the game itself! Make game day extra scrumptious with these Mini Creamy and Cheesy Chicken Pies which are a breeze to make and taste even better with a glass of good Chardonnay!
Let’s be honest. I’m not a sports person. That’s not in my DNA. Never was. Game day is a concept that I’m still getting used to. And when they say opposites attract, they probably had Mr K and myself in mind, because he really is my polar opposite when it comes to sports. He puts the fanatic in fan. All that yelling and screaming at the TV during games must mean something to him, though for the life of me, I will not get it.
BUT, there’s one thing that I DO LOVE about game day! And this might come as a complete shocker – but I DO LOVE food, drinks and all the awesome entertainment that comes with it! 🙂
So this year, I am going all out with some quality game day snacks, like these pork sausage rolls, fried cheese balls and pigs in a blanket, paired with this amazing spicy sweet chili sauce! And for dessert I’ll be making this balsamic swirl lime cheesecake!
But first entry in my game day menu – these gorgeous Mini Creamy and Cheesy Chicken Pies! Creamy and cheesy chicken pie filling made with sour cream, cheese, leeks and herbs, all encased in a beautifully flaky puff pastry.
And put away that dipping sauce, because these bad boys are so flavourful, you don’t need anything else.
And with a snack this scrumptious, you need a good drink to go with it too. Which is why I paired these with this Woodbridge Chardonnay Wine!
I am and have always been a white wine girl. My choices usually go in this order – Chardonnay, Riesling, Sauvgninon Blanc, Pinot Gris. And in the complete absence of white, then I will take red. I am Kiwi after all, and we take our wines very seriously!
This Woodbridge Chardonnay is said to have notes of pear, green apple with vanilla and floral notes. I liked the sound of it so much that I bought two bottles of it. I also made this creamy coq au riesling dish with this wine, and it was just as sublime!
And here’s your daily dose of food science. Today’s lesson is on Chardonnays:
Chardonnay wines can be light bodied, medium bodied or full bodied. This depends on the age of the grape, and whether it was oaked, and how long it was oaked.
Chardonnays made with younger grapes tend to be crisp and light bodied, and have notes of citrus and green apple (like this Woodbridge Chardonnay wine).
Chardonnays made with ripened grapes tend to be more full bodied, and sweeter, and develop tropical fruit flavours such as pineapple, and mango.
Woodbridge Chardonnay has light crisp fruity flavours. But it also has a sweetness and subtle creamy notes (probably as a result of SOME of the wine going through the “Malolactic Fermentation” process – this is a process in winemaking where tart tasting malic acid is converted to softer tasting lactic acid through the action of bacteria. This process softens the acidity of the wine and makes it ‘creamy’) and a deep “oak finish” that comes through as vanilla! This is a result of the wine being oak-aged with yeast for 5-6 months. And the result of this entire process is that this Chardonnay has the depth and mouthfeel of a medium-bodied chardonnay but with taste notes of a light bodied chardonnay. It’s really very interesting and the result is very good.
It’s definitely a good afforadable wine, especially when paired with the right snacks!
This wine pairs well with chicken and seafood with fresh flavours and creamy sauces. Semi-sweet cheese goes well with it too. I used Monterey Jack cheese for these pies and combined it with sour cream. And it melts into the filling making it deliciously creamy and cheesy. 🙂 Some other cheese options would be Gruyere, Provolone and Fontina. Keep your tomato salsas and red meat dishes away from this wine however. Those flavours will be too overwhelming for this Chardonnay.
And THIS IS IMPORTANT – This Chardonnay (most Chardonnays) tastes better around 50-60°F (10-15°C), so let it warm up slightly after you remove it from the fridge. If it’s served colder than this (straight from the fridge), it will lose those fruity notes, making the wine taste flat and boring.
And that’s why this wine when paired with these creamy and cheesy chicken pies, is a match made in heaven! The pies are easy to put together, you can make them ahead of time and freeze, and then bake them on the day of the game (or party) and serve while they’re still hot. No need to slave over the stove, you can take part in the cheering and all the festivities along with your friends and family! 🙂
I made these gorgeous mini pies with my homemade quick and easy Rough Puff Pastry recipe. But you’re more than welcome to use store-bought puff pastry too.
You get plenty of filling for these cheesy chicken pies from this recipe, and it can even be halved. You can also make larger pies or triangle pies (cut into squares, add the filling in the middle, then fold over to create a sealed triangle) as well.
I personally prefer round ones, because they just look pretty and dainty. I cut out about 40 circles to make 20 pies. Don’t over fill the bottom circle, as you have to stretch the top pastry circle on top as to stretch over the filling. Seal the edges with egg wash, and brush the top with some egg wash too, so that you get beautifully golden-brown shiny mini pies with an unbelievably satisfying, creamy and cheesy chicken filling.
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Ingredients:
Creamy Chicken and Cheese Filling
- 3 tbsp butter
- ½ onion chopped
- 3 tbsp flour
- 1 lb chicken breast cut into ½ inch pieces
- 1 leek chopped and rinsed well
- 8 oz of Monterey Jack cheese shredded
- 4 oz sour cream
- ¼ cup half and half
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ½ tsp paprika
- 3 tbsp chopped chives
For the Pies
- 3 lbs of puff pastry you might end up with some leftover
- 2 small eggs beaten lightly with 1 tbsp of water egg wash
Instructions:
Creamy Chicken and Cheese Filling
- In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. When it's hot, add the chopped onions and saute until they become translucent.
- Sprinkle in the flour and mix well till you have a smooth paste. Cook the flour for a couple of minutes.
- Add the Leeks, ½ tsp salt, chicken, sour cream and half n half. Mix well and cook until the chicken is cooked through (about 20 minutes on my stove).
- Taste and add salt and pepper to your taste, along with paprika, chives, and shredded cheese. Mix and simmer on low heat for a further 10-15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let it cool.
Making the pies
- Preheat oven to 375°F/200°C. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Lightly dust your working surface with some flour. Roll out the puff pastry to about 2/8 of an inch thickness. If you are using puff pastry sheets, roll out the sheet as evenly as possible to about the same thickness.
- Using a 3 - 3.5 inch circle cutter, cut as many circles as you can (about 40-45).
- Brush the edge of one of the pastry circles with egg wash and place some cooled filling in the middle. Place the second pastry circle on top and press down along the edge with your fingers to seal. Next, crimp the edge using a fork.
- Optional - use the round cutter to cut cleanly and get neat edges.
- Place the pie on the baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the pastry circles. Leave about 1 inch of space between the pies on the baking sheet.
- Brush the top liberally with egg wash, and make two slits on the top to allow air to escape.
- Bake in preheated oven for about 20 minutes, or till the top is golden brown and puffed up.
- Serve warm.
“This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.”
The creaminess of the chicken filling complements the sweetness of the wine perfectly. The wine and the pies definitely enhance the flavour profiles of each other. Seriously, the more we had them together, the better they tasted together. The fruity, floral notes of the Chardonnay came through even stronger.
I cannot say enough good things about these mini creamy and cheesy chicken pies. Buttery, flaky puff pastry with cheesy chicken filling, there’s simply nothing that can go wrong with that. They are so addictive, and they are almost like mini chicken pot pies with the added goodness of cheese of course.
And if you’re anything like me, forget the big game, you’ll end up with a cheesy chicken pie in one hand and a glass of Chardonnay in the other, and that’s all the fun and games that you’re ever going to need.
If you’re looking for a vegetarian option – check out these Eggplant and Cheese Hand pies and these cheesy mini French onion pies!
So, what did we learn today?
If you come across a Chardonnay, now you can roughly guess what to expect from it depending on whether it’s oaked or unoaked. And you could probably sound like a wine whiz in front of your friends while you’re at it!
We should never serve wine “chilled”. It’s best served cold. The colder it gets, the more flavour you would lose.
Plus we learned how to make puff pastry at home (linked post)! Trust me, that’s an amazing trick to have up your sleeve!
And just to test out your knowledge – If you drink a Chardonnay with crisp fruity flavours, what type of grapes did they use to make that Chardonnay?
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Ana dos Santos says
Best pies ever !
Ian Macadam says
Good
Jb says
Great flavour! I think the cheese is what makes the difference!
Ended up switching to bigger sized pastry because the smaller cut outs couldn’t accomodate much filling at all!
LINDA says
Can I freeze these pies before cooking
Dini says
Hi Linda
Yes, you can freeze these pies before baking them. Make sure to prevent freezer burn, and also layer wax paper in between to prevent them from ticking to each other.
The baking time will change to accommodate cooking the pies all the way through from frozen.
I hope that helps
Kaydee says
Hi Dini..hello from Malaysia..looks like I’m 6 years too late in discovering this recipe! Made them for my kids’ school potluck and they loved it. I can whip this up in no time, its my go-to recipe. Thanks!
Heather Torrance says
I made this to put in my son’s school lunchbox, and he loved it so much that he asked me to make them for his birthday party! My husband and I really liked them, too. Thanks so much for the recipe!
Gwen Villasis says
What is half and half?
May I also have your recipe of pie crust?
Thanks
Dini says
Hi Gwen!
Half and half is cream that has about 18 – 19% fat content. You could mix half milk and half whipping cream to replicate it.
I also use puff pastry here, not pie crust. But you can find the recipe for puff pastry here.
Anka says
We definitely love this recipe. Thank you very very much
Kitty says
Seems like a great recipe, however what is half and half?
Len says
Truly delicious recipe. If you like chicken pies, these are truly outstandingly yummy!
Len says
Superb pies for the game! Tasted extra special after the Springboks won the Rugby World Cup 2019 and of course, thrashing the old enemy England.
Thanks for sharing this great recipe Dini!
Dave says
What is half and half with America we might basicly speak the same language but things in other country’s have different names thankyou for your time I’d like to try this recipie but just need a translation dave
Dini says
Hi Dave!
Half and half has a higher fat % than full cream milk, and less than whipping cream. It’s almost like it’s half milk, and half cream. As a rule of thumb, I mix 1/2 milk and 1/2 cream when I’ve run out of half and half at home. Hope that helps!
Kathy says
I have just found your delicious recipes and can’t wait to try them. One question: What is “half and half” in the ingredients list?
Dini says
Hi Kathy! Thank you so much 😀 Half and half is quite uniquely American I think! 🙂 “Half and half” milk is like half milk and half cream 🙂 Instead of half and half you can use full cream milk, or single pouring cream (non whipping cream) or a mixture of the two. I hope that helps!
Melissa says
Hi! Just found your website, and these look so delicious! I’m going to try them soon, but I was wondering about freezing them. Would you bake and then freeze, or freeze before baking? And would you wrap them in something, or carefully place them in a freezer bag? (I’m just worried about the dough sticking.) thanks!
Ruwani says
Hi Dini,
Love your blog 🙂 These chicken pies looks so delicious !
BTW Dini I just wanted to tell you that I found your chicken pie pics and the recipe used in another website. I am not sure whether you are aware of it. This is the link to the website
http://completerecipes.com/mini-creamy-and-cheesy-chicken-pies.html.
Hope this helps .
Nimshi says
hey, i was born in sri lanka and iv been living in nz for really long time, i just want to say that your recipes are really helpful for me because i have a passion in cooking but its mainly a hobby for me
Dini says
Hi Nimshi! I grew up in NZ too! 🙂 Thank you for your lovely comment! I am really glad that you follow my blog and find my recipes helpful 🙂 Would love it if you shared any photos of recipes you made from the blog!
Carey says
Question, could these be made the night before & refrigerated until ready to bake early morning for a brunch?
Dini says
Hi Carey!
Absolutely! But you have to let the filling completely cool down before making the pies. If the filling is too warm, it can soak into the pastry and make it soggy. These mini pies can even be frozen, and baked from frozen too! Then they will need to be baked for a longer time to make sure the pastry is nice and golden 🙂
sabnam says
I tried this recipe and it turned out amazing! This was my first time trying to make chicken pie and puff pastry from scratch. I got so many compliments on the cute mini pies. In this is definitely my go to recipe for both chicken pie and puff pastry.
Dini says
Thank you so much Sabnam! I am so glad that you loved the recipe and even happier that you made it all from scratch! 🙂 I am so honoured that this is your go to recipe for chicken pie and puff pastry! 😀
Michelle @ A Dish of Daily Life says
LOVE these, Dini! I could definitely go for these yummies on game day!
Kathryn @ Family Food on the Table says
Haha, I love the image of you cooking up a storm in the kitchen while your husband is yelling at the TV 😉 Depending on who is playing, it’s sort-of the same in my house! These handheld pies look amazing and yes, I will take a glass of wine, thank you very much! Cheers!
Diane says
I LOVE these! They look so flaky and delicious. I’m going to check out your puff pastry recipe too! Perfect game day food for sure. Or lunch box! #SaucySaturdays
Levan says
Look at the glaze on those pies! YUM!!!! Pinning this for future reference, thank you!
Claudia | Gourmet Project says
I feel the same about game days. And I’m keeping this recipe for this summer’s footbal europeans 😉
Annie @ Annie's Noms says
Love these!! And I love that they are mini because I’d be able to eat 3 and feel no guilt… right?!
Ramona W says
Wow! This sounds delicious! I would hide half of them in the kitchen and not share! 🙂
Ganu says
That looks amazing! I would gladly watch through a game if these were there 😛
HIlda says
These do look delicious. And thanks for the link to your puff pastry which I have copied for use.
AiPing | Curious Nut says
I never loved sports either… until I came to the US. I watched my first football game and I loved it! Not that I’m hooked but it’s really exciting to watch it. Maybe you will too…… sometime in the future. But for now, we can all enjoy game day food like these gorgeous pies.
Kathryn @ FoodieGirlChicago says
Individual servings are so great for entertaining. These would be perfect for a game day party!
Judi Graber says
These are perfect for any occasion – might have to make for the big game. Woodbridge chardonnay is one of my favorites.
arlene@arl's world says
They look perfect! Love the idea of these …yummy!
Kevin | Keviniscooking says
Oh my, these look incredible. Aren’t hand pies the best? Love this one Dini, have a great weekend.
Julie is Hostess At Heart says
I love every thing about this recipe, and just looking at a glass of wine ups the must have even more. This is the perfect comfort food for these cold days! Thanks for sharing Dini!
Wendy says
Such pretty little finger food filled with deliciousness!! This is my kind of grab-and-enjoy game day food (or any day food)! I really want to try your puff pastry recipe. So many possibilities. 🙂 Thanks, Dini!
Tara | Deliciously Declassified says
My kids love anything wrapped in puff pastry (who doesn’t?!). I think they’d love these – thanks for the recipe! Love the step-by-step GIF, too 🙂
Julia (@Imagelicious) says
Do you have any pies left? Can I come over for a couple of them right now? They look so good. And the photos are so beautiful!
Valentina says
From the dough to the flavors, this simply looks perfect!
Kelly@ Texas Type A Mom says
This looks so comforting and delicious – perfect food for watching the game! #client
Felesha says
Pure comfort in a pocket! Yummy! Yummy!
Michele Hall says
These are too nice to serve to my motley crew on game day….. No, seriously they are beautiful and sound so yummy!!
Meghan | Fox and Briar says
I am with you on the sports! I am totally in it for the food and drinks, the game? I can take it or leave it. And these mini pies are some fancy game day snacks! Totally perfect to go with white wine. I am a white wine fan also, but my preferences go in the opposite order of yours! Pinot Gris is my #1 – these delicious pies are the perfect compliment!
Marsha | Marsha's Baking Addiction says
I love chicken pies, and I LOVE hand pies! Perfect for dinner, and a grab-n-go snack!
Christine | Mid-Life Croissant says
Girl you do a classy game day. I want to not watch the game at YOUR house!!!!! Loved reading about the fermentation process. I used to be a strictly red gal but in the last two years I am loving me some white wine.