These Creamy and Cheesy Mini Chicken Pies (Chicken Hand Pies) are a breeze to make, and they are so scrumptious! Almost like mini chicken pot pies, but with the added goodness of cheese!
These mini chicken pies are a delicious appetizer recipe, and they are perfect for game day, parties, and entertaining.
These mini chicken pies are perfect as a game day snack
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 Creamy and Cheesy Mini Chicken Pies (Chicken Hand 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 chicken hand pies 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 that’s why this wine when paired with these creamy, cheesy mini 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 chicken hand 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 mini 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 mini chicken 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 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!
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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!