Mini Pot Pies are a delightful twist on traditional pies, offering a perfect pocket-sized indulgence. To Karalyn Smith of The Mini Pie Box, the beauty of pie crust lies in making it your own. Her recipe for her pocket-sized, deep-dish, English-style savory pies is based on her mother’s. “Over time, plus a bunch of research, I’ve borrowed from the best practices of others that morph into my own,” she says.
“I think everyone’s recipe and process yields their own over time. Especially since it’s so easy to sway a pie crust one way or another. It’s a little bit of a science,” she says.
The Mini Pie Box may be a small business, but Smith’s flavors are big. Smith, nicknamed the “Mini Pie Madam” by her loyal followers, spices up her crust with fillings. She makes a veggie curry one, which you can find the recipe for below, bursting with coconut and bright red curry. Then she has her spicy chicken, which adds a kick of spice to the classic chicken pie. Though the canning process can be tedious, it’s worth tasting Smith’s hot pepper chutney – briny, salty, and peppered with perfect heat.
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Mini Pot Pies
Description
A perfect size for individual servings.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1/2 cup salted butter
- 1 large Yukon gold potato, cubed
- 5 fresh garlic cloves, peeled and minced
- 1 large red onion, diced
- 1–2 fresh rosemary sprigs
- 3/4 tsp Diamond Crystal salt
- 3/4 tsp pepper
- 3 cups water
- 1 medium habanero pepper, minced
- 1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breast
- 2–3 fresh thyme sprigs
- 1 chicken bouillon cube
- 2–3 carrots, diced
- 2–3 stalks of celery, diced
- 1 cup peas
- 1/2 tsp of celery seed
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1½ cups whole milk
- 1 egg
Instructions
- Add 2 tablespoons of butter, diced potatoes, 3 cloves of minced garlic, ¾ of diced onion, and 1 sprig of rosemary into a pot, and sauté on low to medium heat until potatoes begin to soften. Add salt and pepper to taste. (Note: Do not cook until they fall apart; they should still have firmness.)
- While potatoes sauté, add 3 cups of water, ¼ of diced onion, 2 garlic cloves, ½ a habanero, chicken breast, thyme sprigs, remaining rosemary, and bouillon cube to a large stockpot. Bring to a boil, then simmer on medium until chicken is cooked.
- Remove chicken from broth and coarsely shred. Set aside.
- Strain broth and put back into stockpot, adding carrots, celery, and peas. Cook on low until carrots are tender.
- In a separate pot, add the remaining butter and the remaining onion, garlic, and habanero, sautéing until onions are translucent. Add salt, pepper, and celery seed.
- Slowly incorporate the flour into the onion, garlic, and habanero mixture. Mix in until smooth. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Slowly incorporate milk, mixing to maintain a smooth texture. Once the milk is incorporated, slowly incorporate broth containing the carrots, celery, and peas.
- Incorporate potatoes and shredded chicken, and then allow the mixture to come to a simmer. Gently stir until all ingredients are incorporated and desired thickness is achieved.
- Remove from stove and allow the mixture to cool, then place in refrigerator until mixture is chilled, about 3 hours. (Note: Mixture must be fully chilled before pouring onto piecrust.)
- Combine egg with 1 tablespoon of water and whisk gently.
- Preheat over to 425 degrees.
For one 9-inch pot pie:
- Divide dough 60/40, and roll out into 2 discs.
- Place the larger disc into a 9-inch pie dish, leaving some excess dough on the edges, and pour in the chilled mixture. Paint the edges with egg wash, then place the second dough disc on top. Seal the edges using the preferred method.
- Gently brush the top piecrust with egg wash, then cut slits into the top piecrust to allow the pie to vent—place in preheated oven for 30 minutes until the crust is golden and the mixture bubbles.
For 12 mini pies:
- Divide the dough recipe into 3 equal parts. Divide 2 pieces into 6 equal portions, for 12 (30 grams each). Divide the remaining part into 12 equal portions (15 grams each).
- Roll out each portion of dough, and then place the larger discs into a standard muffin pan. Press firmly into place and equally divide the chilled mixture onto each crust.
- Paint the edges with egg wash, then place the second dough dish on top. Seal the edges using the preferred method.
- Gently brush the top pie crust with egg wash, then cut slits to allow the pie to vent. Place in preheated oven for 12-15 minutes until the crust is golden and the mixture bubbles.
Veggie Curry Pot Pie
Description
Vegetarian food doesn’t have to be boring, especially when curry is involved.
Ingredients
Scale
- 6 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 tsp of Diamond Crystal salt
- 1 medium red onion, diced
- 3 inches fresh ginger, minced
- 3–4 fresh garlic cloves, peeled and minced
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, diced
- 2–3 carrots, diced
- 1 medium habanero pepper, minced
- 4–5 assorted bell peppers, diced
- 5–6 tbsp of your favorite vegetarian red curry paste
- 2 13.5-oz cans of coconut milk
- 1 ½ tbsp of brown sugar
- 3 tbsp of flour
- 1 egg
Instructions
- Add 4 tablespoons of the coconut oil and then follow with salt, onion, ginger, garlic, sweet potatoes, carrots, and habanero to a pot, and sauté the mixture on medium-low heat until carrots and sweet potatoes begin to soften.
- Add bell peppers and continue to sauté until peppers begin to soften.
- Stir in curry paste until evenly distributed, then incorporate coconut milk and brown sugar, stirring until brown sugar is dissolved.
- Bring the mix to a gentle simmer and cook until sweet potatoes and carrots can be pierced with a fork.
- In a smaller pot, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of coconut oil on low and add the flour to form a roux. Allow the roux to cook for 2 minutes, stirring continuously.
- Using a measuring cup, take a heaping cup of the curry mixture. Pour ¼ cup into the roux and stir until a smooth paste forms. Slowly add the other ¾ cup of curry mixture, stirring continuously.
- Slowly incorporate the flour mixture into the vegetable curry pot, stirring continuously until fully incorporated.
- Bring mixture to a simmer, stirring continuously to allow the mixture to thicken and for vegetables to reach the desired consistency.
- Remove from stove and allow the mixture to cool, then place in refrigerator until mixture is chilled, about 3 hours. (Note: mixture must be fully chilled before pouring onto piecrust.)
- Combine egg with 1 tablespoon of water and whisk gently.
- Preheat over to 425 degrees.
For one 9-inch pot pie:
- Divide dough 60/40, and roll out into 2 discs.
- Place the larger disc into the 9-inch pie dish, leaving some excess dough on the edges, and pour in the chilled mixture. Paint the edges with egg wash, then place the second dough disc on top. Seal the edges using the preferred method.
Recipe by Karalyn Smith
Story by Maggie Weaver
Photography by Dave Bryce
Styling by Keith Recker
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