Mini Chicken Pot Pies with Cornbread Topping
These little chicken pot pies are everything I want once cozy dinner season rolls around: creamy chicken and vegetables tucked into a flaky pie crust and topped with a golden cornbread biscuit. They feel a little nostalgic, a little extra, and somehow way more fun because everyone gets their own!
The cornbread topping is the best part. Instead of a traditional second pie crust, you get a buttery, slightly sweet cornbread layer that soaks up a little of that creamy filling underneath while staying golden on top.
Tips & Tricks
Make the filling thicker than you think. The vegetables and chicken release a little moisture while everything bakes. Your filling should look like a thick gravy going into the pie, not chicken soup.
Rotisserie chicken is your friend. This is exactly the kind of recipe where there's no prize for cooking your chicken from scratch. Leftover roasted or smoked chicken works beautifully, too.
Let the filling cool a little before assembling. Putting piping-hot filling directly into your pie crust can start melting the butter in the dough before it ever reaches the oven.
Don't overmix the cornbread. Stir only until you don't see big streaks of dry flour. A few little lumps are completely fine. Overmixing can give you a tougher topping.
Watch the cornbread, not just the clock. Mini pie dishes vary dramatically in size and depth. You're looking for a deeply golden top and bubbling filling.
Put them on a sheet pan. Even if you're convinced yours won't bubble over. Especially if you're convinced yours won't bubble over.
Protect your crust. If the exposed pie crust edges are browning faster than the cornbread, loosely cover the edges with foil for the last portion of baking.
Preparing the mini pies with flaky crust!
My sourdough pie crust makes two large crusts, or 6 minis!
Roll out the pie dough and cut circles slightly larger than your mini pie dishes or ramekins. Gently press the dough into the bottom and up the sides of each dish.
You don't have to make them perfect. In fact, the slightly rustic edges are part of what makes these so good.
Divide the chicken filling evenly between the crusts, leaving a little room at the top for the cornbread.
Make the Cornbread Topping
Whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt.
In a separate bowl, whisk the buttermilk, egg, and melted butter. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir just until combined.
Make Them Ahead
These are great for prepping earlier in the day. Make the chicken filling, let it cool, and refrigerate it separately. You can also prepare your pie crusts in the ramekins and keep them refrigerated.
When dinner gets close, fill the crusts, add the cornbread topping, and bake.
How to Serve Them
They're pretty much an entire meal tucked into one little dish, so you don't need much alongside them. A simple green salad, roasted Brussels sprouts, green beans, or roasted broccoli would be plenty.
But really? Pot pie + cornbread + butter. Dinner is handled.
Fun Variations
Once you have the basic recipe down, this is an easy one to play with. Try leftover Thanksgiving turkey instead of chicken, add corn to the filling, mix cheddar into the cornbread, add a little sage or rosemary, or brush the cornbread with honey butter right after it comes out of the oven.
That last one with the savory chicken filling would be very good.
Mini Chicken Pot Pies with Cornbread Topping
Courntey Moody
6
20 minutes
50 minutes
450
American
Dinner
These little chicken pot pies are everything I want once cozy dinner season rolls around: creamy chicken and vegetables tucked into a flaky pie crust and topped with a golden cornbread biscuit. They feel a little nostalgic, a little extra, and somehow way more fun because everyone gets their own!
The cornbread topping is the best part. Instead of a traditional second pie crust, you get a buttery, slightly sweet cornbread layer that soaks up a little of that creamy filling underneath while staying golden on top.
Ingredients
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2 tablespoons butter, divided
1 small yellow onion, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups chicken broth
¾ cup whole milk or half-and-half
2 ½ cups cooked shredded chicken
¾ cup frozen peas
½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
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1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 tablespoons granulated sugar or honey
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 large egg
¼ cup melted butter
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
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In a large skillet over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the diced onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté until the vegetables soften, about 5-7 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir to coat. Cook for 2 minutes to eliminate the raw flour taste.
Slowly pour in the chicken broth and whole milk (or half-and-half), stirring constantly until the mixture thickens, about 3-4 minutes. Add the shredded chicken, frozen peas, dried thyme, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Mix well and remove from heat.
Roll out the pie crust or homemade dough. Using a round cutter, cut out circles to fit your mini pie dishes (about 4-5 inches in diameter).
Place the dough circles into the mini pie dishes, pressing them gently into the bottom and up the sides. Fill each crust with the chicken mixture, leaving a little space at the top.
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In a separate bowl, combine the yellow cornmeal, all-purpose flour, baking powder, sugar (or honey), and salt. Whisk until well combined. Add the buttermilk, egg, and melted butter, stirring until just combined.
Spoon the cornbread batter over the filled chicken pot pies, smoothing it out as needed.
Place all of your pie pans on a baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until the cornbread topping is golden brown.
Cover the tops with tin foil and bake for an additional 15 - 20 minutes to finish cooking the crust but not burning the cornbread.
When your pies are done, slather with butter and enjoy warm!
