A classic British savory pie in miniature form, these individual Chicken and Mushroom Pies are the epitome of comfort. Inside a perfectly flaky crust is a luscious chicken and mushroom filling that totally satisfies. This particular version is in honor of Harry Potter, since he enjoyed mini pies such as these throughout the books.
I originally made these mini chicken and mushroom pies in honor of Harry Potter's birthday, which is July 31st in case you're wondering! Harry and company eat an assortment of savory pies on the Hogwart's Express in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. This is a classic British pie which would likely have been included in the mix.
So what makes these pies so special? Well, they are similar to American chicken pot pies, but without the carrots, celery, peas, and optional potatoes. The filling is simple, focusing solely on the chicken and mushrooms, but is perfectly seasoned and super comforting.
These individual chicken and mushroom pies are SO GOOD! They're a great way to celebrate Harry Potter's birthday in the future. Or simply make them the next time you are looking for comfort on your plate. I particularly love that they are perfectly portioned, and each person gets their own mini pie to enjoy!
Ingredient notes
- Mushrooms: Although you could use white or brown mushrooms for these individual chicken and mushroom pies, I recommend using brown mushrooms such as cremini or baby portabella mushrooms. They have good flavor and are commonly available in many supermarkets.
- Chicken: I use chicken breasts or chicken tenders cut into bite size pieces for this savory pie filling. You could certainly use thighs if you prefer, but the filling is a bit lighter using white meat, which stays moist and tender in this preparation.
- Broth: Use canned or homemade chicken broth or chicken stock in the filling. You may even use chicken base diluted with water if you prefer.
- Thyme: One of the best herb pairings with poultry in my opinion is thyme. Dried thyme is easily accessible in the spice aisle of supermarkets, and will add great depth of flavor. Add it as is or gently crush it between your palms (rub your palms together) before adding to the filling to release even more flavor. If you dislike thyme you can easily omit it.
- Shortening: The pie crust for these individual pies uses a combination of cold butter and shortening for optimal flavor and texture. Many brands of vegetable shortening are hydrogenated (which is really bad for you). If you can, I recommend using non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening for this and any recipe calling for shortening.
How to make them
The first step is to make the dough. Add flour and salt to a mixing bowl and add cubes of cold butter and shortening. Use your fingers to cut the fats into the flour (basically squish them with your fingers until you have a crumbly mixture). Then slowly add cold water until the dough comes together. Form the dough into two discs and chill for at least a couple hours before rolling out.
Next, make the filling by sauteing chopped onions and mushrooms in oil until softened. Season and add a bit of flour, then whisk in chicken broth and cook until bubbly and thickened. Cool the filling completely before assembling the pies. You can even make the filling a day ahead of time, if desired.
Roll out each of the discs of chilled pie dough on a lightly floured surface, and cut into circles. You'll need 6 larger circles measuring about 6 ½-inches in diameter, and 6 smaller circles at 3 ¾-inches in diameter.
Cut a small wedge from one side of each of the large circles, and then fit the large circles into the cups of a jumbo muffin pan. Press the cut edges together to seal once the dough is fitted into the cup. This will keep you from having a rumpled piece of dough inside the cup.
Fill each cup with about ½ cup chilled chicken and mushroom filling. Brush the edges of the smaller circles with water and then seal them (wet side down) over the tops of the pies. Crimp the edges for a decorative flair!
Then brush the tops with egg wash and cut a few small vents.
Finally, transfer the pan to the oven and bake until golden and bubbly.
Remove the baked chicken and mushroom pies from the oven and use a small offset spatula to gently pop each of the pies out of the muffin cups. You could also carefully flip over the muffin pan onto a sheet pan or serving dish, but be cautious if you do this in case any of the pie tops are loose as it could cause leaks.
Please scroll to the bottom of the post for the full recipe (in a printable recipe card) including ingredient amounts and detailed instructions.
Expert tips
To freeze these mini chicken and mushroom pies let them cool completely, then wrap individually in plastic wrap, place into a freezer bag and freeze. Thaw completely in the refrigerator before reheating. Reheat them in a 350°F oven on a sheet pan until heated through (internal temperature should be 165°F).
Although pleating the edges of the pies is a beautiful decorative option, these pies are rather small and if you are a less experienced pie maker don't feel pressured to mimic the ones in the photos. For an easier crimping option carefully use the tines of a fork to go around the edges and seal the dough closed.
Now, what do you serve with them? For starters you can try a side of potatoes. Mashed, boiled, or roasted are all wonderful options. A green vegetable is highly recommended to balance out the starch and meat. Try steamed, roasted, or sautéed asparagus, broccoli, or green beans, boiled or sautéed green peas, or perhaps serve a fresh garden salad on the side.
More recipes for your Harry Potter party!
- Individual Beef and Mushroom Pies
- Bangers and Mash
- Rock Cakes
- Fizzing Whizzbees Chocolate Candies
- Pumpkin Pasties
- Pumpkin Juice
- Cherry Bakewell Birthday Cake
Other recipes you may like
- Chicken and Leek Pie
- Chicken and Mushroom Siu Mai Dumplings
- Three Mushroom Dumplings
- Chinese Stir-fried Oyster Mushrooms with Chicken
- Mushroom Gruyère Grilled Cheese
- Tom Yum Gai (Thai Hot and Sour Chicken Soup with Mushrooms)
- Braised Veal with Dried Mushrooms (Fricando amb Moixernons)
Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. You can also follow me on social media on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest!
Chicken and Mushroom Pies
Ingredients
Pie Crust:
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 ounces (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- ½ cup vegetable shortening chilled and cut into pieces (I use Spectrum non-hydrogenated shortening)
- ½ cup to ¾ cup cold water
Filling:
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms chopped
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts or tenders, diced into ¼-inch pieces
- 1 egg beaten
Instructions
- To make the dough: Stir the flour and salt together in a large bowl. Add the butter and shortening pieces and toss to coat with the flour, then flatten the butter and shortening pieces between your fingers until there are pea-sized pieces of butter and shortening throughout the flour. Sprinkled ½ cup of cold water over the mixture, and gently use a rubber spatula or bowl scraper to hydrate the flour until the mixture sticks together. Add more water by the tablespoonful as needed until the dough holds together. Divide the dough in half, form into two disks, and wrap each disk with plastic wrap. Chill at least two hours or preferably overnight.
- To make the filling: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and mushrooms and cook until softened. Season with salt, pepper, and thyme, then sprinkle the flour over and mix with a wooden spoon until combined. Slowly pour in the chicken broth while stirring. Cook until the mixture thickens (it will continue to thicken as it bakes). Add the chopped chicken breast, stir, and bring to a simmer. Continue to cook for 5 to 10 minutes until chicken is cooked through and broth is thick. Adjust seasoning as needed. Remove from the heat, transfer to a bowl or container and cool completely. You can do this step a day ahead of time, and refrigerate the filling until needed.
- To assemble and bake: Preheat the oven to 425°F. Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator. On a generously floured surface roll out each of the discs to about ⅛-inch thickness (it will be easier to cut the large circles if you aim for a 7-inch wide rectangle instead big circle like you’d normally do for a large pie). You will need to cut out 6 larger circles measuring about 6 ½-inches in diameter, and 6 smaller circles at 3 ¾-inch in diameter. For the larger circles you can trace a knife around a plate or saucer. For the smaller circles, use a circular dough cutter or trace the top of the glass. You will likely need to re-roll the scraps from both disks of dough one or more times in order to cut out enough circles.
- Cut a small wedge from one side of each of the large circles, and then fit the large circles into the cups of a jumbo sized muffin pan. Press the cut edges together to seal once the dough is fitted into the cup. This will keep you from having a rumpled piece of dough inside the cup, and you’ll want those removed bits of dough for your scrap pile to re-roll later. You can also patch up with scraps of dough as needed if you accidentally cut the wedge too deep.
- Fill each of the dough-lined muffin cups generously will the filling, about ½ cup into each. Take the smaller dough circles and brush the edges with a little water, then lay the smaller circles over the filling, and use your fingers to press and seal the dough. Crimp the edges if you’d like. Brush the tops of the pies with the egg wash, and use a sharp knife to cut a few slits to form vents.
- Bake for 15 minutes, then lower the oven temperature to 350°F, and continue baking another 30 to 35 minutes until golden and bubbly. Remove from the oven and use a small offset spatula to gently pop each of the pies out of the muffin cups. You could also carefully flip over the pan onto a board or small sheet pan, but beware of leaks if any of the pie tops are a little loose.
Notes
- To freeze: Cool pies completely, then wrap individually in plastic wrap, place into a freezer bag and freeze. Thaw completely in the refrigerator before reheating. Reheat them in a 350°F oven on a sheet pan until heated through (internal temperature should be 165°F).
- Serving suggestions: If desired, serve these pies with a side of potatoes. Mashed, boiled, or roasted are all wonderful options. A green vegetable is highly recommended to balance out the starch and meat. Try steamed, roasted, or sautéed asparagus, broccoli, or green beans, boiled or sautéed green peas, or perhaps serve a fresh garden salad on the side.
- Inspired by the Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook. They are basically an entirely different recipe. The quantities in the filling (more than doubled), the sizes of the dough circles, and cooking times have all changed from the original.
Nutrition
*All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.*
Cindy
Hi there,
I am going to make these for Christmas. The description is clear, now all I have to do is make them pies look good and taste delicious.
Can I make them one or two days in advance, without freezing them?
I will surely let you know how it all went.
Wishing you a wonderful Christmas.
Victoria
Hi Cindy!
I bet these little pies will be a real treat on your Christmas menu! I'm sure you could bake them a day in advance and reheat them in the same way I suggest to reheat the frozen ones. If you want to spread out the work a bit more too, you could even make the dough and filling 2 days in advance, bake them 1 day in advance, and then reheat them on Christmas. I hope this helps!
Camille
These are so delicious. I could really go for one right about now!
Mary Kabakian
What a great comforting recipe, perfect for colder months when you want a cozy meal.