These chicken pot pie hand pies are THE answer to busy evenings on the go. Delightfully comforting and filling (and buttery omg), they’re divine eaten in a minivan (or, you know, at a dinner table).
The whole “just wait” thing always annoyed me. No matter what phase of life I was in, there was always someone right there, just waiting to tell me to, well, just wait.
Oh, you think having a newborn is expensive? Just wait…
Oh, you think having a stubborn 3-year-old is rough? Just wait…
Oh, you think you’re busy now with a toddler? Just wait…
Except they were right every dang time, which just makes me more annoyed. Every dang time, but especially about getting busier every single year. Nowadays, I eat at least half of my dinners outside of my own home, usually at some sporting event or in my car, which is very sad for a food-motivated person.
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But I decided — why fight it? Let’s lean into this season and figure out systems that work for us. My series Dinner on the Go is just for this time. For busy families during a super busy back-to-school period.
This one is as on the go as it gets—it’s freaking delightful eaten in the car, blasting Hamilton as you fly down the interstate to get to whatever match or game or rehearsal your kid has lined up.
It couldn’t get simpler, either: it’s a chicken pot pie tucked into a hand pie, made easily, stored easily, eaten easily. I love her so much.
Notes: You can make these with two discs of pie crust or one per pie, folded over into a half-moon shape. I prefer the two-disc method because pie crust is a “more is better” thing for me, but half moons are perfect, too. If you go double crust, you’ll want to double your pie crust (Revolutionary, I know), or else you’ll have looooads of filling left over.
Chicken Pot Pie Hand Pies
Makes 10-12 hand pies (half-moon style) or 5-6 (double-crust, from 1 box)
Prep time: 30-40 minutes | Bake time: 20-25 minutes | Total time: ~55-65 minutes
Filling
3 cups cooked shredded chicken (rotisserie works great)
3 tablespoons butter
1 small yellow onion, finely diced
2 medium carrots, finely diced
2 celery stalks, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups chicken broth
½ cup whole milk or heavy cream
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¾ teaspoon kosher salt (adjust depending on chicken)
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 cup frozen peas
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (optional)
Dough
1 box refrigerated pie crust (2 crusts) for half-moon hand pies, or 2 boxes (4 crusts) for double-crust rounds, or empanada discs for a great freezer option
A quick reminder on crust: this filling amount is built for the fold-over, half-moon style, where one crust circle wraps around the filling and seals into a crescent. One box (2 crusts) gets you there. If you’d rather do a true double-crust hand pie—one disc on the bottom, one on top, sealed like a mini pie instead of folded—you’ll need roughly double the dough, since each hand pie now uses two full circles instead of one. Two boxes total (4 crusts) will likely leave you with filling to spare in that style, so either scale up to 3-4 boxes, or just plan on a little extra filling for spooning over biscuits or baked potatoes later in the week.
Egg Wash
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
Melt the butter in a large skillet. Add the onion, carrots, and celery, and cook 5 to 6 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds more.
Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir for 1 minute. Slowly add the broth, whisking until smooth, then stir in the milk, poultry seasoning, thyme, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Simmer 3 to 5 minutes until thick like gravy.
Stir in the chicken, peas, and parsley. Let the filling cool slightly before assembling—warm filling means soggy pastry.
Cut the pie crust into 5 to 6 inch circles, or use empanada discs as is. For half-moon pies, add about ¼ cup filling to one half of each circle, then fold over and crimp the edges with a fork. For double-crust pies, add filling to the center of one circle, top with a second circle, and crimp the edges together.
Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, brush with egg wash, and cut a tiny slit on top of each.
Bake at 400°F for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown. Cool 10 minutes before eating.