Looking for a great freezer-friendly one-dish dinner idea? After the popularity of my sister Olivia’s Easy Individual Mini Meat Lasagna recipe post, I asked her if she would create another freezer-friendly individual serving recipe for you all.
This recipe is great for when you need a quick dinner for one or two people or when you are wanting a yummy lunch to take with you to work or school.
These can be reheated in the oven or microwave and are very portable! Also, feel free to experiment with different vegetables or meat in the filling! Enjoy! -Crystal
Easy Individual Chicken Pot Pies {Freezer-Friendly!}
Pie Crusts:
- 3 cups flour
- 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
- 2 sticks butter, softened
- 10 Tablespoons water, room temperature
Filling:
- 9 Tablespoons butter
- 9 Tablespoons flour
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups milk
- 1 Tablespoon minced onion
- 1 package frozen mixed vegetables (16 ounces)
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 cups cooked chicken, cubed
To prepare crusts:
Mix together flour and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender until mixture resembles course crumbs. Add water, and mix with a fork. Using your hands, press pastry together to form a ball. Set aside.
To prepare filling:
Melt butter in saucepan. Using a wire whisk, stir in flour and salt. Add milk. Cook until smooth and thickened, stirring continuously. Remove from heat, and stir in remaining filling ingredients.
To assemble pies:
Place 1 cup of filling into 6 mini greased pie pans. Roll pie crust to 1/8-1/4 thickness. Cut out 6 circles. (I divided the dough into thirds and cut two circles out at a time using a pan lid.) Place circles over filling. If desired, flute edges. Cut slits in pastry, and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, uncovered. Let cool, cover pies securely with foil, and freeze.
To reheat:
Place frozen, covered pot pies into UN-preheated oven. Heat the oven to 350 degrees, and cook for 30 min to 1 hour or until heated through.
OR, you can also reheat them in the microwave! Pop a pie out of the foil pan, and place on a microwave-safe dish. (You may need to slightly thaw the pot pie if it won’t slip out of the pan.) Microwave on high for about 5 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
Note: For easier handing and to prevent oven spills, cook pot pies on a baking sheet.
Yields: 6 Mini Pot Pies
{Recipes for pie crust and white sauce adapted from Meta Given’s Modern Encyclopedia of Cooking and More-with-Less cookbooks.}
So this is a freezer friendly meal, do you cook before you freeze them then?
Yes! 🙂 -Olivia, MSM Team
Cooking in the oven for 30-60 minutes is a very large range. Do you have a narrower bake time you can recommend now that this post is many years old?
I am so happy to try this; thank you for sharing!
You’re so welcome! Let us know how they turn out! -Jordan, MSM Team
Does the crust brown and get crispy in the microwave?
I am soo excited to try this thank you for sharing!!!!
You’re so welcome!! -Meg, MSM Team
How long do these last in the freezer?
Could you include a bottom crust? My favorite pot pie recipe sounds almost exactly like this but the big pie is way too much for one person. I’d love to try this but I do like the bottom crust as well.
With the salt in the pie crusts, is that 5.5 tsp or 11 & 1/2 tsp?
Sorry about that! It’s one and a half teaspoons. We just updated it. 🙂 Thanks for pointing that out! -Meg, MSM Team
Can these pot pies be put in the freezer before baking? If so what do you think is the best way to bake – thawed or frozen?
Hi, Nancy! I’ve actually never tried to freeze the pot pies before baking, so I’m not sure. I assume it would work! Probably it would be best to thaw them before baking if they’ve been frozen uncooked. If you try it, let me know how it turns out! -Olivia, MSM Team
I know it’s a little more costly, but the bigger 6 ” pans, which are reusable. End up being a fuller meal and are cheaper. Just a comment from a late comer to baking, often frustrated but getting there.😊
Thank you so much—these are definitely in our family’s future! 🙂 And what kind of tool made those beautiful slits in the top?
Hi, Kimberly! I used a wavy knife to make the slits! It’s a fun kitchen tool to have. 🙂 -Olivia, MSM Team
Looking forward to trying out the pie crust. Thanks for sharing.
You’re welcome, Cathy! I hope you enjoy it! -Olivia, MSM Team
Cook the chicken first or mix it in raw?
Cook it first.
Hello, Shannon! Emily is correct: the chicken should be cooked first! Thanks for pointing that out–we got it changed in the recipe. 🙂 -Olivia, MSM Team
Where do you buy your mini pie pans?
Hi, Emily! I bought the pie pans at a local grocery store (Dillons). You might be able to find them at Walmart, too! -Olivia, MSM Team
Try Dollar Tree. They have all kinds of mini pans. Way cheaper.
I found a pack of 50 for $10.00 amazon
Can you post a link for the pans ?
These are the ones I got from Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01EIPUX4U?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title