Winter is coming to Alberta, and I am surprised it has held off this long!  It has been a beautiful fall.  However with the shorter, darker, colder days I always find myself craving comfort food.  Given that both my fiancé and I try to live a healthier lifestyle, one of the major things I have undertaken is recreating these comfort foods as a lighter meal.  One of these is chicken pot pies because there is nothing better than a melt in your mouth, flakey topping with a rich and savory warm filling on a cold fall day. 

I love to create all my ingredients from scratch, when I have the time, but the reality of it is we don’t always.  This recipe is what I call a Weeknight Winner, because it utilizes already made and easy ingredients to create a delicious home cooked meal quickly. 

One note, I have heard rumors on the street that frozen light puff pastry sheets exists.  I hunted high and low for it to use in this recipe, but could not find anything in ye old Edmonton.  But if you have access to it, give it a try and let me know how it turns out!

For ingredients, you will need:

• 10 ounces (or approximately 2 large chicken breast) of raw boneless skinless chicken breast, chopped into small chunks
• 2 teaspoons of oil of choice (I used canola for this recipe)
• 2 cups of frozen mixed green peas, carrots, corn
• 1 284 ml can of light condensed cream of chicken soup
• 1/2 teaspoon of onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of mustard powder
• 1/4 teaspoon of curry powder
• 1/4 teaspoon of smoked paprika
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 sheet of puff pastry (light if you can find it)
• 1/4 cup of egg whites

First thing preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Then over medium heat, add your oil, then your chicken and season with a bit off salt and pepper.  Cook for approximately 10 minutes, moving around frequently, or until cooked and no pink remains and remove from heat. 

Add condensed soup mix, chicken, veggies, onion, garlic, mustard, curry and paprika to a medium sauce pot.  Bring this to a simmer over medium high heat, reduce to low and simmer for about 8 minutes to let flavors combine, or until the mixture is thick and hot.  Taste and season with salt and pepper accordingly.  Feel free to add a little bit extra of any of the spices if you want more distinct flavors, I always do a taste test and adjust to how I am feeling that day. 

Divide mixture in between 2 large oven safe ramekins or metal or tinfoil pie containers, around 6 inch diameter.  This will make two very hefty size pies perfect for an individual meal portion.  If you wish though, you could use smaller ramekins and make this into four small pies, along with splitting the puff pastry into four instead of two as it mentions below. 

Slightly roll out your puff pastry, following the instructions on the package.  As you are only using half the sheet, cut into half and set aside the other sheet or roll it back up to go back into the freezer.  With the half you have kept, cut into two and, if needed to fit over the pie shells, roll out a little bit with a pin.  Make sure your puff pastry is still cold while doing these steps as warm puff pastry is a nightmare to work with.  Lay over the top of the pie filling, gently pressing down the edges and cutting off any excess. 

Taking your egg white, brush the puff pastry with it.  Score an X into the middle of your pies using a knife.  Place on a baking sheet, and bake for 18 minutes, or until the puff pastry is puffed and slightly brown. 

Cool for a few minutes and enjoy!  I love to serve these with a light spring garden side salad, or a creamy cauliflower mash for the perfect warm fall meal.