Mini Chicken Pot Pies

My first attempt at homemade "pot pie", and it's a winner. These came together easily, baked well, and were really tasty. The recipe calls for crème fraiche but I used sour cream instead - melted right into the mixture and still gave it that tangy taste like crème fraiche. Not to mention, it was tons cheaper. Super awesome.

Mini Chicken Pot Pies

Ingredients:

5 bacon slices

1 ½ c. chopped onion

12-oz. peeled whole baby carrots (about 2 ½ c.)

1 8-oz. package trimmed haricots verts (I used 8oz. of frozen French-cut green beans, thawed)

4 tsp. chopped fresh marjoram

1 ¾ c. low-salt chicken broth

2/3 c. crème fraiche (or sour cream)

1 Tbsp. cream or milk

3 c. cooked chicken meat, diced or coarsely shredded

1 sheet frozen puff pastry (half of 17.3-ounce package), thawed

Preheat oven to 450 F. Cook bacon in heavy large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Drain on paper towels. Chop bacon. Add onion to drippings in skillet; sauté until tender and golden, about 8 minutes. Add next 3 ingredients; stir 1 minute. Add broth; bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-high and boil until vegetables are almost tender and some liquid is reduced, about 8 minutes.

Add Chicken and bacon to the pan, and bring to a simmer. Season with pepper. Remove pan from heat, and stir in 2/3 cup crème fraiche (or sour cream). Divide among four 2-cup soufflé dishes.

Unfold puff pastry onto work surface; roll out to 12-inch square. Cut into 4 equal squares. Top filling in soufflé dishes with pastry; fold edges down onto rims of dish. Brush top of crusts (not edges) with tablespoon of milk/cream. Cut small "X" in center of crusts; pierce all over with fork. Bake until crusts are golden brown and filling is heated through, about 22 minutes.

**You can also make one large pot pie. Place the filling in a 9-inch-diameter deep-dish pie dish. Set the 12-inch pastry square over the filling, then fold down the edges onto the rim. Baking time will still be about 22 minutes.