This chicken and leek pot pie is a creamy individual pot pie made with chicken breast, leek, mixed vegetables and Greek yogurt (to make it creamy without the cream). It works especially well as a freezer meal because the filling can be made ahead, cooled, portioned, then topped with pastry when you are ready to bake.
Unlike store-bought freezer pot pies, this version gives you control over the protein, vegetables and sauce. It is still cosy and comforting, but it is made without heavy cream (I use Greek yogurt like in my creamy beef stroganoff) and uses frozen vegetables so you do not have to chop your entire fridge.
I've always been a little reluctant making pot pies because of the effort - you have to cook, then cool, then add the pastry and then cook again. I did try shortcutting a couple of times, but if you add the pastry onto warm filling you're left with a soggy middle. You could put the pastry separately in the oven and just pop it on top, but it doesn't really have the same vibe.
After testing a couple of times, and really focusing on how it works in the freezer, I realised that it's actually worth the little extra effort because extras freeze and reheat well. Especially because having them as individual pies means that if I feel like this and my partner doesn't, I only have to grab one out.
TL;DR
- Servings: 4 (approx. 1.5 cups mixture per pie)
- Prep time: 5 minutes Cook time: 15 + 25 minutes Cooling time: 2 hours
- Meal prep: you can prep the filling ahead of time and cook fresh with the puff pastry each night.
- Fridge storage: 3-4 days
- Freezer storage: 3 months (without puff pastry)
- Reheating: Reheat in oven or air fryer to keep puff pastry puffy
- Customise: Instead of cooking the chicken, use cooked shredded or chopped chicken. You can also swap the mixed vegetables depending on what is already in the freezer.
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Why you'll love this recipe
Individual. I really do not like sharing, so these are mini pot pies instead of one big chicken pot pie - I do the same with my marry me chicken orzo by baking in individual containers
Freezer friendly. Having them as single serves makes them defrost and cook faster (because who has the time to wait)
Creamy chicken. This has creamy chicken filling without heavy cream, similar to my creamy mushroom chicken.
Make ahead. The filling needs to cool before baking anyway, so it makes sense to prep it ahead and let the fridge or freezer do its thing.
Ingredients
Chicken breast. Chicken breast keeps this higher in protein and works well whether you cook it from raw in the filling or use leftover roast chicken, rotisserie chicken or slow cooker shredded chicken.
Chicken stock. The more flavourful your chicken stock, the more flavourful the pot pie mixture will be, so use homemade chicken stock if you have it or a lower-salt store-bought stock so you can control the seasoning.
Leek. Use the white part only, remove the tough outer layer, then slice it lengthways and rinse between the layers because leek loves hiding dirt like it is being paid to do it.
Spring vegetable soup mix. This adds vegetable pieces, onion powder, garlic powder and seasoning in one easy step, which makes the filling taste like you did more work than you did.
Greek yogurt. Greek yogurt replaces heavy cream and gives the filling a creamy texture with a little tang, which balances the richness and makes it more suitable for meal prep.
White wine vinegar. White wine vinegar adds acidity so the filling tastes balanced instead of flat and heavy.
Mixed vegetables. Frozen mixed vegetables keep this easy, affordable and meal prep-friendly because you can add them straight into the filling without chopping more things - I do this for dishes like my curried beef mince as well.
Puff pastry. Store-bought puff pastry keeps this simple and convenient, and it works best when added to cooled filling just before baking.
Substitutions and variations
Chicken breast. You can use cooked chicken instead of raw chicken breast; add it at the same time as the Greek yogurt toward the end so it warms through without drying out.
Greek yogurt. You can substitute cooking cream or sour cream, but they can be more prone to splitting when reheated, especially if the filling gets too hot.
Spring vegetable soup mix. If you do not have spring vegetable soup mix, use onion flakes, garlic powder and dried herbs such as Italian herbs, rosemary or parsley.
Mixed vegetables. Frozen peas, corn, carrot, green beans or broccoli all work, but avoid adding too many watery vegetables unless you are happy to cook the filling down a little longer.
Puff pastry. Use regular puff pastry for the easiest option, or swap to shortcrust if you prefer a firmer pie-style topping.
Leek. If you do not have leek, use brown onion, but the flavour will be stronger and less sweet.
How to make chicken leek pot pie
Step 1: Slice the leek, rinse it well, then cook it in a pan with a little butter or oil over medium heat for 5-7 minutes until soft and lightly caramelised. Remove it from the pan and set aside.
Step 2: Add the chicken breast pieces to the same pan and cook for 3-4 minutes until mostly white on the outside. They do not need to be fully cooked at this point because they will finish cooking in the sauce.
Step 3: Remove the chicken from the pan, then add the butter and flour. Stir for 1-2 minutes until the flour is absorbed and the mixture looks like a thick paste.
Step 4: Slowly pour in hot chicken stock, spring vegetable soup mix, thyme, garlic, salt and pepper. Let the mixture bubble for 5-10 minutes until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Step 5: Return the leek and chicken to the pan, then simmer until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is thick and creamy. The filling should not look watery because it needs to sit under puff pastry.
Step 6: Remove from the heat, then stir through the mixed vegetables, Greek yogurt and white wine vinegar. If using already cooked chicken, you can add it in now.
Step 7: Spoon the filling into four individual oven-safe dishes, using about 1.5 cups of mixture per pie. Let the filling cool at room temperature for approximately 30 minutes and then put in the fridge for at least 1-2 hours to cool completely.
Step 8: Preheat the oven to 160C / 320F. Top each cooled pie with thawed puff pastry, trim the edges if needed. Optional: add a quick egg wash and some sesame seeds on top (or even a little letter for your name hehe)
Step 9: Bake for about 25-35 minutes (depending on where in your oven you place it), or until the pastry is puffed, golden and crisp. If your dishes are deeper or you use more than 1.5 cups filling per pie, add extra time as needed.
Lauren's Top Tips
Cool the filling completely. Hot filling melts the butter layers in puff pastry before it hits the oven, which is how you end up with sad pastry.
Use hot stock. Hot stock helps the roux turn into a smooth sauce faster and makes it easier to avoid lumps.
Make the filling thick. The filling should be thick enough to hold its shape slightly when spooned into the dishes, not run like soup. If it's not thick enough, add a quick cornflour slurry (1 tablespoon cornstarch + 2 tablespoon liquid) and continue bubbling on the heat until it thickens more.
Recommended Equipment
This recipe makes 4 pies, each containing about 1.5 cups of mixture, so individual oven-safe ramekins or mini pie dishes are ideal. In the oven, this cooked through in about 25 minutes; if you use more mixture per dish or a deeper container, you may need to increase the baking time until the filling is hot and the pastry is golden.
Meal prepping chicken pot pies
This chicken and leek pot pie is a great make ahead option because the filling is made with protein from chicken breast, vegetables from the mixed vegetables and leek, and carbs from the puff pastry. It also works well as a freezer meal because the filling is cooked first, which means all future-you needs to do is add pastry and bake.
The best part is that this recipe already needs cooling time before the pastry goes on. Instead of treating that as annoying, use it as the meal prep step. Make the filling when you have time, cool it properly, then store it in the fridge or freezer until you are ready to bake.
Storing
Store the cooled chicken and leek pot pie filling in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. You can store it in one large container, but individual portions make it easier to turn into single serve pot pies during the week.
If you want to assemble the pies ahead for the fridge, make sure the filling is completely cold before adding puff pastry. Cover the dishes and refrigerate, then bake when ready. For the crispest pastry, I prefer adding the puff pastry just before baking.
Lauren's Meal Prep Tip
Portion the filling into the same dishes you plan to bake in. That way, you are not doing the "which container fits in which ramekin" maths at dinner time.
Freezing
The filling freezes well because it is already cooked, thickened and portioned, but the puff pastry needs a little more strategy if you want it to stay crisp instead of turning into a soggy blanket (because gross hahah!)
TLDR Freeze the cooled filling without puff pastry for up to 3 months. Add fresh puff pastry after thawing, or during the final 20 minutes if cooking from frozen.
Do I freeze chicken pot pie with puff pastry on?
I recommend freezing the filling without the puff pastry. Puff pastry can absorb moisture as it freezes and thaws, especially when sitting on top of a creamy chicken filling, which can stop it from puffing properly.
The better option is to freeze the filling by itself, then add the puff pastry before baking. It takes an extra minute, but it gives you a much better result.
How to freeze the filling?
Let the chicken and leek pot pie filling cool completely, then divide it into 4 portions. Each portion should be about 1.5 cups of mixture if you are making individual pot pies.
You can freeze the filling directly in oven-safe dishes if you have enough freezer space (which I recommend to save a step), or freeze it in containers and transfer it to ramekins or mini pie dishes before baking.
How to cook after thawing?
For the easiest option, thaw the frozen filling in the fridge overnight. Once thawed, spoon it into individual oven-safe dishes if needed, top with puff pastry, cut a small slit in the top, then bake at 160°C / 320°F for about 25 minutes.
The pot pie is ready when the filling is hot in the middle and the puff pastry is golden, crisp and puffed. If your filling is still very cold when it goes into the oven, add an extra 5-10 minutes.
How to cook from frozen?
You can cook the filling directly from frozen, but do not add the puff pastry at the beginning. The filling needs time to heat through first, and the pastry will overcook or go soggy if it sits on top the whole time.
Bake the frozen filling without pastry at 120°C / 250°F until it has mostly thawed (approx. 20 minutes) - or you can pop it in the microwave on a defrost cycle (approx. 10 minutes). Then increase the oven to 160°C / 320°F, add the puff pastry, and bake for another 20 minutes or until the pastry is golden and puffed.
If you want more meal prep information, check out my Meal Prep for Beginners post and my Meal Prep Basics E-Book.
What do you serve with a chicken pot pie
I've found that the single serve pot pies are almost enough for a filling meal, but they need to be supplemented with something.
The easiest option is some bread. Or you can make up a very simple side salad.
If you're feeling a bit fancier, I recommend serving alongside one of my pasta salads - like a chicken caesar pasta salad - as it matches the flavour vibe and also gives you a little extra protein as well.
FAQs
Cool the filling completely before adding puff pastry and make sure the filling is thick, not watery. Hot filling melts the pastry too early, which stops it from puffing properly.
Your chicken pot pie filling is probably runny because the sauce did not reduce enough before adding the vegetables and Greek yogurt. Let the stock mixture bubble until it thickens and coats the back of a spoon before adding the final ingredients.
Yes, you can make this chicken and leek pot pie in one larger baking dish instead of individual ramekins. You may need to increase the baking time until the filling is hot in the middle and the puff pastry is golden and crisp.
Other chicken breast recipes you'll like
Or, you can have a browse through my chicken breast meal preps for more delicious eats.
Recipe
Mini Chicken Leek Pot Pie
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Equipment
- Ramekins, approx. 400ml
Ingredients
- 1 leek, white only
- 4 cloves garlic
- 500 g chicken, or approx.2 cups cooked chicken.
- 1 ½ cups chicken stock
- 1 packet spring vegetable soup mix, see note 1
- 1 cup Greek yogurt, see note 2
- 2 tablespoon white wine vinegar, subs note 3
- 1 cup frozen mixed vegetables
- 3 sprigs thyme
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 sheet puff pastry, approx. 20cm square sheet
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
Preparing
- Thinly slice 1 leek and rinse well, making sure to clean between the layers.
- Mince 4 cloves garlic and cut 500 g chicken into bite-sized pieces if using raw chicken.
- Heat 1 ½ cups chicken stock until hot. This helps the sauce thicken faster and reduces the chance of lumps when added to the roux.
Cooking Filling
- Heat a large pan over medium heat and add a little of the butter (or oil). Add 1 leek and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and lightly caramelised. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Add 500 g chicken to the same pan and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until mostly white on the outside. It does not need to be fully cooked yet as it will finish cooking in the sauce. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Add 2 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp flour to the pan. Stir for 1-2 minutes until the butter melts and flour is absorbed and the mixture looks like a thick paste.
- Pour in hot chicken stock and add 1 packet spring vegetable soup mix, 4 cloves garlic, 3 sprigs thyme. Let the sauce bubble for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Return the leek and chicken to the pan. Simmer until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is thick and creamy. The filling should not look watery as it needs to sit under the puff pastry.
- Remove from the heat, then stir through 1 cup Greek yogurt, 2 tbsp white wine vinegar, 1 cup frozen mixed vegetablesIf using cooked chicken, add it here instead of cooking it earlier.
- Taste the filling and adjust with seasoning and add 1 sheet puff pastry salt and pepper to taste.
- Spoon the filling into four individual oven-safe dishes, using about 1.5 cups of mixture per pie. Cool at room temperature for approximately 30 minutes, then transfer to the fridge for 1-2 hours, or until completely cold.
Cooking Pie
- Preheat oven to 160°C / 320°F.
- If using 1 sheet puff pastry from frozen, thaw it according to packet directions.
- Top each cooled pie with puff pastry, trimming the edges if needed. Optional: brush with egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
- Bake for 25-35 minutes, or until the pastry is puffed, golden and crisp. If your dishes are deeper or contain more than 1.5 cups filling, add extra baking time as needed.
- Allow to sit for a few minutes before serving, as the filling will be hot.
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