Pot pies are located smack in the middle of the comfort food zone.




Think about it. Bite-sized pieces of veggies and chicken covered in a creamy sauce and topped with a flaky, buttery, crisp puff-pastry cover.







Soo good.




But all that cream and butter, you say?




I hear you, my darlings.




Which is why I’ve given these pot pies a healthy spin. Don’t worry – they still taste as comforting and creamy. But a touch healthier.




I substituted the cream with yogurt which allowed me to retain the creaminess minus the fat. Also, I chose to load up on the 1 vegetable I used because I love it.




The zucchini-chicken filling is simply flavoured and the puff pastry is store-bought so it’s super easy to put together.







If you’re a puff-pastry purist, and you only make it yourself and wouldn’t dream of using store-bought, I can only say this:







If you’re a baker, I agree you should know how to make it, but once you do, you realise HOW much easier it is to buy it! And it’s tastes just as good, if not better 🙂




Healthy chicken and zucchini pot pies




Prep time: 30 mins
Cook time: 30 mins
Makes: 3-4 mini pot pies




Ingredients:




1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 tsp mixed dried herbs
100 g cooked chicken, shredded (or boiled with salt and pepper, then shredded)
1 zucchini, chopped
salt and pepper, to taste
100 g yogurt
butter, for greasing
flour, for dusting
1 sheet puff pastry







Method:




1. Heat the oil in a non-stick pan and add the onion and garlic. Stir for a few minutes on medium heat and then throw in the herbs and chicken, mixing well. Add the zucchini, season, and cook over a low heat for about 5 minutes. Take off the flame and stir in the yogurt, mixing to coat everything well. Leave to cool.
2. Preheat the oven to 180º C. Grease 3-4 small ramekins lightly with butter. Divide the cooked mixture between the ramkeins.
3. Dust a clean surface with some flour and roll out the puff pastry. Use a cutter or a bowl to cut out 3-4 circles the size of the ramekin tops, and then use to cover the mixture in the ramekins. Seal the edges by pressing in a downward motion with a fork. If you have leftover bits of pastry, cut out shapes and stick over the top. Like this heart 🙂







Make a slit on the top of each pie and bake for 30 minutes or until bubbling and golden. I switched to the grill setting for the last 5 minutes and got a lovely crusty top. Remove from the oven and eat warm.