Butternut Beer Cheese Chicken Pot Pies
Individual pot pies filled with shredded chicken, Italian sausage, roasted butternut squash, and brussels sprouts in a sharp cheddar and Gruyere cream sauce enriched with pumpkin beer. Topped with buttery pie crust and baked until golden. A hearty, seasonal comfort dish with savory and slightly sweet notes.
Ingredients
- ½ lb Italian pork sausage, sweet or hotItalian chicken sausageequalpoultry
reduces fat content
- 1 yellow onion onion, finely chopped
- 2 cups butternut squash, peeled and cubed into bite-sized pieces
- 2 cups brussels sprouts, roughly chopped
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- salt, to taste(optional)
- pepper, to taste(optional)
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 12 oz pumpkin beer or amber aleamber aleequalbeverage
neutral substitute already listed in recipe
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 4 oz sharp cheddar cheese, grated
- 4 oz Gruyere cheese, grated
- 1 refrigerated store-bought pie crust pie crust, or homemadepuff pastryequalpastry
crispier topping
- 1 egg egg, lightly beaten
Instructions
- 1
Heat a large Dutch oven or pot with lid over medium-high heat. Add sausage, breaking apart while stirring, until no longer pink.
- 2
Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened.
- 3
Add butternut squash and brussels sprouts. Season with thyme, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Cook, stirring often, until vegetables begin to soften and brown slightly.
- 4
Place chicken breasts on top of vegetables. Pour chicken broth and beer over everything, ensuring chicken is fully submerged. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer covered.
- 5
While simmering, combine heavy cream and cornstarch in a small bowl and set aside.
- 6
Remove lid and transfer cooked chicken to a bowl. Shred using two forks and return to pot.
- 7
Preheat oven to 450°F. Bring pie crust to room temperature. Pour cream mixture into pot and stir to combine. Add both cheeses and stir well. Allow to thicken, stirring occasionally.
- 8
While mixture thickens, prepare pie crust and grease ramekins. Cut crust into strips or trace ramekin circumference to create tops.
- 9
Ladle filling evenly into each ramekin. Top with prepared pie crust, pressing to sides. If fully covered, cut a cross in top for steam release.
- 10
Brush crust tops with beaten egg. Bake until tops are nicely browned.
Tips
For a fully covered pie crust top, cut a cross in the center to allow steam to escape and prevent soggy filling.
Use a combination of pie crust strips and full coverage for visual variety across ramekins.
Good to Know
Cover and refrigerate up to 3 days. Reheat covered at 350°F until warmed through.
Assemble unbaked pot pies, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate up to 24 hours. Add 5-10 minutes to bake time if baking from chilled state.
Serve warm directly from ramekin with crusty bread or a simple green salad.
Common Mistakes
Do not skip cutting a cross in fully-covered pie crust to avoid trapped steam and soggy filling.
Do not omit cornstarch slurry or use insufficient amount to avoid thin, watery sauce.
Do not overbake pie crust to avoid burnt tops before filling is heated through.
Substitutions
Dairy-Free Swaps
General Alternatives
neutral substitute already listed in recipe
reduces fat content