These individual savory pies make the perfect picnic food or weeknight dinner. The potato crust is the star — and yes, they are as good as they sound.

Ingredients

For the potato crust:

• 6-7 small russet potatoes, approximately 1-1/2 to 1-5/8 inch diameter
• 2 Tbsp salted butter, melted
• 2 oz smoked Gruyere cheese, shredded

For the filling:

• 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of fat and cut into 1/2-3/4 inch pieces
• 1/2 lb breakfast sausage (not maple flavored)
• 2 cups chopped yellow onion
• 1 cup chopped carrot
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 Tbsp finely minced garlic
• 2 oz smoked Gruyere cheese, shredded
• 1 tsp Knorr Swiss Chicken Bouillon Powder
• 6 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 6 Tbsp salted butter
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp crushed fennel seed
• 1 Tbsp fresh thyme, finely chopped
• Approximately 12 whole sprigs of thyme, cut into 1 inch lengths for garnish
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 cups low sodium chicken stock (have extra on hand)
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

Before you begin:

• Trim chicken thighs of fat and connective tissue and cut into 1/2-3/4 inch pieces. Refrigerate until needed.
• Liberally spray 2 XL muffin pans (6 cups each) with cooking spray. Recipe makes 12 pies.
• Peel and mandoline slice potatoes to approximately 1/16 inch thickness.
• Blanch potato slices in salted water for 3-1/2 to 4 minutes until just slightly tender. Drain, rinse immediately with cold water, and lay out on a kitchen towel to dry. Blot tops with paper towels and remove as much water as possible.
• Preheat oven to 375F.

Make the potato crusts:

• Layer the bottoms of each muffin cup with the smallest potato slices in a circular pattern with 1/2 overlap. Brush with melted butter and add 1/8 tsp of chicken stock to each cup.
• Line the sides of each cup with potato slices overlapping by half. Press to make sure potatoes are adhered to the sides.
• Sprinkle a small amount of shredded Gruyere (using half the total amount) into each cup to help hold the crust together.
• Bake for 3-5 minutes until cheese has just melted. Remove immediately and rearrange any potato slices that have shifted. Set aside.

Make the filling:

• In a large high-sided skillet, melt 6 Tbsp butter over medium heat. Add 6 Tbsp flour and stir until combined. The mixture should be slightly crumbly, not creamy. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the flour smell is gone. Spread onto a plate and refrigerate until completely cooled. This crumble will be used to thicken the filling.
• In the same pan on medium-high heat, add olive oil. Add onion, carrot and celery and sauté until onions are browned at the edges and vegetables are slightly tender. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from pan and set aside.
• In the same pan, brown the breakfast sausage, breaking it into very small pieces as it cooks.
• Add the chicken pieces and cook until white, stirring regularly. Season with salt and pepper. Make a well in the center, add the garlic and stir for 2-3 minutes.
• Return the vegetables and sausage to the pan. Add 1-1/2 cups chicken stock, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, crushed fennel seed, chopped thyme and bouillon powder. Stir well and simmer for 4-5 minutes.
• Sprinkle in the cooled butter and flour crumble a little at a time, stirring after each addition, until the filling reaches a very thick pudding-like consistency. Adjust with additional stock or crumble as needed. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Remove from heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes.

Assemble and bake:

• Fill each potato crust halfway with the cooled filling, then go around and fill each one equally to just below the edge of the potato crust sides.
• Sprinkle the remaining Gruyere evenly over each pie.
• Layer the tops with overlapping potato slices in a circular pattern. Brush with melted butter, sprinkle with black pepper, and add a few 1-inch thyme sprigs for garnish.
• Bake at 375F for 20-25 minutes until bubbly and slightly browned on top. Broil on low for a few additional minutes if further browning is desired.
• Remove from oven and allow to cool completely in the muffin tins. To speed cooling, refrigerate once cool enough to handle.

To serve:

• Run a knife carefully around the edges of each pie and turn the tin over onto a cutting board. Pies will release onto the board.
• Serve cold or at room temperature for a picnic, or reheat in the microwave for 1 to 1-1/2 minutes then sear in a skillet for a few minutes on each side. Serve on a bed of fresh arugula or with your favorite side dish.