Now that your lawn is strewn with fallen leaves and you're reaching for a sweater instead of sunscreen, it's probably time to revamp the weekly menu to include the hearty, warming foods associated with fall. And what's easier to cozy up to on a chilly autumn evening than a homemade chicken pot pie?

The classic marriage of golden, flaky pie crust with rich and creamy chicken is like a warm hug from your grandmother. Not only is it instantly comforting, but for many of us, it's a familiar flavor from childhood that leads us on a walk down memory lane.

As one of seven kids with a working mother, I ate a ton of those small, frozen Morton and Banquet chicken pot pies as a kid. They were cheap, easy for my mom (or us kids) to heat up on a busy school night, and thanks to their inoffensive medley of diced carrots and peas tucked under the crust, a dish that pleased even the pickiest kid's palate.

Now that I'm grown up, I make my pot pies from scratch, usually with chicken picked from the breast of a plump, grocery store rotisserie chicken. Depending on my mood, I sometimes throw a handful of diced potatoes into the filling along with frozen peas and carrot. I sometimes also add button mushrooms for a richer, earthy flavor or a cup of diced apple when I want to make the filling a little sweeter.

Without fail I use Martha Stewart's recipe for pie crust because its flaky and buttery texture goes well with both sweet and savory fillings. Also, it's easy to follow and requires only a handful of ingredients. This dough is so forgiving that it's pretty hard for even novice cooks to mess it up.

While you can, and probably should, make chicken pot pie in a 9-inch crust for an easy, one-dish family dinner, it's just as easy to make mini pot pies using a muffin tin — simply cut the dough into rounds large enough to line each muffin tin cup and divide the filling among them.

The handy, single-serving packages can be enjoyed right away, warm from the pan, or frozen and reheated whenever the urge for comfort food hits — say, after sports practice or on movie night.

If you're making the pot pies ahead of time for later use, place unbaked pies in muffin cups, wrap the muffin pan in foil, and freeze until solid (about 2 hours). After ummolding, wrap the unbaked pies in plastic wrap, place them in a large resealable freezer plastic bag and freeze them for up to 3 months.

Miniature Chicken Pot Pies

PG tested

For crust

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for work surface

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon fine salt

1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 -inch pieces

1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water

For filling

4 tablespoons butter

2 carrots, peeled and diced

2 celery ribs, diced

1 medium onion, diced

1/2 chopped button mushrooms, optional

1/2 cup all-purpose flour, unbleached

1 1/2 cups chicken stock or broth

3/4 cup milk or half-and-half

1 teaspoon dried parsley

1 teaspoon dried thyme

Salt and pepper, to taste

3 cups cooked and chopped chicken breast, from a rotisserie chicken

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for optional garnish

Prepare crust: In a food processor, pulse together flour, sugar and salt. Add butter and pulse again until the mixture resembles coarse meal, with a few pea-size pieces of butter remaining.

Sprinkle with 1/4 cup ice water, then pulse until dough holds together when squeezed between your fingers, but still looks a little crumbly. If necessary, add more water, a tablespoon at a time. (I used the full 1/2 cup.) Be careful not to overmix; it will make the dough tough.

Divide dough in half, turn each piece out onto a piece of plastic wrap and gently shape into a disk. Wrap it tightly in the plastic, then place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 20-30 minutes while you prepare the filling.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Prepare filling. In a large sauce pot or Dutch oven, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add carrots, celery and onion and cook until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes, then stir in chopped mushrooms. Continue cooking for another 2 minutes.

Add flour and stir well to cover the vegetables, and cook for 1-2 minutes to eliminate raw flour taste. Slowly pour in chicken broth and milk, a little at time, and stir occasionally until it forms a smooth sauce. Let sauce simmer until it thickens, about 5 minutes, then add herbs. Mix to combine well and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Stir in cubed chicken and Parmesan cheese, if using. Set aside while you roll out dough.

Roll out dough on floured surface and cut out 24 circles with a 4 1/2 -to 5-inch biscuit cutter or glass. (I used a Tupperware lid for the bottom and a slightly smaller pint glass for the top layer.)

Lightly butter or spray a 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray. Place a rough round into each muffin cup, with side hanging over.

Divide chicken mixture between the cups, place another round on top and fold the overhang inward. Crimp the edge with a floured fork.

Cut a few vents in the top of the dough to allow steam to escape, sprinkle with a little grated Parmesan and place in the oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until top is golden brown and filling is bubbling out around the edges.

Allow pot pies to cool on the counter for about 10-15 minutes before serving, then gently run a plastic knife along the edges to lift each pie out without breaking the delicate crust.

Makes 12 mini chicken pot pies.

— Gretchen McKay, Post-Gazette

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