Barbecue Chicken Mini Pies

I can't believe it is almost time for the next issue of the Diner News. I am hard at work making picnic and travel foods for this summery edition. Of course, with all this packable food, this would be the week the weather decided to end our long standing drought here in Oklahoma. So, we are trying lots of these, not in our cute little basket (Yes, it even has plastic ants glued on top) but more at the kitchen table or couch. Still delicious though! If you want to order a year of newsletters for just $6, go here. 

In creating some finger foods, I naturally turned to my almond flour pie crusts. They are easy to make and really very sturdy. I made one batch today, and made both an entree and a dessert. These would be fantastic party fare as well. Everyone loves individual pies. I love barbecue chicken. I have a bunch of precooked chicken thigh meat in the freezer. This was so simple to throw together with a quick barbecue sauce. Make up a batch of these mini pie crusts and I bet you will come up with all sorts of ways to fill them. Taco meat, Sloppy Joe meat...you name it. These would be great with barbecue pork also. Or chopped beef.

The pie crust recipe is in Low Carbing Among Friends Volume 5 pg 169. I am including it here, but if you would like to try my Island Strawberry Mousse Mini Pies as well, that is another terrific use for these crusts. Order those books if you haven't yet.  I will have a different strawberry pie recipe in the Diner News. This new one does not use coconut. I like them both!

But now on to the barbecue. You can mix the crust by hand if you don't have a food processor. You could also make these in a standard muffin tin, but you will need more filling. I like the mini size, so I admit to never having tried it. You can also use any recipe for a low carb barbecue sauce.

Barbecue Chicken Pies

1 1/2 cup chopped cooked chicken thigh or breast

2 tbsp low sugar ketchup

1 tsp Wright’s Mesquite Liquid Smoke

2 tbsp grated Cheddar Cheese

Crust:

1¹/₂ cups blanched almond flour 

¹/₄  teaspoon salt 

1 tbsp salted butter 

1 tsp coconut oil 

1 egg

In a small skillet, place chopped chicken, ketchup, and liquid smoke. Simmer on the lowest heat possible while you make the crusts.

Place almond flour and salt in food processor and pulse briefly. Add butter, coconut oil , and egg and pulse until mixture forms a ball. Press dough into 12 mini muffin cups . Bake at 350°F  until lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes before removing from pan.

Fill each pie crust with barbecue chicken and sprinkle cheese on top.

Per Pie:  138 calories   2 g fiber   1 net carb (3 total)    11 g fat     8 g protein

These are so delicious. On a couple I added an onion ring to the top. (not the breaded kind) That was a great flavor if you like raw onion. Around here, we often have onion and pickle bars with our barbecue, so feel free to add that.

What else is planned for the newsletter? Some pressed sandwiches, a wonderful roasted cauliflower salad that can stand the heat, some yummy cookies and lots more. I am definitely so busy with the news that I haven't even had time to enjoy my break from teaching. That is coming. But I may have to take a batch of my chocolate peanut butter cookies over to Pearson at the apartment sometime really soon. I miss him already. My hubby is being extra sweet though--even after 27 years married. It is hard for a mama to have no one on the house to mother.

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