There's nothing more comforting - or more crowd-pleasing - than a tray of Chicken and Mushroom Vol Au Vents fresh from the oven. With golden, flaky pastry shells filled to the brim with a creamy chicken, leek and mushroom mix, this retro classic is pure comfort food. Quick, easy and ready in under an hour, it's perfect for a cosy weeknight dinner or effortless entertaining.
If you love classic, crowd-pleasing dinners like my French Onion Chicken Bake or Creamy Chicken Taco Soup, this one's for you!
This dish is one of those old-school classics that never really goes out of style. Flaky vol au vent cases (easily picked up from the supermarket) are such a handy shortcut - and when you pair them with a creamy chicken filling full of leeks, mushrooms and a hint of wholegrain mustard, it's a guaranteed winner.
The creamy filling is similar to my Creamy Chicken and Bacon Pasta Bake - comforting and rich but quick and easy to make. You can even prepare the filling in advance and simply bake when you're ready to eat. Serve with a fresh salad like my Walnut, Pear & Parmesan Salad or steamed vegetables for a well-balanced meal.
Whether you're hosting a dinner party or just feeding hungry kids, this recipe is practical, nostalgic, and oh-so-good.
Why You're Going To Love This Recipe
- On the table in under an hour - perfect for busy weeknights or last-minute entertaining.
- Make-ahead friendly - prepare the filling the day before for extra convenience.
- Restaurant-style without the fuss - impressive, but so easy!
- Customisable - adapt it to suit your tastes or dietary needs.
- Kid-friendly and freezer-friendly filling - everyone at the table will love it.
Jump to:
Vol-Au-Vent Ingredients
Simple things like juicy chicken thighs, earthy mushrooms, and buttery pastry make all the difference in creating a creamy, flavour-packed meal.
Note: Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom for the ingredients quantities and full detailed method.
- Vol au vent pastry shells: Look for the large-sized shells in the freezer or bread section of your supermarket - not the tiny canapé-sized ones.
- Chicken thigh fillets: Choose thighs over breast meat - they stay moist and tender, even after baking in the oven.
- Leek: Be sure to wash your leek thoroughly to avoid grit in your sauce. Fan out the leaves, rinse well, and use only the white and pale green parts.
- Crème fraîche (or thickened cream): Crème fraîche adds a lovely richness to the sauce, but you can substitute with thickened cream if you prefer a milder creamy flavour.
Variations
- Swap the chicken for leftover roast turkey or ham - perfect for after-Christmas meals.
- Add bacon or pancetta to the filling for a smoky twist.
- Swap chicken thighs for chicken breasts if you prefer.
For extra flavour, add a teaspoon of minced garlic or some fresh herbs like thyme. - Make it vegetarian by using extra mushrooms, leeks and baby spinach, and swap chicken stock for vegetable stock.
- Gluten-free? Use gluten-free vol au vent shells if you can find them, or simply serve the creamy filling over mashed potato instead.
- No vol au vent shells? Simply cut a pastry sheet of puff pastry into rounds or squares, score a border, and bake to make your own puff pastry cases - perfect for filling with the creamy chicken and mushroom mix.
How To Make Chicken And Mushroom Vol Au Vent
It takes just 10 minutes to prepare these comforting chicken and mushroom vol au vents!
Note: Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom for the ingredients quantities and full detailed method.
- Step 1: Heat half the butter in a large frying pan. Sauté mushrooms over medium heat/high heat until golden and all liquid has evaporated. Remove and set aside.
- Step 2: Melt remaining butter in the pan. Cook chicken and leek for 5-10 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the leek has softened.
- Step 3: Sprinkle in the all purpose flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring to coat well.
- Step 4: Pour in the wine and let it bubble away until evaporated. Slowly add the chicken stock and stir until smooth.
- Step 5: Add the creme fraiche and mustard. Return the mushrooms to the pan, stir though and simmer gently until slightly thickened. Season with salt and pepper.
- Step 6: Spoon the filling into the vol au vent cases, sprinkle with cheese. Bake on a baking tray in a preheated oven for 15 minutes or until golden and heated through. Serve hot!
Recipe Tips
- Wash the leek well before slicing to avoid gritty sauce.
- Let the flour cook off for at least a minute before adding the wine. When the liquid stock is added, the flour will thicken the sauce.
- Make the filling ahead of time - store covered in the fridge for up to 24 hours.
- If using cold filling, extend the baking time by 10 minutes to ensure it's hot through.
- Serve immediately for best results - the pastry is at its flakiest straight from the oven.
- Not ideal for freezing assembled - the pastry goes soggy. You can, however, freeze just the filling for up to 2 months.
- Try pairing with a fresh green salad, steamed vegetables, or cheesy mashed potato for a complete meal.
Chicken And Mushroom Vol Au Vent FAQs
Yes, you can make the filling up to a day ahead and store covered in the fridge. When required, simply fill the pastry shells, bake and serve!
Store any leftover vol au vents in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat in the oven or air fryer to keep the pastry crisp.
No, I do not recommend freezing chicken vol au vents assembled in pastry shells, however you can pre-cook the filling and freeze this for up to 2 months. Defrost before filling fresh pastry shells and then bake!
More Easy Chicken Recipes
If you loved this creamy, comforting dish, here are more easy chicken recipes the whole family will enjoy!
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Chicken And Mushroom Vol Au Vent
Ingredients
- 8 large vol au vent pastry shells see notes
- 50 g butter
- 200 g mushrooms sliced
- 500 g chicken thigh fillets chopped into small 2cm pieces
- 1 leek finely sliced
- 3 tbs plain flour
- 100 ml white wine
- 200 ml chicken stock liquid
- 200 ml creme fraiche or thickened (heavy) cream
- 1 tbs wholegrain mustard
- 60 g cheddar or tasty cheese grated
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius (fan-forced).
- Melt half of the butter in a frying pan over high heat. Cook the mushrooms until golden and all of the liquid has evaporated. Set the mushrooms aside in a bowl.
- Add the remaining butter to the frying pan and cook the chicken and leek for 5-10 minutes or until the chicken has cooked through and the leek has softened.
- Add the plain flour and stir to coat. Cook for 1 minute. Add the white wine and cook until evaporated.
- Slowly add the chicken stock, stirring continuously until smooth.
- Add the creme fraiche (or cream) and wholegrain mustard, return the mushrooms to the pan and bring to a low simmer. Cook until sauce has slightly thickened.
- Divide the mixture between the vol au vent cases.Top with the grated cheese.
- Bake for 15 minutes or until golden and heated through.
Notes
- Wash the leek well before slicing to avoid gritty sauce.
- Let the flour cook off for at least a minute before adding the wine. When the liquid stock is added, the flour will thicken the sauce.
- Make the filling ahead of time - store covered in the fridge for up to 24 hours.
- If using cold filling, extend the baking time by 10 minutes to ensure it's hot through.
- Serve immediately for best results - the pastry is at its flakiest straight from the oven.
- Not ideal for freezing assembled - the pastry goes soggy. You can, however, freeze just the filling for up to 2 months.
- Try pairing with a fresh green salad, steamed vegetables, or cheesy mashed potato for a complete meal.
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