I play with my food. One of my favorite things to do with food is make it look like something it’s not. For Halloween, I spent hours turning marinated mozzarella and olives into creepy eyeballs and meringue cookies into scary ghosts. Today, I present two takes on the classic chicken pot pie: a warm savory pie packed with comforting spices, and a chilled sweet pie filled with dried fruit and pudding. Looks can be deceiving – can you guess which one is which? Pick the wrong one and you’ll get a punch of sugar from your dinner entrée. April Fools’! Okay, I’m not really that mischievous, I fully disclosed the contents of each to Lucas before handing him his fork last night (dinner on the right above).

In preparation for this silly Sunday, I just had to buy new ramekins for the occasion. Expanding my kitchen collection always puts a smile on my face, and I’m grinning ear to ear about all of my new possibilities for dishes in individual-sized servings. You already know my affinity toward single-sized portions; I’ll likely serve all my future casseroles in these personalized pots just because I can.

As a kid, I gobbled down my fair share of Marie Calendar’s frozen chicken pot pies. Although you might not stand by the flavors as an adult, I’m sure many of you agree when I say those instant pies are the epitome of childhood comfort food. I tried my hand at the dish a couple of years ago, making Martha Stewart’s healthy version for a group of five boys. That was my first mistake. It was a flop; I’ve decided that chicken pot pie is not meant to be healthy. The butter-filled crust and creamy filling are both fundamental components for making a chicken pot pie so flavorful that you can’t put your fork down until it’s all gone.

Last night’s savory chicken pot pie had both of these elements and was off the charts. As it turns out, 5-inch ramekins hold a LOT of chicken pot pie, but the flavors were so addicting that both Lucas and I stuffed our faces until our dishes were clean and our bellies bloated. We…just…couldn’t…stop. Luckily I only baked two at a time or there wouldn’t be any leftovers and we’d definitely be in a food coma.

The sugary doppelgänger to the meal was tasty, but, unlike the savory one, it didn’t leave us powerless against its zest. We both learned that we’re not huge fans of dried fruit. If you are, then I’m sure you’d wind up with an expanding waistline. Future iterations will use cooked apples and apricots instead, and then, I’ll surely fall in love. In the meantime, I’ll have to justify my use of an entire (expensive) stick of butter with the uncanny resemblance I created between my dinner and dessert. Happy April Fools’ Day! And, since I love surprises and tricks so much, please tell me how you fooled or were fooled today!

Savory Chicken Pot Pie (Adapted from The Faux Martha)

Makes four 5-inch individual pies

Pie crust (recipe below)

2 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs

1 boneless skin-on chicken breast

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 sweet onion, diced in food processor

2 cloves garlic, minced in food processor

3 carrots, quartered lengthwise then thinly sliced using mandolin or food processor

3 celery ribs, cut in half lengthwise then thinly sliced using mandolin or food processor

2 tablespoons butter

2 cups chicken stock

4 sprigs sage

1 cup white wine

1 cup nonfat milk

¼ cup heavy cream

5 tablespoons flour

¾ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

½ cup frozen peas

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

1 egg whisked with a tablespoon of milk

Make the pie crust according to the recipe below. Cover the chicken with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Broil, skin side up, for 15-20 minutes, until cooked through. Once cooled, shred the cooked chicken into bite-sized pieces. Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Heat olive oil in a medium or large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, carrots, and celery. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Cook for about 5-8 minutes, until vegetables are cooked through. Transfer to a bowl and set aside. In the same pot, add the butter, chicken stock, sage, salt, and pepper. Cook, covered, over medium heat for about 10 minutes, until reduced. Add the wine, milk, cream, flour, thyme, and nutmeg. Cook for 5-10 minutes, until thickened. Taste and add more salt and pepper if desired. Remove from heat. Remove the sage sprigs. Add the cooked vegetables, chicken, and frozen peas to the pot and mix to combined. Taste and more salt and pepper if desired. Split the filling among four crust-lined ramekins. Place the remaining crust circles on top and crimp the edges. Brush each top with the egg wash. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the top is golden brown.

Pie crust

2¼ cups flour

1½ tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 sticks of unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons

½ cup ice water

Mix the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor. Add the butter and pulse until it resembles coarse meal. Slowly add the water in a stream and mix until combined. The dough should stick together when pinched. Roll the dough into a circle and flatten into a disk. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 45 minutes. After being chilled, split the dough into eight pieces. Roll four pieces into 8-inch circles. Press these circles into the bottom of each ramekin. Roll the remaining four pieces into 6-inch circles for the top crust.

Dessert Chicken Pot Pie (Inspired by Family Fun)

Makes two 5-inch individual pies

Pie crust (recipe below)

1 package of instant lemon or vanilla pudding, prepared according to directions

1 cup dried apricots, cut into sixths

3 dried pineapples, cut into ¼-inch cubes

1 cup dried apple rings, cut into pieces to resemble chicken

Green skittles from one package

Prepare the pie crust according to the recipe below. Mix the dried fruit and pudding together. After the crust is cooked, fill each ramekin with the pudding mixture. Sprinkle a few green skittles on top. Cover with top crust and serve.

Pie Crust

1 cup flour

1½ teaspoons sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

¾ stick of unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons

2-3 tablespoons ice water

1 egg mixed with 1 tablespoon milk for egg wash