Chicken Thigh Hand Pies with Carrots and Thyme

Chicken thighs bring enough richness to hold pastry without drying out. Carrots and thyme keep the filling grounded, and the finished pies feel useful in the best possible way: hot for dinner, wrapped for lunch, or packed for a drive.

1 1/2 pounds chicken thighs
3 carrots
1 onion
4 thyme sprigs
1 package pie dough
1 egg
1 tablespoon butter
Kosher salt
Black pepper

Season the thighs and roast or pan-cook them until just done, then cool and chop them finely.
Dice the carrots small and cook them with the onion and butter until tender; stir in the thyme at the end.
Mix the vegetables with the chopped chicken and let the filling cool fully.
Fill pastry rounds, crimp them well, brush with egg wash, and bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit until deeply golden.
Rest for 5 minutes so the filling settles before serving.

These hold their shape especially well if you chill the filled pies for 10 minutes before baking.