Skip to content

The starter, French classic

Chicken and mushroom vol au vent

Chicken and mushroom vol au vent is a warm, creamy starter for 6 people that takes about 40 minutes of active work. The filling is made ahead in the morning, so all that's left before serving is reheating the pastry shells and sauce. It's an easy recipe, around €2.90 per person, and the trick to a smooth sauce is adding the hot stock gradually.

A golden, puffed pastry shell filled with a creamy chicken and mushroom sauce, the kind of dish that smells like Sunday lunch at your grandmother's.

Chicken and mushroom vol au vent
For
6 people
Work
40 min
Total time
1 h 15
Prep
Prepared the same day
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€2.90
Calories per person
420 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach

Under the golden, flaky shell, a creamy sauce wraps tender chicken cubes and mushrooms lightly browned in butter. Lemon and white wine bring a touch of brightness that balances the cream, while nutmeg adds the kind of warmth you remember from old fashioned family cooking. It's a starter with enough substance to open a festive meal without overshadowing the main course.

This is the kind of starter you'd serve at a family holiday meal or a slightly dressed up dinner with friends, when you want something warm and comforting without spending the evening at the stove. Kids love it too, especially opening their own little pastry shell. Follow it with something lighter, meat or fish, to keep the menu balanced.

The schedule

What happens when, so you can be with your guests instead of in the kitchen.

  1. The day before Nothing to do
  2. The same day 3 steps, 25 min
  3. Before the guests arrive 1 step, 8 min
  4. When it's time to serve 1 step

In the morning, cook the chicken, the mushrooms and the sauce, then keep everything in the fridge until evening. Just before your guests arrive, preheat the oven, reheat the pastry shells and gently warm the filling on the stove. Right before serving, fill the still warm shells and scatter with parsley, so the dish reaches the table crisp.

The ingredients

6 people

Bakery

  • Vol au vent pastry shells 6

Butcher

  • Chicken breasts 500 g

Fruits and vegetables

  • White button mushrooms 300 g
  • Shallots 2
  • Lemon 1
  • Flat leaf parsley 1 bunch

Dairy

  • Butter 40 g
  • Heavy cream 20 cl

Pantry

  • Flouroften in the pantry 40 g
  • Dry white wineoften in the pantry 10 cl
  • Chicken stockoften in the pantry 40 cl
  • Nutmegoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Allergens Gluten, Lactose

The recipe, moment by moment

The same dayDuring the day, whenever you get a moment.

  1. Bring the stock to a simmer, poach the chicken in it, then let it cool slightly and cut into cubes. Keep the stock. 15 min

    Turn off the heat after 12 minutes and let the chicken finish cooking in the hot stock, it stays juicier that way.

  2. Sauté the sliced mushrooms and shallots in the butter, add a squeeze of lemon, deglaze with the white wine and let it reduce.

    Only salt the mushrooms at the end, salt too early makes them release too much water.

  3. Sprinkle in the flour, gradually pour in the hot stock and cream, add the nutmeg and cook until thickened, then stir in the chicken. 10 min

    Pour the stock in little by little while whisking, you won't get any lumps.

Before the guests arriveThe last hour, right before the doorbell rings.

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C, reheat the pastry shells for 8 minutes and warm the filling gently on the stove. 8 min

    Set the shells on a baking sheet with their lids beside them, so they warm through without hardening.

When it's time to serveThe final touches, right in front of your guests.

  1. Fill each shell with the warm filling, set the lid on top and scatter with chopped parsley.

    Fill them generously, the sauce should spill over a little, that's part of the charm of a vol au vent.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick good sized, fairly deep pastry shells so they can hold plenty of filling without spilling over too fast.
  • If the sauce thickens too much while it waits, loosen it with a splash of hot stock right before filling the shells.
  • Cut the chicken into even, not too large cubes, it soaks up the sauce better and is easier to eat with a spoon.

The variations

  • Swap the chicken for turkey or veal for a more festive vol au vent.
  • For a vegetarian version, use a mix of different mushrooms and replace the chicken stock with vegetable stock.
  • For kids or a quicker meal, spoon the same filling over a slice of toasted sandwich bread instead of a pastry shell.

What to serve it with

  • A glass of dry white wine
  • A simple green salad with lemon
  • Rice to catch the extra sauce

Storage

The filling keeps for 2 days in the fridge in a sealed container. It freezes well, just reheat it gently on the stove while stirring. The pastry shells keep at room temperature in their packaging and should be reheated in the oven at the last minute.

Questions about this recipe

Can I buy the pastry shells ready made?

Yes, store bought puff pastry vol au vent shells work perfectly well and save time. Just check they're deep enough to hold the full amount of filling.

How do I keep the shells from going soggy?

Always reheat the shells in the oven, never in the microwave, and fill them at the very last moment, right before serving. A warm, dry shell meeting hot sauce stays crisp much longer.

Can I make this vol au vent for more than 6 people?

Yes, just scale up the filling and the number of shells proportionally. Allow a bit more time to reheat larger quantities of sauce and pastry.

Can I use sour cream instead of heavy cream?

Sour cream works too, though it gives a slightly denser sauce. Stir it in at the end and thin it with a little stock if the sauce feels too heavy.

Can a chicken and mushroom vol au vent be made ahead?

Yes, during the day. The recipe needs 40 min of work in total, split up like this, the same day, 3 steps, before the guests arrive, 1 step, when it's time to serve, 1 step.

How long does it take to make a chicken and mushroom vol au vent?

Allow 1 h 15 in total, including resting and cooking time, of which 40 min is actual work. The recipe is rated "easy".

How many calories are in a chicken and mushroom vol au vent?

About 420 kcal per person, for a recipe meant for 6 people. The calories are calculated by Kiloach, your kilo coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a chicken and mushroom vol au vent cost?

About €2.90 per person, that's €17.40 for 6 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains gluten, lactose. Remember to ask your guests about their allergies before putting your menu together.

To round out your menu

Build a menu
Lemon meringue pie The dessert

French classic

Lemon meringue pie

  • 1 h 15 of work
  • Prepared the day before
  • Medium, €1.80 per person

510 kcalcalculated by Kiloach

Starters for entertaining

See all
Lamb samosas The starter

From around the world

Lamb samosas

  • 50 min of work
  • Prepared the day before
  • Medium, €2.40 per person

310 kcalcalculated by Kiloach