Instructions: Bring first 4 ingredients to a boil in a Dutch oven. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 1 hour until tender. Remove chicken, reserving 3/4 cup broth; discard onion and bay leaves. Cool completely. Skin, bone, and coarsely chop chicken, set aside.

Whisk together all-purpose flour and vegetable oil in Dutch oven; cook over medium heat, whisking constantly for 15-20 minutes until it is caramel colored. Stir in chopped bell pepper, onion and garlic; cook 2 minutes. Add sliced okra, tomatoes and chilies, dried thyme, and reserved 3/4 cup chicken broth. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes.

Peel and devein shrimp. Add shrimp and 2 cups chopped chicken to gumbo. Cook just until shrimp turns pink, approximately 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly.

Roll out pastry sheet on a floured surface; cut into 4 (5 inch) squares. Return pastry to freezer for at least 15 minutes. Ladle gumbo into 4 ovenproof soup bowls, filling 3/4 full.

Place 1 pastry square over each bowl, pressing firmly to sides to seal edges. Brush pastry with egg. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until pastry is puffed and golden. Serve pies with hot sauce if desired.

Kristine Says: Since my mother is from Louisiana, we always enjoyed Cajun cooking in our home. One day, I made some gumbo and had some extra puff pastry that I wanted to use up. I experimented with it and came up with a pot pie. It combined the hearty Creole fare of Louisiana with the down-home taste of a Midwestern pot pie. It really hits the spot on a cold winter day.

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