Oh My Chicken Pot Pie!

The other night, I had a dream I was one of the finalists on the Next Food Network Star, and I won my camera challenge with my chicken pot pie.  I woke up in the morning knowing I must make my chicken pot pie for dinner that evening.  Now I know what you’re thinking, “Chicken Pot Pie is what won her the camera challenge?!”  Well yeah.  In my dream I get to win.  Oh, and my chicken pot pie is the BEST I’ve ever had…and I almost ALWAYS order the chicken pot pie if it’s on a restaurant’s menu, so I know a thing or two about chicken pot pie.

Chicken pot pie is a perfect dish in my house because T & I have such different culinary tastes, I can make 2 different fillings very easily and create individual pies with ingredients made specifically for each person.  I absolutely love the Le Creuset 16-Ounce French Onion Soup Bowls.  They are perfectly oversized without being ridiculous.  Use them for soups, salads, ice cream, chili…whatever you want.  Once you get a set, I swear you will not know what you used before you had them.

The recipe I’m sharing is my basic recipe, and I change the filling ingredients based on who’s pot pie it is.

(This recipe makes one 9-inch pie…or a little more than 2 Le Creuset Soup Bowls worth.  Here’s a hint: you can actually get 4 Soup Bowl Pot Pies out of the filling if you only fill it up about 3/4 of the way.  It’s still way more than a hearty portion.  I promise.)

WHAT YOU NEED FOR EVERY POT PIE:

• 4 Tablespoons Butter (1/2 a stick)
• 2 Cups Cooked Chicken, cut into bit sized chunks (I roast chicken breasts in the oven, but you could just as easily pick up a roasted chicken from your local supermarket’s deli section and save yourself some time)
• 1/4 Cup All Purpose Flour (you might need a few more tablespoons of flour, depending on your desired sauce thickness.  I like my sauce thick and saucy)
• 2 Cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth (I use the low sodium version because I like to have control over the amount of salt I put in.  Don’t worry, it’s not going to be bland.  I promise!)
• 1 Chicken Bouillon Cube, crushed
• 1 Cup Heavy Cream
• 1 Teaspoon salt, or more to taste
• FreshGround Black Pepper, to taste
• 1 teaspoon ground thyme (optional)
• Frozen Puff Pastry Sheets (one sheet for a 9-in pan or for 2 Le Creuset Soup Bowls, or 2 sheets for 4 Soup Bowls)
• 1 egg & 1 Tablespoon water, for egg wash

VEGETABLE IDEAS FOR YOUR POT PIE:

• 3 Celery Stalks, finely diced
• 3 medium Carrots, finely diced
• 1 large yellow onion, finely diced
• 1/2 Cup frozen peas

OR…

• 1 Large Baking Potato, diced into bite sized chunks about the same size as the chicken, parboiled
• The Kernels from 2 Ears of Fresh Sweet Corn, or 1/2-3/4 Cup of Frozen Corn Kernels
• 1 large Vidalia onion, finely diced

OR WHATEVER YOU WANT!  You could use whatever is in season.  Squash…Sweet Potato…whatever strikes your fancy.  (I used potatoes, fresh corn cut straight from the cob, and onions in these particular pies, but I LOVE the combo of celery, carrots, onions and peas!)

HOW TO MAKE:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Take the Puff Pastry out of the freezer and lay out to thaw (takes 30-45 minutes before it’s useable)

Melt butter in a large pot or Dutch oven.  Saute your vegetables of choice for a couple minutes, or until the onions turn translucent.

Add the chicken and stir to combine.

Sprinkle 1/4 cup flour evenly over the vegetable and chicken mixture.  Stir to combine and cook for a couple minutes, frequently stirring.

Pour in the low sodium chicken broth.  Stir well.  Stir in the crushed chicken bouillon cube.

Cook for a few minutes.  The chicken stock will combine with the flour, creating the beginnings of the most creamy gravy ever.

Pour in the heavy cream and stir.

Allow the mixture to cook over low heat.  The sauce will thicken gradually, but if after about 5 minutes, it’s not as thick as you would like, sprinkle in a little more flour, stir and allow to thicken to your desired consistency.

Add your salt, pepper and thyme (if using).  Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.  I usually end up adding a pinch or two more of salt, depending on what veggies I’m using.

Pour the chicken mixture into your pie pan, 8×8 casserole dish, OR into the individual dishes.

Cut your puff pastry according to size (I like to make mine hang over the edges.  It just looks so fancy!) and place on top of your filling filled dishes.  Make sure to cut a hole in the top of the pastry to let air escape.

Whisk egg and tablespoon of water in a small bowl.  Using a pastry brush, brush top of crust with egg wash.  This will make it a beautiful golden brown color when it’s done baking.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling.  Assuming you don’t want to burn your taste buds off, you’ll need to let the pie cool for about 10 minutes before serving.

Shovel into face.  Repeat.

Tagged as: chicken, chicken pot pie, comfort food