Chicken Pot Pie

        A while back I did a post on a Beef Pot Pie that I had made. Well, pot pies are somewhat of a
regular occurrence for dinner at my house so here is a follow up post about a Chicken Pot Pie.
Much like the beef pie, a chicken pie consists mainly of meat gravy and pastry. I am also partial
to having vegetables mixed in as well and this is no exception. This one featured peas and carrots, which I find go really nicely in this recipe. I hope your family enjoys it as much as my family does.




prep time for pastry and pie: 30 - 40 minutes

cook time: 35 minutes with an additional 10 - 15 to set

• 1 & 1/2 batches of your favorite pastry recipe
• 3 chicken breasts
• 1 medium onion
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 4 tablespoons butter - I've used olive oil with great results too
• 1/2 cup flour
• 2 cans of chicken broth (about 3 & 1/2 cups)
• 1/2 cup powdered parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 (12 to 16 ounce) bag of frozen vegetables

bake for about 35 minutes at 425 F and let sit for about 10 minutes before serving.

        The first thing that I start on is the pastry. Make 1 and 1/2 batches of your favorite two crust pastry recipe. I do 150% of my recipe because this will make a pretty deep pie and I like to have a thicker crust. You may find that your recipe is enough as it is. I divide the pastry dough into two parts (one slightly larger than the other), wrap in plastic wrap and put into the refrigerator until I've got the filling made.

         For the filling, I start after I get the pastry in the fridge to cool a little. Start by cutting the chicken and onion. I find it easiest to cut chicken while it is still a little frozen. Then after the onion and chicken is cut, I brown them. If needed, and this will depend on how lean your meat is, I add some extra virgin olive oil. About half way before the chicken is done cooking, add the garlic and salt and pepper to taste. As soon as the chicken and onions are done, I transfer everything into a suitable bowl to wait until the gravy is started.

        To start the gravy heat the butter in the saucepan. I like butter for the chicken pot pie because I think it compliments the other flavors really well. I have used extra virgin olive oil as well and that does a great job as well. After the butter has melted and is hot, add the flour and mix with a whisk to get all the lumps out. Heat the mixture for at least a minute, stirring often. Then add the broth or stock and parmesan cheese. Then mix with the whisk to get all the lumps out. Heat to a boil, then add the chicken and onion mixture that you saved. Again, heat to boiling. Add water until you get the consistency just a little bit thinner than you want the filling to be. Heat to boiling then turn the burner down as far as it will go. About half way through this process I preheat my oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

        At this point I roll out the pastry and line an appropriate pie plate. A 9 inch deep dish pie plate will work great. I happen to use my 9" x 9" square stoneware pan. It's a little more difficult to line the pastry into the pan but it works. As soon as you have the pie plate lined, mix the veggies into the filling and then transfer into the pastry. Now roll out and cover the pie, making sure to seal the edges well. Cut some slits into the top to vent and into the oven it goes. Place it on the middle rack and bake for about 35 minutes. Let sit for about 10 to 15 Minutes. You might not need to let it sit for a long as me because my stoneware pan keeps the heat really well.

        Using myfitnesspal.com as a reference, again, I estimate each 1/6th pie serving has:

• 835 calories
• 67 carbs
• 44 fat
• 41 protein

        I usually use a  big spoon to serve it with. I'm not really as concerned with cutting nice slices as I am getting a good mix of crust and filling, and my family has never seemed to be bothered by it. My kids love it and eat it right up. If I am fortunate enough to have leftovers they are great reheated up the next day for lunch. Enjoy ....