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Saturday, February 12, 2011

Cheaters Chicken Pot Pie

I was in the mood the other night for something totally comforting.   I had just received a Woman's Day magazine in the mail so I started flipping through for inspiration and came across a recipe for Chicken Pot Pie. 

Growing up my Pot Pie always had a top and bottom crust with chicken and veggies in the middle swimming in gravy.  Since being in Lancaster County, Pot Pie is basically a soup with big homemade "pot pie" noodles and chunks of chicken.  I haven't made the kind with crust in a long time and when I found this recipe using frozen puff pastry for the crust I considered it cheating...but I just had to make it anyway. 

I changed up the original recipe a little by adding a potato and switching up the spices.  The original recipe called for fresh tarragon.  I used half of the amount called for, but the husband was not a fan at all.  If I made this again, I would up the thyme and poultry seasoning and take out the tarragon completely.  If you are a fan, by all means, tarragon it up :)

Here is what I did:

Cheaters Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients:
1 1/4 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
3 cups of chicken stock (I used homemade but you can buy it too)
2 tsp poultry seasoning
2 tbsp olive oil
3 leeks (white and light green parts sliced into half-moons)
5 medium carrots (cut into circles)
1 extra large potato cut into little cubes (mine was about 1 pound)
Salt and Pepper
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup white wine
1 1/2 cups frozen peas
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 tbsp fresh tarragon, chopped
1 tsp dried thyme
Frozen puff pastry, thawed ( I ended up using 1 and 1/3 sheets because my dish was oval)

In a deep skillet or pot, heat up chicken stock and add chicken breasts sprinkled with poultry seasoning.  Simmer until chicken is almost fully cooked.  Remove the chicken and set aside until cool enough to handle.  Reserve the chicken stock in a bowl for later use.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. 

Using the same skillet, heat the olive oil and add the leeks, carrots, and potato.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cook about 15 minutes or until vegetables are softened, but not fully cooked.  Stir in the flour and cook for one minute.  Add the wine and scrape all of the veggie bits off of the bottom of the pan.  Slowly add the 2 1/2 cups of reserved chicken stock.  Bring to a boil. 

Add the peas, parsley, tarragon, and thyme along with about 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. 


Transfer the mixture to a casserole dish and cover with the puff pastry. 



Vent the top and bake until the pastry is golden brown. 


Mine took 30 minutes but the original recipe said 35-40 minutes.  I say check it at 30 minutes and then add additional time if needed.


It helps if you have a great helper too.  I recommend adorable 4 year olds :)


Hope you like it!

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