Sunday, October 9, 2011

Chicken Pot Pie



Today was a beautiful, warm day, but now that we're entering the chillier months, it's time for some warm dinner recipes!

I have never had chicken pot pie before, but when I saw a recipe for it on this blog, I decided I had to give it a try. It is actually a lot of work, not that any of the work is complicated, but there are several elements of this dish that have to be made (namely the veggies, the sauce, and the crust). I went with a different crust than the one in the original recipe because I am trying to avoid using butter/margarine-y things. The crust did not taste bad, but it didn't quite make enough to go over the whole pie.

The chicken pot pie itself was extremely good. The recipe is quite filling and makes a lot, so depending on the amount of people you're feeding, it can be dinner for a few nights (or dinner and then lunch the next day). I'm definitely going to make it again (though I might try a different crust recipe, or just double the recipe to make more crust), but not for a while. I'll save it for a day when I have a lot of time to work on dinner.

The other thing is that the original recipe has the pie split up into individual servings. I would have loved to try that, but I do not own mini soup crocks and the ramekins I have are really too small to be a full serving. But if you do have mini soup crocks and/or big enough ramekins, I would definitely give the individual serving thing a try!

Chicken Pot Pie
Adapted from here.

For the filling:
3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 large russet potato, peeled and diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, diced
8 oz. button mushrooms, sliced
½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
Dash of salt and pepper
3-4 chicken cutlets (I prefer thinly sliced)
1-2 cups frozen peas and carrots


For the sauce:
8 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 cup all-purpose flour
2½ cups chicken broth (I made this using chicken consomme boiled in water)
Dash of hot sauce (optional if you like your food to have a little kick. I used the hot sauce this time, but I think I will leave it out next time only because I don't like my food to be spicy)
Dash of salt and pepper

Directions:

Cook the chicken cutlets on 350 F for about 25 minutes. I drizzled some olive oil on top of them so they wouldn't dry out (I also covered them in tin foil).

In a large skillet, saute the onion and potato in olive oil for about five minutes. Add the garlic, pepper, and mushrooms and saute for another 15 minutes or so. Cut the cooked cutlets into bite-size pieces. Turn off the fire and add the chicken pieces and the frozen peas and carrots to the pan. Add the red pepper flakes, and sprinkle in salt and pepper to taste.



Next, make the sauce:

Over a medium flame, whisk together the flour and oil. Add in the chicken broth and mix until thick. Add the hot sauce (if using), salt, and pepper. Pour and stir into the chicken and vegetable mixture.


Now, for the crust. Here is the original recipe. Before making the crust, preheat the oven to 375 F.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup white unbleached flour
1/4 cup canola oil
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup cold water

Mix the flours together, and then add everything else (I did not freeze anything, even though it said to in the recipe). Roll or flatten out to desired size and thickness and add to the top of the pie. Ideally, the crust should come up over the sides of the baking dish, like a pie crust would. (My crust did not make enough for me to do this.) I would recommend possible doubling this recipe, depending on the size of the pan you are using to bake the chicken pot pie.

Bake on 375 F for 20-25 minutes, and enjoy!

1 comment: