The great news for me about keeping up with this food blog is I have a lot of friends who are really good at cooking and can contribute some outstanding recipes when I get slow with my posts! Here is a recipe that Brian Hill (Guest Blogger) has made for us before and it really is the perfect comfort food. When he says to let it cool, he isn't kidding. The pots are crazy hot when they come out of the oven!
Sheri
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Winter is almost over (thankfully!) but there is still time to enjoy more comfort food! Comfort food may be the only good thing about winter, in my opinion. This recipe has become one of our favorites. In fact Deb has craved chicken pot pie every couple of weeks this entire winter! I saw Ina Garten make this on her Food Network show and followed the recipe exactly at first. But the last few times we have added or enhanced it as we make it. One of the best things about chicken pot pie is you can make it the same or different each time. Feel like something a bit spicy? Add some creole seasoning and okra instead of peas and call it Creole Chicken Pot Pie. We decided we missed potatoes so we added them and it was even better than the original version without them.
One of the most important things in chicken pot pie is making sure you have good chicken. For 4 pot pies we roast 3 large bone-in, skin on chicken breasts. Just rub them with olive oil and season with salt and pepper and roast on a cookie sheet at 325 degrees for 40 minutes. Let rest/cool before de-boning and cutting the moist chicken meat into chunks or tear into shreds if you prefer. You can make the chicken ahead of time if you are pressed for time when making the pot pies.
Next you want to get all of the vegetables ready for the filling. Cut the carrots and potatoes into small or medium size chunks (again it’s all about your personal preference). Blanch them in boiling water for about 3-5 minutes based on how tender you want them to be. They will cook for an hour in the pies themselves.
After your filling is at the desired consistency add the chicken, vegetables, heavy cream and season with salt and pepper. I can’t resist tasting at this point to make sure it is right – and because I can’t help myself at this point in the cooking process!
Now you are ready to prepare the pot pies for the oven (preheat to 400 degrees). You need 4 oven proof crocks that can hold about 2 cups or so of filling. We purchased oven proof soup bowls from Schnucks of all places ($3.99 each). We looked at Crate & Barrel and Bed, Bath & Beyond and could not find these crocks but the new, Des Peres Schnucks had them in the kitchen wares section! Make an egg wash by beating one large egg. Use a pastry brush and coat the top rim and upper outside portion of the crock so the crust won’t stick. Fill each crock with the delicious filling and top with store bought pie crusts. Ina Garten made homemade crust, of course, but we felt it was not worth all of the trouble. We have not been disappointed with Pillsbury premade pie crusts in the refrigerated section of the grocery store. No need to do anything with the crust other than cut in any shape you choose and cover the crock letting the crust go part-way down the sides. In my opinion the more crust down the side of the bowl the more you have to dunk in the pot pie! Brush the entire crust with the egg wash so it will have a nice brown finish. Cut 3 small slits in the top of the pot pie to allow steam to escape. Season crusts with kosher salt & black pepper.
Bake at 400 degrees for 1 hour. Make sure you let these babies cool down a few minutes because trust me they will be HOT!
Ingredients:
3 large bone-in, skin on chicken breasts
Olive Oil
1 stick unsalted butter
1-1/2 cups chopped yellow onion
½ cup flour
4 cups good chicken stock (try home-made!)
1-2 chicken bouillon cubes
1-1/2 cups Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled & cubed
1-1/2 cups carrot, peeled & cubed
1 cup frozen pearl onions
1-1/2 cups frozen peas
¼ cup heavy cream
1 package Pillsbury Already Made Pie Crusts (2 crusts per package)
1 large egg, beaten
Kosher salt & black pepper (to taste)
Chicken Pot Pie - Homemade Chicken Stock
Homemade chicken stock is amazing! You cannot even compare it to store-bought stock. And believe it or not, it’s easy! It just takes some time and patience. Start by buying a whole chicken, either already cut up or cut it into 4-6 pieces when you get home. Rinse chicken pieces thoroughly with cold water and pat dry. Put chicken (including heart, liver, gizzard, neck, back) into large stock pot and cover completely with cold water. Add 1 carrot cut into large pieces, 1-2 stalks of celery cut into large pieces, a quartered onion, 4 oz. or so mushroom pieces (can be stems only if you need the mushrooms for other purposes), 2-3 stems fresh thyme (or ½ teaspoon dried thyme), 2 bay leaves, 3-4 whole cloves & 10-12 whole peppercorns.
Bring the pot slowly to a gentle simmer and keep at a temperature that prevents it from boiling during the entire cooking process. You want a nice, gentle simmer. DO NOT BOIL AND DO NOT STIR! By not stirring or allowing the stock to boil it keeps it CLEAR which is important. Let this tasty mixture simmer for 2 hours or so. Carefully remove foam from the top as it appears. After 2 hours or so remove from heat and either pour through very fine strainer or ladle carefully into a large bowl. Allow stock to cool completely and remove any fat on the top. Put into airtight container and store in a cold part of refrigerator NO MORE THAN 5 DAYS. You can also freeze for 2-3 months.
It is wonderful having homemade chicken stock available for soups, rice dishes, polenta or grits. It adds so much more flavor than store bought stock.
Enjoy! Brian Hill (Guest Blogger)
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