Chicken Pot Pie 3 Ways

You remember them. Those individual chicken pot pies of yesteryear... frozen foil tins of something akin to thickened broth, skimpy bits of potatoes, nubs of carrot and, if you were lucky, even a few chunks of chicken, or at least chicken product. Not exactly an epicurean feast. Not even close. 

So, I ask you, what was the allure? Massive doses of MSG and convenience aside.  If presentation is everything, and it is, I'll hazard a guess. Avarice. Hungry people everywhere are attracted to the All-for-Me-entire pot-pie-in-miniature serving size. What kid (big or little) isn't? 

On that note, I give you Chicken Pot Pie Deluxe, both the individual and family-size versions, and the quick and easy variation- Deep-Dish Pot Pie, perfect for busy weeknight dinners. Try one. Try them all. Guaranteed to please the kid in you.

Deluxe Double-Crust Chicken Pot Pie

                                                                                                       © DJ Thorne, 2010 

Ingredients

  

• 2 large potatoes, peeled, diced, parboiled
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, diced or thinly sliced
• 1 medium rib celery, sliced
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• Salt & pepper
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 cups -or 1 (14 oz.) can chicken broth
• 1 chicken bouillon cube
• 1/3 cup heavy cream or Half-and-half
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
• pastry for double-crust pie - or 1 pkg rolled pie crust- recommended: Pillsbury

 Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425° F.  Parboil potatoes in salted water until just tender. Drain and set aside.
2. In large saucepan or deep skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add onion, carrots and celery and, stirring occasionally, saute until tender crisp. Add minced garlic and cook 2 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper.

Saute vegetables until tender crisp

3. Reduce heat to medium low and add flour to vegetable mixture. Cook and stir 3-4 minutes or until smooth and bubbly.

Equal parts flour and butter make a roux

4. Increase heat to medium and gradually whisk in the chicken broth.  Add the bouillon cube and cream (or half-and-half) and stir to combine.

Whisk the broth & cream until smooth

 5.  Add the potatoes and frozen peas to the broth mixture. Gently stir in the chicken. Bring the  mixture to a gentle boil, reduce heat and simmer 4-5 minutes or until mixture thickens. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

6.  Meanwhile, prepare crust. (See video below for crust-making tips and instructions) Gently press bottom crust into  a 9-inch pie plate and gently prick pastry with a fork. Add the slightly cooled pie filling and top with second crust. Pinch to seal. Flute edges and, with sharp knife, cut 4 or 5 slits into top center to allow steam to escape. If desired, for a polished finish, brush crust with a thin wash of milk or beaten egg.

Brush crust with thin layer of egg wash to create a glossy finish

 7. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Allow to cool 10 minutes before serving.

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Individual Chicken Pot Pies

You will need-

• 1 large baking sheet, preheated
• 6-8 oven-proof ramekins, custard bowls or miniature pie tins           
• Pastry for double-crust pie
• Recipe Deluxe Chicken Pot Pie (above)

Instructions

1. Preheat baking sheet in oven set to 375° F.
2. Follow above recipe through Step 5.
3. Roll out pastry dough on a lightly-floured surface. Using an inverted ramekin or individual pie tin as a guide, with a sharp knife cut out rounds about 1-inch larger than bowl or tin diameter.
4. Fill individual bowls/tins with the chicken mixture. Top each bowl with 1 round of pastry dough. Pinch along edges of bowl to seal and flute or crimp as desired (see above video for tips). With sharp knife, cut several slits in center of crust to allow steam to escape. If desired, brush crust tops with a thin layer of beaten egg.
5. Bake until crusts are golden brown and filling is bubbly, about 35 minutes.

Yield: 6-8 individual pot pies, depending on bowl size

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Quick & Easy Deep-Dish Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients

• 1 roll refrigerated pie crust (Pillsbury or generic, in dairy case)
• 2 (10.5 oz) cans reduced-fat condensed cream of chicken soup
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 (4 oz) can mushroom stems & pieces, reserve liquid
• 1 (16 oz) bag frozen mixed vegetables
• 2 cups cooked chicken, shredded or cubed
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400° F.
2. In large bowl, whisk together the soup (do not add water), milk and the reserved mushroom liquid. Add the mixed vegetables, mushrooms, chicken, thyme and pepper and stir to combine. Pour mixture into a 2-quart casserole dish.
3. Unroll the pastry crust over chicken mixture in casserole dish. Turn edges of crust under and pinch to seal. With sharp knife, cut 4-5 slits in center of crust. If desired, brush with beaten egg. Bake  until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly, about 40 minutes. Cool 15 minutes before serving.

Yield: 6 Servings

FYI LINKS

Classic Crisco Pie Crust Recipe