Kamis, 11 Januari 2018

Chicken Pot Pie


My Number 1 comfort food - chicken pot pie

Perhaps my favorite comfort food is chicken pot pie. 

I grew up eating Swanson frozen chicken pot pies. I loved those pasty concoctions. 

I liked them so much I talked my Mother into making her own homemade chicken pot pies.


My Mom the cook in her kitchen  - she made great biscuits and gravy (December 20, 1975)


My Mother was a pretty good cook but somewhat limited. She never did learn how to make a flaky pie crust. Her pie crust tasted like cardboard. Of course a prime ingredient of a chicken pot pie is a flaky, calorific pie crust.

She also wasn't too good on the filling. I like white meat.  She would fill her chicken pot pies with all the chicken meat; brown, white and even the chicken gizzards and liver. Lots of sorting out for me when I ate one of her chicken pot pies.

Occasionally I've had chicken pot pies at restaurants. Sometimes they  were pretty good.  

I've purchased chicken pot pies at the supermarket.  Although they were relatively expensive, they were bland and tasteless. Not worth the five bucks I paid for them. 

In the past I've tried making my own chicken pot pies from various recipes in my many cook books. They never turned out right.  I think the problem was that I always followed the recipes exactly. 

One thing I've learned in my old age is that it is all right to alter recipes to my taste. I thought this was against the law to alter printed recipes. Really, I did. 

Now I alter recipes to my taste. This doesn't always work out but most times it does. One of those successes was this week.  I made the best chicken pot pie I've ever had in my life.  And I am going to share it with you, my loyal readers!

INGREDIENTS

Crust

1 bit refrigerated pie crusts, softened as directed on box

Filling

1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup shopped shallot
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 3/4 cups chicken broth (from 32-oz carton)
1/2 cup half and half
2 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 celery stalk cut to preference
1 carrot cut to preference
1 cup frozen peas
4 small new potatoes (with skin) cut to pref



Steps


  • Heat oven to 425 degreesF. 
  • Place one pie crust in large pie glass dish and bake in oven until brown. Remove from oven.
  • In 2-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add chopped shallots; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until tender. Stir in flour, salt and pepper until well blended. Gradually stir in broth and half and half, cooking and stirring until bubbly and thickened. 
  • Place mixed vegetables in baked pie crust. 
Uncooked vegetables in backed pie crust

  • Pour cooked white sauce mixture over chopped vegetables. 
White sauce poured over uncooked vegetables - will blend as it bakes

  • Top with second crust; seal edge and flute. Cut slits in several places in top crust.
  • Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until crust is golden brown. 
Baked pie

  • Let stand 5 minutes before serving.


After the pie has cooled, cut slices and enjoy. The only problem is that you won't be able to stop at one slice. Yum!

Flaky pie crust, crunchy, fresh veggies, delicious white sauce - very tasty!