Send to KindleIs there another dish that reminds you of home and comfort any more than a chicken pot pie? Considering you’ll find pot pies on almost every diner and family style restaurant menu, I think not.
Like many of you, my first taste of chicken pot pie was one of those individual frozen pot pies. In fact, I’m pretty sure that’s the only kind of pot pie I ever had when I was growing up. Homemade chicken pot pie wasn’t exactly on the dinner rotation at our house. I don’t really think that was much of a problem, considering how quickly I would eat up those little pies. Although, having had one of those same frozen hockey pucks as an adult, either my tastes have changed or they changed how they make them because I couldn’t even choke it down. I think we each should take half the blame. (I think the reason why I’m not completely blaming them for bastardizing their pot pie is because the mojito’s are talking.)
The phrase “easy chicken pot pie” really is kind of silly, because if you’re reading a recipe that seems to be difficult, you should stop reading it. Homemade chicken pot pie should be almost as easy to make as going to the store, buying a frozen chicken pot pie, throwing it into the microwave (ICK) or oven, waiting for it to cool enough so you don’t burn the top 2 layers of your mouth and tongue off and eating it. And no, I’m not making that up. That’s one of the beautiful things about pot pies…they should be simultaneously delicious, comforting and easy to make.
I had previously posted an inside out chicken pot pie recipe on here before. I like that recipe because it makes individual pies and everybody gets a nice portion of that crunchy dough (YUM). This recipe is a little different. It’s still an easy chicken pot pie recipe, but it’s a bit healthier than its predecessor, and it’s another one of those recipes using leftovers that I’ve been trying to do here more and more. This is also more of a “group pie” in that it’s a larger pie that gets scooped out onto awaiting plates.
I used up some extra roasted chicken breasts I had in the fridge, along with a bunch of odds and ends vegetables. Instead of using heavy cream, a bunch of flour and butter, or even milk to thicken the sauce and make it creamy, I used non-fat Greek yogurt. No, the sauce is not as thick and creamy as a lot of chicken pot pies have, but it’s thick enough and soaks into the crust when it’s on your plate. I also used puff pastry to make the cooking process that much easier.
To make this easy chicken pot pie recipe even easier, feel free to use frozen veggies if you don’t have a bunch of fresh vegetables hanging around looking to be used up.
Relationship Advice
What’s considered cute in the movies doesn’t necessarily translate into the real world.
If you saw the movie Bridesmaids, you may have seen the part where Kristen Wiig gets asked out by the police officer who writes her a ticket for a broken tail light. Awwww….how cute.
It’s not really that big of an “AWWWWWWW” moment when it happens in real life. Well, I suppose it could be if he actually asked her out while the traffic stop was going on (and a lot of determining how precious the moment is would be dependent on the delivery of words and ticket). But when the moment of asking “the perp” out occurs after the fact (like days) and isn’t handled via a chance meeting but by a handwritten note left on the windshield of her car…..Well, it’s more stalker than cute.
Back in October, officer Chris Collins wrote a speeding ticket for Evangelina Paredes. Two days later, she found a note on her windshield (the car was parked in a lot next to her apartment) that said:
“It’s Chris … that ugly bald Stickney cop who gave you that ticket.
I know this may seem crazy and you’re probably right, but truth is I have not stopped thinking about you since. I don’t expect a girl as attractive as you to … even go for a guy like me, but I’m taking a shot anyways.”
He says he wouldn’t be surprised if she didn’t get in touch with him “but hey, I did cost you $132 — least I can do is buy you dinner.”
Paredes is now suing Collins, his police chief and the village (where she was pulled over) for using his police authority to access her records to find out where she lived and stalk her.
Would you be more flattered or freaked if this happened to you?
(Story via USA Today)
Recipe: Homemade Chicken Pot Pie
Ingredients
- 3 Slices Thick Cut Bacon (diced)
- 2 Cloves Garlic (minced)
- 2 Cups Sweet Onion (diced) = 1 Large
- 1 Cup Red Potatoes (diced)
- 2 Teaspoons Dried Thyme
- Kosher Salt
- Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- 1 3/4 Cups Carrots (diced)
- 1 1/2 Cups Broccoli (chopped)
- 2 (Large) Cooked Chicken Breasts (shredded or diced)
- 1 1/2 Cups Chicken Broth
- 1 Cup Plain Non-Fat Greek Yogurt
- 1/2 Package Puff Pastry (1 sheet) rolled out to approximately 9″x12″ or large enough to cover your dish.
- 1 egg (well blended)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Farenheit.
- Over medium low heat, saute the bacon until most of the fat has been rendered out (the bacon won’t be crunchy).
- Increase the heat to medium and add in the garlic and onion (stir frequently) and saute until the edges of the onions just begin to brown. (Approx. 7 minutes)
- Add in the diced potatoes and cook for approximately 5 minutes. The edges will start to slightly turn brown.
- Next add the carrots along with the thyme, a generous pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Continue sauteeing until the edges of the carrots begin to turn golden. Remember to keep stirring the vegetables as you saute them.
- Toss in the broccoli and chicken and stir to thoroughly combine everything.
- Pour in the chicken broth and continue cooking until the potatoes begin to soften. The time on this step will be determined by how small you cut the potatoes.
- Stir in the yogurt until it is well combined.
- Taste the mixture and add in any additional salt or pepper that you would like.
- Remove from heat and spoon into deep dish.
- Cover with sheet of puff pastry and cut pastry to fit dish.
- Cut several small slashes into the pastry to let steam escape.
- Brush with egg mixture.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until crust is golden brown.
- Let sit for 15-20 minutes before cutting into the pie so that things can cool off a bit and settle back together.
Quick notes
If you would like the liquid in the filling to be thicker, you can mix 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water. Mix well and slowly drizzle into the chicken mixture before removing from heat. Stir the chicken mixture and watch it thicken. Add the cornstarch mixture 1 tablespoon at a time so that it doesn’t thicken too much on you.
Variations
Feel free to use more or less meat and or vegetables in this dish. And use what you have on hand.
I used a 2 quart dish for mine and had about 1 1/2 cups of extra filling left over.
You can also use more chicken broth if you want your filling runnier or if you need more moisture in your filling.
This recipe leaves lots of room to play with it.
Preparation time: 30 minute(s)
Cooking time: 20 minute(s)
Number of servings (yield): 4
Culinary tradition: USA (Traditional)
Your Father did not like Chicken Pot Pie…….
So now we know why chicken pot pie was not on the menu at my house while growing up. LOL Thanks Mom.
Just fell onto My Mans Belly…. love the site! I can’t decide which recipe to start with and I love your casual style of communicating.
And to think, frozen pies were our introduction! I so remember that. This totally blows any frozen pie out of the water.