Chicken Pot Pie

I realized when publishing this recipe that I don’t have a photo of my own chicken pot pie so I borrowed this picture from Pinterest**

With the cooler weather (hopefully) approaching, it’s time to share one of my favorite comfort meals. I have mentioned before, but I don’t eat meat often, aside from fish, so when making this meal I have started to do half chicken pot pie and half just veggies– it’s much easier than it sounds, so just know that if you don’t like meat, you can leave that out and make substitutions and it’ll still be delish! I find myself making this whenever I have a house full of hungry people, or when we are craving a cozy, comfort meal. One of my favorite things about this recipe is that it can be prepared before it’s consumed– for example, a lot of times I would fully prepare this on a Saturday night just to have it ready to go when we get home after a game on Sunday. If you are wanting to make this the day before, follow all instructions up until I say to bake at 350 for 20-25 min. If you are preparing ahead, instead of baking, cover your pot pie with tin foil and place in the fridge until you’re ready to eat it, THEN, bake at 350 for 45 min.

Chicken Pot Pie gets a bad reputation for being a super unhealthy dish and thats because most of the pot pie that you eat from restaurants, or the pre made frozen ones are jam packed with heavy cream, butter and tons of salt. My recipe is made with a base of chicken broth instead of heavy cream, and although butter is used, it’s more for a bit of flavor versus a main ingredient.

There are ways that you can make this recipe more difficult if you wish– aka, making your own mashed potatoes. I don’t, just mostly because I don’t have the time and also because simply adding some sauteed garlic to store bought mashed instantly up’s their flavor (enough to question if they’re homemade). Another thing you can do to save time with this recipe is to purchase frozen peas, carrots and corn instead of cleaning and chopping carrots and boiling and removing corn from the cob– but, again, it’s all a matter of your preference and time! Regardless of the route you choose to go, this meal won’t disappoint and I promise it’ll become a staple in your home! P.S, kids love it too.

WHAT YOU NEED:

• Peas
• Carrots
• Corn
• Onion
• Garlic
• Chicken Broth (or Vegetable)
• Chicken (I buy a pre cooked rotisserie chicken and shred the white meat)
• 2 Tbsp Poultry Seasoning
• 2 Tbsp Thyme
• Salt & Pepper
• Mashed Potatoes (prepare on the stove top with some sauteed garlic and a bit of butter)
• Flaky Biscuits (optional, but nice to serve on the side– prepare as the instructions say)
• Pre- Made Pie Crust
• 1/2 Stick Butter

WHAT TO DO:

FOR THE PIE CRUST:

• How you prepare your pie crust will depend upon the brand that you purchase and if it is frozen or refrigerated. Typically when I make a massive pot pie I will pick up two pre made pie crusts. When I am making this meal just for our family, the typical frozen, circular, already in a tin foil pan crust will do the job. If you are making this for a larger group, or hoping to have left overs, i’d suggest getting your pie crust from the refrigerated section and layering the two in a big casserole dish. Side note: be sure to thaw to room temperature for at least 3o min before attempting to unroll (and longer if it is frozen). Follow the instructions on your pie crust as to how to prepare. Most of them are pretty standard and require being baked around 400 for 15-20 min, but just read yours to be sure! I typically preheat the oven while I shred the chicken and then when I pop the pie crust in and its baking, I prepare the filling.

FOR THE POTPIE FILLING:

• Start by washing/rinsing your veggies super well. Add some oil to a large skillet, add your onions and chopped garlic, allow them to saute until fragrant. Add in your peas, carrots, corn and any other veggies that you are wishing to add. Pour your broth over the top, and reduce heat to a low simmer. The amount of broth that you add is purely based off of preference: the more broth, the runnier, the less broth, the thicker. Most pot pie recipes call for flour because it thickens your filling– I personally prefer to use less liquid so that I can avoid adding something that’s sole purpose is to thicken– if that makes sense. If you do want a thicker filling, simply adding a bit of flour and heavy whipping cream to your broth & veggies will get the job done. Add the poultry seasoning, thyme, salt and pepper, and allow to simmer so that flavors can combine; roughly, 20-25 min.
• Once the pie crust comes out of the oven, I reduce the oven temp to 350 and then I add the shredded chicken in with the veggies. This is the point when I do a taste test to see if I need to add more of anything– sometimes I will add a little bit of butter and cream and other times I don’t, like I said before, this recipe really can be manipulated based upon your taste and dietary preferences!
• Finally, pour the potpie filling into prepared pie crust, top with mashed potatoes and then place it into oven at 350 for 20-25 minutes. I like to slice a few pieces of butter on top of the mashed potatoes just because it looks so delicious when the butter melts. I typically wrap the edges of my pot pie with aluminum foil to keep it from burning, I highly suggest doing this, or using one of those pie crust protectors if you have one!
• After 20-25 minutes, remove the pot pie from the oven, allow it a few minutes to cool. If you’re really trying to knock it out of the park, serve with flaky biscuits! Enjoy!

here’s to cooler days & comfort meals. xo, G