Chicken Pot Pie, the ultimate comfort food. Am I right?
I love one dish meals. Even better is if they include a large variety of protein and vegetables. While I am not sure I can classify Chicken Pot pie as a Health food (a girl can dream though, right?) this recipe is full of real food and fresh ingredients.
I play with this filling many different ways. There is, of course, the actual Pot Pie method where it is baked inside a buttery, flaky crust. There is the option to skip the crust, add a little more broth, and serve as a soup. If you are doing this as a means of cutting out gluten, you may use dried potato flakes as a thickener and omit the flour.
When I served this to my family the other night, we ate it over top of leftover biscuits. I baked them all together in a casserole pan and it was delicious. The whole family went back for seconds. It is such a crowd pleaser, great for potlucks, family dinners, and meal deliveries to hurting families.
The opportunity to gift a comfort food that still has vegetables and provides solid nourishment is important to me. I have been on the receiving end of meal trains and always appreciated the meals that gave a little more nutrition to fuel my body through grief. Comfort and energy together are a mighty force.
Just take a look at these tasty ingredients:
6 chicken tenderloins (cooked and shredded)
2 cups water
2 Tablespoons better than Bouillon Condensed Chicken Base
- Any Chicken stock will do the job, but the broth makes this recipe. I am always so pleased with my Better than Bouillon brand base. I use it in all my soups, I even stir a bit in to homemade bone broth to add its richness and enhance the flavor.
3 large carrots (diced)
4 celery stalks (diced)
1 small yellow onion (diced)
1 cup Corn Kernels
2 Tbl Butter to saute
1 Tbl Garlic
1 1/2 tsp Oregano
1 1/2 tsp Basil
1 tsp Thyme
1/2 tsp Black Pepper
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Paprika
1/2 c Butter + 2 Tablespoons
1/2 c AP Flour
1 c Milk
Directions
1- First things first, cook your chicken. You can boil it and shred it, bake it with just a touch of salt and pepper, or use leftover chicken. It just has to be pre-cooked and in small chunks.
2- Fill a pot with 2 cups water and bring to a boil.
3- Dice your carrots, celery, and onions into 1/2″ pieces and saute in 2 Tablespoons of butter until they are soft. Add the garlic and kernels of corn, continue cooking for another few moments, and enjoy the aroma.
4- Stir bouillon base and seasonings into pot and turn off heat.
5-Remove sautéed vegetables from pan and set aside.
6- Meaure out your butter and flour and grab a whisk. You will want them all handy. Place pan back on stove, turn to medium heat, and melt butter. Turn off burner and whisk butter while gently sprinkling in flour. You should have a roux now. It should be a light, golden brown, and look similar to jarred baby food in consistency.
*this is the step that can be omitted if you are opting for a gluten free soup. You could simply sprinkle a 1/4 cup or so of potato flakes into the broth and cook on low heat, stirring occasionally, until you reach your desired consistency.
7- Slowly strain the chicken broth into the roux, whisking regularly. You should have a gravy like consistency if you want to place in a pie.
More juices=more overflow=messier oven. Ain’t nobody got time for that.
8- mix all ingredients together.
-if using as a soup. Simply turn up the heat a few minutes before serving so it is nice and hot.
– if making as a pie, place in your crust and bake at 375* for around 30 minutes, or until golden brown.
*link included for a tasty crust from a baking blog I enjoy. I may write my own someday, but really….why mess with a good thing? This crust works wonderfully.
-if baking with bisuits. Place pre-cooked biscuits in a casserole pan, smother with pot pie, and bake at 375* for 20 minutes.
Fireweed Faith 