Hi everyone! Glad you’re Cookin’ with me today!
As we continue in the Fall of 2020 hiding our smiles behind masks, refraining from the physical hugs so we can stay 6 feet apart and washing our hands so they are free of any remnants of a virus that has changed our world forever, I can’t help but think about what it means to look for ways to feel comfort and warmth. Whenever I get overwhelmed and need to take a deep breath I go back to where it all starts……my home kitchen. My home kitchen is where I can celebrate gratitude for all the love I have in my life and victory when I master cooking a dish like the Chicken Pot Pie and then serving it to family and friends. It is so fulfilling when you have put hard work and love into something, and the outcome is bringing joy to others.
I love to celebrate the many occasions with my signature dish, my Chicken Pot Pie. I consider it my “Meal of Triumph”! Adapted from a Southern Living cookbook gifted to me when I was first married, it is a true southern dish that is full of comfort, warmth, and goodness. I make this dish for so many celebratory occasions, such as graduations, engagements, holidays, christenings, birthdays and so many more! We make up reasons to have the Chicken Pot Pie in my family.
My husband and sons can’t remember when they had their first Chicken Pot Pie, but they said they don’t remember when they didn’t have the Chicken Pot Pie, so I guess it stuck with them! And I consider that the best compliment ever!
I have also given it to those who have suffered a loss, or are under the weather, recovering from an illness or surgery, or just need a pick me up to say, “I’m thinking about you and I care!”
The Chicken Pot Pie is the first dish I ever sold when I started my business, Madeline’s Meals & More in 2008. It meant such a great deal to me and the support I received from loved ones was overwhelming. Family and friends seemed to enjoy it so much that when it was time to actually start a food service business, it was a “no brainer” to start with the Chicken Pot Pie.
The recipe is fairly straightforward, with ingredients that are simple and wholesome. It isn’t hard to master, but it does take some attention and care when putting the ingredients together to make the filling and the crust. It can take up to 2 hours from start to finish, but the time is so worth it!
I so hope you set aside the time to make this heartwarming dish. So, with heartfelt wishes for a wonderful Chicken Pot Pie cooking experience……
Let’s Get Cookin’
Madeline
Cozy Chicken Pot Pie
Equipment
- Blender with Dough Hook , or a Food Processor or Mixing Bowl with Pastry Cutter
- 4 - 8 Quart Pot with Lid
- Rolling Pin
- 10" pie plate or 9"x12" oven safe pan.
Ingredients
Pot Pie Filling Ingredients:
- 5 tbsp butter
- 1 cup cut carrots If using already peeled baby carrots, I roughly chop into 1/4 - 1/2 inch pieces. If using regular size carrots, peel and slice into 1/4 inch slices.
- 1 cup celery Peel and slice into 1/4 inch slices.
- 1 cup diced onion I use white onion.
- 4 cups cooked, and pulled or chopped chicken 4 cups is about 1 1/2 - 2 lbs of raw chicken
- 1 tsp poultry seasoning
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 cup flour
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup light cream or half and half Using light cream will give you a thicker creaminess to the taste, and half and half will be less thick.
Pot Pie Crust Ingredients:
- 1 cup flour
- 6 tbsp chilled or frozen butter In order for your crust to have the air pockets and come out more flaky, you want your butter as cold as possible.
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 3 -4 tbsp ice cold water Make sure your water is ice cold so it interacts with the chilled butter to help make the crust flaky.
Instructions
Pot Pie Filling Instructions:
- 1. Preheat your over to 400⁰ on Bake setting.
- 2. Lay out your chicken in an oven safe pan and cook your chicken in the 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in the center.
- 3. Meanwhile, melt butter in the 6 - 8 quart pot.
- 4. Add vegetables into the pot and sauté vegetables until tender.
- 5. Add salt, pepper and poultry seasoning to taste.
- 6. Add the flour and stir until absorbed, cooking 3 - 5 minutes.
- 7. Add the cream and broth by alternating them, stirring constantly until absorbed into the vegetable mixture. Stir frequently until filling thickens and hold onto the spoon without thinly dripping from the spoon when the spoon is held above the pot.
- 8. Turn temperature down to low-medium and add the cooked chicken. Cook for a few more minutes until chicken is absorbed into the filling.
- 9. Remove pot from heat.
- 10. Put the filling into a 10" inch pie plate or 9" x 12" inch oven safe pan and set aside.
Pot Pie Crust Instructions:
- 1. Cut butter into 1-inch cubes.
- 2. Place in a blender with a dough hook, or a food processor, or in a mixing bowl where you will use a pastry cutter.
- 3. Add flour, salt and pepper to your blow, blender or food processor.
- 4. Begin to blend mixture and add ice cold water in while blending until dough forms into little dime size shapes. Continue to blend some more until dough gets just shy of sticky.
- 5. Once dough is formed into a ball-like mixture, wrap dough in parchment paper and chill in refrigerator for 15 minutes.
- 6. Once dough has been chilled, put dough onto floured board and roll out into a 9” x 12” rectangle using a rolling pin or if making a 10” round pie, roll into an 11-inch round circle.
- 7. Place onto pot pie and pinch the edges.
- 8. Cut 1-inch slits into crust spread out around the pie (about 6 or so slits) with a small paring knife in order to let steam out during cooking.
- 9. Bake for 40-45 minutes uncovered at 400⁰.
- 10. Remove from oven when done and wait about 10 – 15 minutes before serving because the filling will set up a little better. If you cut it too quickly, the filling is somewhat liquidy when first out of the oven.
