Chicken Pot Pie

“Can you please make something that we will all eat?” says an exasperated David.  He does know that I write a recipe and cooking blog, right?  Let’s make a deal: I’ll only make dishes that you and the kids enjoy and you agree to only buy companies that will deliver a profit when you exit the investment.  To be fair – because that’s the kind of rational wife that I am – he has survived a string of not-so-blog-worthy recipes recently and some of those dishes hit his plate on the same night. 

So you can question my rationality for selecting a casserole-like dish as the next test recipe for a casserole-averse guy.  After eating it, his comment was “it’s good for what it is.”  I will take that as a compliment.

This recipe makes a 9-inch pie which was sufficient for 4, maybe 5.  Double the recipe if you want more or to have leftovers.

Ingredients

Chicken Pot Pie

1.      1 1/2 whole (3 split) chicken breasts, bone-in, skin-on

2.      1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

3.      Kosher salt

4.      Freshly ground black pepper

5.      2 1/2 cups chicken stock

6.      1 chicken bouillon cube

7.      6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter

8.      1 cup yellow onions, chopped (1 onion)

9.      1/3 cup all-purpose flour

10.  1/8 cup heavy cream

11.  ¾ - 1 cup russet potato, peeled and cut into bite size chunks

12.  ¾ - 1 cup mushrooms, cut into bite size chunks

13.  1 cup medium-diced carrots, blanched for 2 minutes

14.  ¾ - 1 cup package frozen peas (half of a 10 oz bag) 

For the crust:

1.      Store bought pie crust like Pillsbury in the refrigerated section.  Yes, you can make your own – and if you do, I salute you. 

2.      1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the chicken breasts on a baking sheet and rub them with olive oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, or until cooked through. Set aside until cool enough to handle, then remove the meat from the bones and discard the skin. Cut the chicken into bite size chunks. You will have 2-3 cups of cubed chicken.

In a small saucepan, heat the chicken stock and dissolve the bouillon cubes in the stock. In a large pot, melt the butter and saute the onions and potatoes over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until onions are translucent and potatoes are softened. Add the flour and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add the hot chicken stock to the sauce. Simmer over low heat for 1 more minute, stirring, until thick. Add 1 teaspoons salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and heavy cream. Add the cubed chicken, carrots, peas, and mushrooms. Mix well.

To bake the chicken pot pie:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Pour the filling into a 9 inch ceramic pie dish.  Brush the outside edge of the dish with the egg wash, then place the dough on top.  Crimp the dough to fold over the side, pressing it to make it stick.  Brush the with egg wash and make 3 slits in the top.  Place on a baking sheet and bake for 30-40 mintes, or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling hot.