Chicken Pot Pie

This recipe and photography was provided courtesy of local cookbook author and chef, Carla Snyder. Learn more about Carla and discover her recipes at Ravenouskitchen.com, or in her cookbook, One Pan Whole Family.

On the nights of the monthly dinner dance at the Elks Club, my mom usually fed us kids frozen chicken pot pies for dinner. She’d pop them in the oven then dash back to the bedroom to put on make-up and sparkly earrings. My brother, sister and I would watch from the bed while Dad stepped into his tuxedo with the plaid cummerbund. The oven timer would ding and we’d race back to the kitchen, anxious to crack the crispy crust hiding chicken and vegetables floating in a creamy sauce. Oh, yeah. We were really livin’.

Though I might not consider myself lucky to get a frozen pot pie today, I do still love the comforting idea of saucy, hot, chicken and veggies with a crust. The good news is, it isn’t that hard to make a truly wonderful pot pie. Ready in less than one hour, you won’t believe how easily this childhood favorite comes together.

It’s that easy: In order for this dish to cook quickly, the potatoes must be cut very thinly in order to be cooked through when the dinner bell rings. Just quarter and then slice them into 1/4-in pieces.

For more simple dinners featuring classic rotisserie chicken, click here.

Chicken Pot Pie on the Fly

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

• 1 onion
• 4 carrots
• 1 stalk celery
• 4 new potatoes
• 2 tablespoons fresh sage plus a little extra to sprinkle over the pastry or 1 teaspoon dried
• 2 tablespoons parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon salt plus more for sprinkling
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
• 1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 1 teaspoon cider vinegar or lemon juice
• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed but well chilled
• 1 tablespoon milk

Method

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. On a large cutting board, chop the onion and thinly slice the carrot, celery and potato and transfer the vegetables to a medium bowl. Mince the sage and parsley and transfer the herbs to individual bowls.
3. Heat a 12-in frying pan over medium-high heat and add butter. Add the bowl of vegetables and 1 1/2 tablespoons of the sage and cook for another 3 minutes or until the vegetables begin to soften. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute then quickly stir in the chicken broth and shredded chicken. Continue to stir 4 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the peas, vinegar and parsley. Taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt and pepper if it needs it.
4. Lay the chilled puff pastry out on a lightly floured work surface and cut it into large squares. Lay them in the pan, piecing them together to cover the top of the pie patchwork style. Brush the pastry with the milk and sprinkle it with the remaining sage. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until the top is crispy and golden and the vegetables and chicken are tender.
5. Divide the pot pie between heated plates and serve hot. Eat slow.

Extra Hungry Kids? Add 1/2 cup thawed frozen corn along with the peas. Adult Taste Buds? If you have it, a sprinkle of truffle salt elevates this dish to master status.

In the Glass: How about a lean Pinot Noir with this creamy, rich chicken pot pie. I’d be happy to see a bottle from A to Z on my weeknight table and so will you.

Click Here to Print the Recipe for Chicken Pot Pie on the Fly.