Chicken Pot Pie

Chicken Pot Pie is the epitome of comfort food. With its warm thick center and flaky crust, this dish has the ability to warm you to your core. 

The concept of this one pot meal is incredibly convenient, but the crust has always been an intimidating and time-consuming factor that discouraged me from making it in the past.

However, Cristina at Teenie Cakes has provided a simplistic element with her puff pastry crust that I just couldn't resist trying. 

I loved this recipe not only because of the effortless crust, but because it can conveniently be made in two parts by preparing the chicken mixture ahead of time and the puff pastry just before baking.  It's a perfect weeknight meal you can whip together any night of the week!

If you're looking to try this dish this week, the Southington Shop Rite located at 750 Queen Street is featuring boneless chicken breasts on sale for $2.34 in their weekly circular.  Act quickly because the sale ends today!

Recipe Tips:

• You can make individual pot pies if you have 7  8-ounce ramekins. If you decide to make them this way, you will have to use both sheets of puff pastry and cut each sheet into 4 separate squares large enough to allow the puff pastry to fall over the side. Then make 4 slits into each square. Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and bubbling.

• Make sure you get a nice overhang of puff pastry on your dish so you have extra pieces to dip into that yummy broth!

Chicken Pot Pie
Adapted from Cristina at Teenie Cakes
Servings: 4-7 servings (depending on the size of your baking dishes)
Prep Time: 1 hour
Bake Time: 2 quart dish- 45 minutes-1 hour 8-or 25-30 minutes

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

4 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, finely diced
2 carrots, diced into 1/2 inch thick slices
3 celery sticks, diced into 1/2 inch thick slices

1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

4 cups chicken broth
1 cup frozen peas
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

1-2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed

1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon water


Directions
Cut up your chicken into 1 inch cubes and season with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan over medium/high heat. Sautee for about 8 minutes, or until no longer pink. 

Meanwhile, finely dice your onion and cut your celery and carrots into 1/2 inch thick slices. Roughly chop 1 1/2 teaspoons of fresh thyme. Then in a large pot, cook your 4 tablespoons of butter, chopped onions, celery, and carrots over high/medium heat. Sautee for 5-7 minutes, or until the onion is translucent. 

Add your flour, salt, and pepper. Stir constantly until your mixture clumps together into a ball of dough, about 5 minutes. Add your chicken broth and whisk to combine. Continue to whisk regularly until your mixture reaches a boil. Cook at a boil, stirring regularly, for 10 minutes or until your mixture thickens. Lower your temperature to allow your mixture to reduce to a simmer and cook for another 10 minutes. Add your peas, thyme, and cooked chicken. Stir until combined. 

Transfer your mixture into a 2-quart ramekin dish (or 7 8-ounce ramekin dishes- see recipe tips above) and refrigerate for 15-30 minutes or until it reaches room temperature. If you leave your dish to refrigerate overnight, remove it from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking to allow your dish to reach room temperature. 

Then unfold your puff pastry square on a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough out with a rolling pin just enough to smooth the creases. The less you roll, the thicker the puff pastry crust will be. When rolling your dough, make sure your square is large enough to hang over the sides of the dish. If it is too small, continue to roll out the dough until it is large enough to hang comfortably. Cut four slits about 1.5 inches long in the center of the puff pastry square. Place your puff pastry over your dish, making sure to position the slits in the center. 

Brush with the egg mixture. Refrigerate for 15-30 minutes. Then place on a cookie sheet lined with foil. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour or until golden brown and juices are bubbling.

If you like this recipe and want to find more like it, visit my food blog Sprinkles of Parsley for more recipes with step by step pictures and tutorials!