epitome of comfort food. [chicken pot pie]

October 26th, 2020 by | comments

Hearty, and sometimes unhealthy, dishes are often worth the calories—one being this chicken pot pie recipe. It’s simple, yet full of flavor and texture, from the soft potatoes and vegetables infused with butter and thyme to the flaky homemade pie crust, baked to golden brown perfection.

This dish reminds me of when I lived in Ohio and my mom would make it on cold, winter nights. It’s one of those meals that warms you up inside and never fails to put a smile on your face. The homemade crust makes all the difference in the pie, as it has the perfect consistency and subtle salty flavor. This would be a great dish to add to your Thanksgiving menu!


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chicken pot pie
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4-6
 
Ingredients
  • Filling recipe:
  • 2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, poached
  • 6 cups (three 14.5 oz. cans) chicken broth
  • 2-3 ribs celery, for chicken broth
  • ½ medium yellow onion, quartered, for chicken broth
  • ½ medium yellow onion, finely diced
  • 1 cup carrots, finely diced
  • 1½ cups potatoes, peeled then diced into small cubes
  • 1 cup celery, finely diced
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • ⅓ cup unsalted butter
  • ⅓ cup flour
  • ¾ tsp. fresh thyme, finely chopped, plus more to taste
  • 1 tsp. salt, plus more to taste
  • ½ tsp. black pepper, plus more to taste
  • Crust recipe:
  • 1¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • ¼ tsp. salt
  • ⅓ cup cold unsalted butter
  • 3-4 tbsp. cold water
  • 1 egg slightly beaten, mixed with 1 tbsp. water for egg wash
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. For the filling:
  3. In a large pot over medium-high heat, add chicken broth, celery, ½ yellow onion and chicken breasts (make sure the broth just covers the chicken). Bring broth to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and poach chicken until cooked through, approximately 15-20 minutes. Remove chicken from the broth and cut into small cubes. Reserve 3 cups of the chicken broth.
  4. Next, cook 1 cup carrots, 1½ cups potatoes and 1 cup celery in 1 inch of boiling water, about 10 minutes or until tender. Remove from heat and strain.
  5. Heat a separate skillet over medium heat, then add ⅓ cup butter, flour, thyme, salt and pepper and whisk constantly for roughly 1 minute, until the flour has cooked. Next, add 2 cups chicken broth. Cook mixture until thickened, whisking often. Add in cubed chicken, carrots, potatoes, celery and peas. Season mixture with additional salt and pepper. If mixture is too thick for your liking, gradually incorporate additional chicken broth (don't let the mixture get too thin, as you want it to resemble a gravy). Once mixture has thickened and is seasoned to your liking, remove from heat and set aside.
  6. For the crust:
  7. Stir together flour and salt. Cut in the cold butter. Sprinkle 1 tbsp. water over part of mixture and gently toss with your hands. Repeat with other 2-3 tbsp. water, 1 tbsp. at a time, until dough comes together and is moist (you might not need to use all the water). Form dough into ball, cover in Saran wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
  8. While dough is chilling, transfer chicken pot pie mixture to a pie dish (or divide among individual ramekins if you are making personal pot pies).
  9. Once dough has chilled, roll it out on a lightly floured surface to desired thickness, then gently place on top of filling in pie dish. If you're making individual pot pies, cut the dough ball into the amount of pot pies you're making and roll out each crust. Crimp the edges on each pot pie. Gently cut small slits into the top of the pie dough, then lightly brush entire crust with egg wash (you won't use all of the egg wash).
  10. Bake chicken pot pie for 40 to 50 minutes, until crust is golden brown. Serve hot.

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