Tag: pot pie

Delicious Chicken Pot Pies

On By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Recipes4 Comments

Many of us grew up eating the pot pies that you can find in your grocery store’s freezer section, but making your own pot pie is certainly worth the extra effort. As with any food, making it yourself is usually healthier and tastes better. We had a delicious chicken pot pie when we were in Strasbourg and it was rustic and simple. Obviously you can make pot pies with turkey or beef as well, but chicken works out really well. It is a perfect way to use leftovers this holiday season in a way that doesn’t really feel like a leftover. We happen to have a mini-pie maker, which helps, but you don’t have to have one in order to make your own pot pies. You can buy premade pie crusts that are personal size in tin trays and just top with store-bought pie crust. The key to a really good pot pie is the stock that you use, so making a homemade stock is certainly worth the effort. Chicken pot pies are a perfect dinner for a cold winter evening.

Pot Pie Ready to Eat

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 cups Chicken Stock
  • 4 tbsp Unsalted Butter
  • 2 tbsp Vegetable Oil
  • 2 tbsp All-Purpose Flour
  • 1 Egg – egg white only
  • 1/2 cup Carrot – diced
  • 1/2 cup Onion – diced
  • 1/2 cup Celery – diced
  • 1/2 cup Frozen Corn – off of the cob (or peas)
  • 1 cup Russet Potatoes – parboiled and diced
  • 1 cup Cooked Chicken – diced
  • 1 tsp Garlic Powder
  • 1 tsp Dried Thyme
  • 1 tsp Dried Rosemary
  • 2 sheets Pie Crust (store-bought) – one package
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
Diced Vegetables
Miniature Pie Maker

INSTRUCTIONS

Be sure to cut the celery, carrots, and onion into equal sized pieces. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter along with the vegetable oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the carrots and cook for about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the celery and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes and then finally add the onions and cook until they are translucent. Remove the vegetables from the pot, leaving any drippings. Add the remaining butter and heat until melted. Add the flour and whisk until it is slightly brown and nutty, do not over cook. Heat the stock in a microwave until hot and then add the stock to the roux, making sure to whisk frequently as pouring it into the pot. Add the garlic, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper, and continue to heat until it reaches a slight boil. Reduce the heat to low and add the potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, corn, and chicken and cook until heated thoroughly and the stock has thickened. Spoon the mixture into the bottom sheet of pie crust (if using store bought pie pans, prick with a fork and partially cook in an oven before adding the mixture). The mixture should be about a quarter of an inch from the top of the crust. Cut the pie crust to fit the top of the pie and place over the mixture being sure to crimp the edges together with a fork or with your fingers. Brush with egg white and cook in the pie maker (or in the oven) for the directed amount of time, 12 to 15 minutes in our case. Let them rest a few minutes before serving.

Cook Vegetables
Flour and Butter to Make a Roux
Chicken Pot Pie Mixture
Pies with Filling
Brush with Egg White
Finished Pot Pie

 

Semi-Deconstructed Turkey Pot Pie

On By Isobar ExpeditionsIn France, Recipes2 Comments

One of the meals that we had when we visited Strasbourg was a very rustic chicken pot pie. Because of the fact that we wanted to share it, they basically prepared it deconstructed for us, which we actually enjoyed. We decided to make our own version of this hearty meal and it turned out quite delicious. Needless to say, it certainly wasn’t as elegant as the meal we had in France, but since it was just a weeknight meal for the two of us, that was perfectly fine. We happened to have left over turkey, so that is what we chose to use, but you could easily do something similar with beef, chicken, or even lamb. You could also use a puff-pastry instead of biscuits, but we liked the biscuits as it made a cross between a pot pie and dumplings. Obviously this recipe is very versatile, so you could add in different vegetables to create your own spin on the meal. It is really about what leftovers you may have on hand and what flavors you prefer.

Pot Pie Filling in Strasbourg
Our Pot Pies for Two

INGREDIENTS

  • 3 cups Turkey Stock (we used homemade stock, but you can use store bought chicken stock)
  • 1/2 cup All-Purpose Flour
  • 1 cup Red Onion – chopped
  • 1 cup Celery – sliced thin
  • 1 cup Potatoes – peeled and diced
  • 1 cup Carrots – peeled and sliced
  • 1 1/2 cup Cooked Turkey – diced
  • Biscuits – store bought or homemade
  • 1 tsp Fresh Thyme
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
Vegetables

INSTRUCTIONS

Sauté the onion and celery in a skillet over medium-high heat until they are soft and translucent. In a medium sauce pan, melt butter and stir in the flour to create a rue and add the stock and continue heating on medium-high heat until it simmers (alternately, you can heat the stock in the pot and mix the flour and some cold water in a bowl to create a slurry and then add that to the simmering stock). Add the carrots, potatoes, and cooked onion and celery to the broth. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 2 hours, stirring continuously. Once the potatoes and carrots are tender, the stew is done. Pre-heat an oven to the temperature in the biscuit directions (350 degrees in our case). Pour servings of the stew into oven-safe bowls and put the uncooked biscuits on top of the stew trying to cover it is fully as possible. Place the bowls in the oven for the time in the biscuit directions (16 minutes in our case). Remove and serve.

Sauté Onions and Celery
Simmer Pot Pie Stuffing
Put in Bowl with Biscuits and Bake
Our Version of the Pot Pie