Friday, December 14, 2018

The Most Fabulous Chicken Pot Pie

The other night I roasted a whole chicken, Ina Garten style. 

I seriously think her recipe for roast chicken is the best there is. The chicken is always incredibly moist and full of flavor!


It's stuffed with a whole lemon, a head of garlic, and some fresh thyme, and roasts on a bed of onions and carrots. 


In the early fall when I have fennel coming out of the veggie garden, I include that with the carrots and onions. 

But either way, it's just a fabulous recipe for roast chicken, and I haven't varied from it since I first tried it way-back-when. 

The great thing about roasting a whole chicken is we get multiple meals out of one chicken. I always save cooked chicken in the freezer in smaller ziploc bags for use in soups, fajitas, sandwiches, salads, and other meals. And of course, the carcass is frozen to make chicken broth.

This time some of that tasty chicken was destined for Chicken Pot Pie. Because....YUMMM!


I started my weekend cook-a-thon a bit early.....my sweetie wasn't feeling well on Wednesday so he decided to stay home for dinner. When he's not around I usually just make a quick and easy meal for myself, so I decided to use the extra free time to make Kevin Lee Jacob's Pate Brisee

Honestly I was a bit nervous. Somehow making my own dough has always intimidated me. 

Now I just think I was crazy - this was soooooooo easy to make and seriously blows any refrigerated or freezer ready made crust wayyyyy out of the water! 

It was so easy to make that I decided while I still had everything out I would make a second batch. The first batch was destined to become that awesome caramelized onion and bleu cheese galette this weekend, and the second would be perfect for a chicken pot pie.
 

So, last night after work I got started. My oven got preheated to 375 degrees while I chopped a large onion, and got it sauteing in my big Calphalon saute pan in a little olive oil and a tablespoon of salted butter.

Next I diced 4 carrots and threw them in as well. I let them saute for about 7-8 minutes, and then added another tablespoon of butter and 1/3 cup all purpose flour. Everything got a good stir, and sauteed for another few minutes. 

I tossed in two cups of fat free low sodium chicken broth, and two teaspoons of Better Than Bouillon lower sodium chicken base. 

I let that simmer until it got nice and thick, and added a half cup of half n half. I seasoned it liberally with freshly ground pepper, and some garlic & herb seasoning. Then I added a sprinkle of Vermont Country Seasoning

I swear by that stuff, it makes everything better. 


A half bag of frozen peas and some dried parsley and we were ready to go!

So, here's where I made my only mistake. 

 
I should have taken my pate brisee out of the refrigerator earlier, so it could have been a little easier to roll out. 

Once it was out of the fridge for about 10 minutes, the rolling got a heck of a lot easier!

I'm using a pastry cloth and french rolling pin, as I read about on Kevin's blog. They seriously make it so much easier to roll out dough, and no sticking to the counter!  You rub a little flour into the cloth and onto the rolling pin cover, and the dough does not absorb the extra flour....which apparently would make the dough tougher. 

Next time hopefully I'll have a nice neat round disc.....but for this time, I wasn't being too fussy, I just wanted to get it in the oven.

Ok continuing on....


I put the chicken mixture into my Emile Henry 9' square baker - I seriously love my Emile Henry baking dishes, they are tough as nails but also gorgeous!  I topped it with my not so square rolled out dough, cutting off most of the excess and rolling it into a ball to store in the fridge for another project. 

I cut four slits in the top, and gave it a sprinkle of freshly ground sea salt and pepper

Into the oven it went, for a little over an hour, until the top was golden brown. 

The scent in the house was heavenly, my tummy was growling like mad!

 
Now, it won't win any beauty prizes, but let me tell you this chicken pot pie was out-of-this-world delicious!



That pastry crust was the best I have ever had in my life, and I mean that sincerely. If you have never made pastry crust, this is the one to try - it was so incredibly easy, and I will never again buy another pre-made pie crust!

It gives me hope that possibly my dream of making my own pizza crust might just come true, also!

And where do you think the pups were while all this cooking and baking and cleaning-up was going on?


Sharing a cozy chair in front of a roaring fire, that's where! They often share a chair, Molly & Monkey - they are thick as thieves these two, the best of friends!


The only thing they fight over is their toys, but Molly's holding on tight to her little fishy!

So tell me, what's something that you'll be experimenting with in the kitchen? I'm feeling invincible after conquering my fear of pastry dough and looking for more inspiration!

36 comments:

  1. I have always wondered about Ina’s roast chicken recipe. Now I have to try it. Like you, I get a lot of mileage out of one chicken, but mine is generally a rotisserie chicken from the local market. Now I am craving a pot pie, and a kitchen that looks as cozy and festive as yours.

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    1. The lemon, garlic, and thyme add just the right amount of flavor, and tying the legs together to close up the 'hole' means the lemon kind of steams inside the chicken - it really makes a difference! Hey, I get rotisserie chickens, too, you can't beat them for a quick meal. But when whole chickens go on sale they're coming home with me! Recently they were buy one, get one, so I did!

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  2. This sounds delicious but my husband will not eat chicken pot pie whether homemade or not.

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    1. Well we all have things we don't like, don't we, Carol? I never remember my mom making it when I was growing up, and I only recently made my first one (with a biscuit topping) - so this is my second version and a keeper!

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  3. Oh my that looks DELICIOUS! This time of year I crave food like that...thank for sharing!
    PS I always love seeing your adorable pups!

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    1. Well when it's wicked cold outside I think comfort food like this just warms us up, Linda! I crave things like meatloaves, cozy casseroles, anything that means putting on the oven I guess, since I leave it off for most of the summer!

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  4. Your pot pie sounds great! I grew up making pie crust from scratch. I am making a chicken pot pie tomorrow. And for the first time ever, I am experimenting making it in my cast iron pan. And it will have both bottom and top crust. If it works out, I will post about it.

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    1. Yes please do!! I wish I grew up making things like that from scratch. My mom made a few things from scratch (Irish Brown Bread, Irish Spice Cake) but I never remember her making pie crust or any sort of yeast bread. So here I am still learning new things at my age!

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  5. Okay, now you've inspired me to try my own pastry dough. The hubster loves Chicken Pot Pie and I use a store-bought pastry crust. Since you've said it is easy, I feel that should give it a try. I like different recipes, but if something looks like it is going to intimidate me or overwhelm me, I stay away. This recipe looks delicious! Have a great weekend! Love and hugs!

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    1. Same here, Benita! I've never even attempted to make my own pie crust before....it scared the heck out of me for some reason!

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  6. Mmmmm, looks wonderful - nice bakeware as well! -Jenn

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    1. It was a winner, Jenn, no doubt! I love that bakeware - I think I got it at Sierra Trading Post. I have the large version as well, which is perfect for a lasagna for a crowd.

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  7. Love roasting a whole chicken too, we get many meals from one like you do. I like to butterfly mine so all the skin gets crisp. Your pot pie looks yummy!

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    1. I never tried to butterfly a chicken, Carole - I imagine you could do it on the grill in that case?

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  8. You know I don't cook much, but I sure would love to come sit at your table to dine! Those pups are adorable! I wish Charlie would play with his many toys.
    Brenda

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  9. I love Ina's chicken! Been making it for years and have found nothing better. My grandmother always told me that the key to a good pastry dough was not too much flour and cold dough. I have a Bethany Housewares pastry board & cloth along with the sleeve, love it! I love your kitchen!! To me I've had stainless and hated it. The white appliances were just so much warmer looking, I know not everyone's cup of tea. How's the budgeting going? I'm just curious if you still use all the same cleaning products or have you changed to fit into your new budget plan.... Have a Wonderful Christmas, Patti Ann

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    1. I'm not a fan of stainless either, Patti, never have been! As for my cleaners, I buy what's on sale at Dollar General for doing things like toilets - they usually have Spic and Span or similar for a dollar, you can't beat that! For my counters/general cleaning I just ordered an all purpose cleaner concentrate from Grove - I absolutely love Grove, they have great eco friendly products and their prices are fantastic. A 2 pack of the concentrate is only $5.95 and is scented with essential oils - you can start here https://www.grove.co/s/perpartnerhome/?clickid=VyKTl%3Axh40xMxcETBmwZQR0%3AUkgR8jynIS7KzM0&irgwc=1&utm_source=Impact&utm_campaign=300x250_Grove%20Sink%20Free%20Gift&utm_medium=1271307&utm_content=independent&utm_term=acquisition&iruser=1&offer=perpartnerhome and search for cleaner concentrate and it will take you to the different varieties they have.

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  10. OMG Debbie you have my mouth watering. This looks so good. Chicken Pot Pie is one of my faves.
    Love seeing Monkey and Molly.
    Hugs,
    Kris

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    1. Can you believe I've only recently tried it, Kris? I don't remember my mom ever making this when we were kids!

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  11. This all looks delicious but sad to say I have to have a gluten free pie crust! Nancy

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    1. Good thing there are so many gluten free options available these days, Nancy!

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  12. That truly looks so delicious, I bet the aroma was amazing, it probably drove the dogs crazy! ha ha LOL love the picture of them on the chair. They look cozy and snuggly and content.

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    1. They love that chair, Debbie, you can usually find at least one of them on it!

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  13. I love seeing you with your cooking concoctions in winter, Debbie! This looks and sounds delish - true comfort food!

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    1. I cook all year long, Rita, but you're right, in winter I definitely turn to comfort foods!

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  14. You are a marvelous cooK! Your pot pie looks and sounds delicious! I make a chicken leek pot pie that you would love I think. I'll look for the recipe... and It might be on the recipe list on my blog, but I'll have to look there too, not sure.

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    1. Ooooh that sounds amazing, Karen Ann! I love a good potato leek soup too...yummm!

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  15. That pot pie looks amazing! It's now 10 am on Sunday morning and I am craving chicken pot pie. I'm a huge Ina fan too and her Roast Chicken is on rotation in our house too. I just listened to her on Willie Geist's podcast yesterday and she was so inspiring.

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    1. I'm tempted to order her new cookbook and wrap it up and put it under the tree for myself, Courtney!!

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  16. Your pot pie looks delicious! This is my ultimate comfort food on a cold winter day. I just love Ina aka The Barefoot Contessa, and in my mind she is my best friend! Hopefully your honey is feeling better. I wish you and yours the very merriest Christmas!

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    1. And the very same to you, Vickie! I think of you often and wonder how your house is coming along...hopefully you'll get time to get a post up one of these days updating us all!

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  17. Can you believe with all the cooking I do that I've never made homemade chicken pot pie?! I think it's the crust that intimidates me. I'm admittedly not good with anything with pie dough, pizza crust dough, biscuits, that sort of thing. I MIGHT get brave and try this, we'll see. It sure looks delicious!

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    1. This is only my second one, Melanie - the first I made with a biscuit topping using Bisquick. This one was definitely better, without a doubt! You should try that pastry recipe, I think it will convert you - I know it has changed my cooking life! I made the galette last night and OH MY GOSH it was seriously one of the best things I've ever tasted!!!

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  18. Molly and Monkey are so cute! Well I had to go to Vermont seasoning link and save that for later because I can't resist a new seasoning or vinegar, and to Kevin's blog that I also saved for later. I've never used a pastry cloth, I use one cabinet that is topped with marble for all pastry making but it is a pain to clean up after so I might try this, especially since I read there that you can just store the cloth in the freezer for next time--genius! Homemade chicken pie is my favorite comfort food! And I like to make it for company too because of the looks on their faces that tell me that this is no frozen chicken pot pie from the grocery store. A world of difference! I use Pat Conroy's recipe for roast chicken and it's much like Ina's, but I've never tried fennel bulbs in it, that sounds good. But I so agree that the best chicken broth of all comes from a chicken roasted yourself, not from a box--although I do keep some of that on hand too. What is your favorite store bought broth brand? If you buy it.

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    1. Hi Dewena! I first picked up that seasoning when I was visiting my daughter in Vermont, I think at Dakin Farms, or perhaps some shop in Burlington. I loved it so much I've been ordering a few at a time online ever since! As for the pastry cloth, yes I've been storing mine in the freezer and it's such an easy peasy cleanup, plus you use less flour as you rub it into the cloth - I love it!! I used it for making pizza dough over the weekend, too - I don't know what I was so afraid of all these years! Ok I'm off to check out Pat Conroy's roast chicken recipe! For boxed broth, I keep it on hand also for when I'm out of my own broth....I use Swanson fat free lower sodium broth usually, although any decent fat free lower sodium broth will do in a pinch. I just made a crockpot of broth yesterday so I'm set for a while!

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