An old fashioned chicken pot pie, made with a thick & creamy roux & veggies, encased in a flaky double crust.

Old Fashioned Chicken Pot Pie

A couple of food bloggers here recently near about apologized for posting dishes that they had been having tastes for, but that some people might consider a fall or winter dish. I don't even remember what it was now, but that doesn't matter. What struck me was that, well, if I have a taste for a certain dish, a craving if you will, I'm gonna make it, no matter the time of year! It's just silly I tell you, because frankly, Down South, we have pretty much one season 90% of the time. Hot.

Such was the reason for me making a chicken pie - something that I suppose some folks would consider to be a dish more geared toward the latter part of the year. I still have plenty of chicken in the freezer and for several weeks now I have simply been craving a chicken pot pie! So I finally got around to making one, and I could care less whether it's August or not. Who cares! I had a taste for it, and that's all the reason I need to cook something.

Now unlike some folks, y'all know I don't have a thing against condensed soups. Heck, they are a Southern Staple in many casseroles, including in this southern cook's collection, and rightly so! They make a quick and easy sauce. But just like a banana pudding made with homemade custard versus one made with pudding, while both are good, you really can't beat the homemade custard, I don't care who ya are.

And that's what makes this chicken pie so darned good, a fresh roux, seasoned just right, and finished with some good chicken stock and half and half. {whispers} Sssshh.... don't tell nobody, but this recipe has actually beat out a few grandma recipes. When I don't make my own homemade pie crust - which frankly is pretty darned easy with a food processor - I also only use the Pillsbury refrigerated pie crusts - no generic in this kitchen - been there, done that. Unlike the generics, Pillsbury pie crusts are reliable, consistent and simply an excellent product, tender & flaky and instantly available. Speaking of pie crusts...

Have y'all seen these press/pat in the pan pie crusts? Well, I have to say that I did try those a couple times and no offense to those of you who love them, but that was about the worse possible excuse for a pie crust that I've ever seen. I suppose if you're just looking for something to hold your pie up it's okay, but to me, if a pie crust isn't tender and flaky, it ruins the whole recipe! You can take the extra step to make your own - if you're up to it, of course. It's really not hard I promise!

I adapted my recipe to use the chicken I had on hand, but of course this is best when you boil down a whole chicken, debone it and use the chicken and the stock off of that, but as written it's delicious and a bit speedier as well. Even still, this recipe does take a little bit of prep because you're essentially pre-cooking the filling, so I've tried to organize the recipe so that you can move along step by step, and hopefully that will help, but trust me. It is worth every single second. The flavor of this chicken pot pie is just spot on. Enjoy!

If you think this sounds yummy, I'd sure ♥ it if you'd click to pin it, tweet it, stumble it, or share it on Facebook to help spread the word - thanks!

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Recipe: Old Fashioned Chicken Pot Pie

©From the Kitchen of Deep South Dish

Prep time: 15 min |Cook time: 40 min |

Yield: About 6 servings

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Ingredients

• 1 pound of cooked boneless, skinless chicken breasts or mixed chicken (about 2-1/2 cups cubed)
• 3 medium red potatoes, unpeeled
• 1/2 cup of frozen carrots
• 1/2 cup of frozen peas
• 6 tablespoons of salted butter
• 6 tablespoons of all purpose flour
• 2 cups of chicken broth or stock
• 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt
• About 8 turns of the pepper grinder
• 1/2 teaspoon of dried rosemary, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme, crushed
• 1-1/2 cups of half and half
• 2 homemade pie crust, or 1 box of Pillsbury refrigerated pie crusts, softened to room temperature

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Chop the potatoes into small cubes and place into a microwave safe dish. Cook on high for about 2-1/2 minutes or until tender. Set aside. In another microwave safe dish, add the carrots and peas; microwave on high for about 2 minutes, or until tender. Add to the potatoes.

In a large skillet, heat the butter over medium heat; add the flour in a tablespoon at a time, stirring in before adding the next. Cook, stirring constantly until mixture is bubbly and there are no remaining lumps, about 5 minutes. Slowly begin to incorporate the chicken stock, stirring vigorously until fully incorporated. Add in the seasonings and stir in well. Remove from the heat, add the salt, pepper, rosemary and thyme. Stir in the half and half until smooth.

Stir the chicken into the cream mixture, then add the potatoes, the carrots and peas; mix well. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Unroll one of the pie crusts and place into a 9-inch, ungreased deep dish, glass pie plate. Gently press the crust down into the bottom and edges of the pie plate. Pour the hot filling into the crust and top with the remaining crust, tucking the top crust up under the edges of the bottom crust. Flute the edges and cut vents into the top of the crust.

Bake immediately at 425 degrees F for 15 minutes. Remove and place strips of foil around the edges of the crust to prevent overbrowning. Return to oven for an additional 15 to 25 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbling. Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting.

Cook's Notes: Use a deep dish pie plate for this recipe. Make sure that the oven is preheated and at temperature before filling the pie crust, because you want to fill the pie, top it and put it into the oven immediately to bake.

Biscuit Topping: Prepare the filling as above, eliminate the pie crusts and make a batter using 1-1/2 cups of all purpose flour, whisked together with 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1-1/2 teaspoons of baking powder. Stir in 1/2 cup of milk, blend together and add 1/4 cup of butter that has been melted. Pour batter on top and bake at 425 degrees F for 40 to 45 minutes, or until crust browns.

Mini Hand Pies: Use a small ramekin to cut out circles, approximately 4 inches in size. Let the filling cool before spooning several tablespoons of filling into each circle, folding over and sealing the edges. Cut vents into each pie and bake in a preheated 425 degree oven on a Silpat or parchment covered baking sheet, approximately 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown and filling is hot.

Source: http://deepsouthdish.com

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Posted by Mary on August 10, 2009

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