Tuesday, February 23, 2016

Chicken Pot Pie Oh My!

We've had a mild winter.  And yes, I know that saying that out loud increases the chances that Mother Nature will hear/read this and make me sorry I noticed.  The mild winter has been good for lots of things.  Less salt and sludge in my garage, for example.  More days on which Abby can ride her bike after school (I may or may not be glad that this wears her out), for another.  Not having to wrap myself in 39897 layers just to get the mail--another bonus of a mild winter.

That said, the mild winter has meant a hit to my collection of cozy foods.  I guess that's been good for my waistline and all that, but nevertheless....I would be super okay with one of those bowls of coziness for dinner.  The kind you're obligated to eat while wearing woobie pants, covered in a comfy afghan, sitting in front of the fireplace, watching hockey.  Does that not sound like an awesome way to wrap up a day?  I mean...

Lucky for me (or something....), I noticed that our high temperatures later this week will be in the 30s.  I tried not to smile when I saw those numbers, but a little grin did manage to escape.

Because a high of 31 degrees means a cozy dinner...and all of its trappings.

The only trappings I don't want were the ones that linger on my hips and thighs.  So I am pretty psyched to have found this recipe.  It's from Real Simple, and it appears to live up to its name.  And it's not going to undo all of my work, either.  I didn't use an entire stick of butter; I sauteed the veggies in some olive oil and only used the butter to make the roux--is that how you spell it?  Oh, you know what I mean, right?   

Cheers to you, enjoy and stay warm!


Lightened Up Chicken PotPie

What You'll Need:


  • 1 31/2- to 4-pound rotisserie chicken
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
  • 5tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling crust
  • 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 large onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons fresh thyme
  • 4 medium carrots, cut into 1/4-inch dice
  • 1 10-ounce package button mushrooms, stems trimmed, caps quartered
  • 1 10-ounce package frozen peas
  • 1 store-bought pie crust (such as Pillsbury)

What You'll Do:
  • Heat oven to 425° F. Remove meat from chicken, discarding the skin and bones. Shred chicken into bite-size pieces and place in a large bowl.
  • Melt 5 tablespoons of butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. When butter bubbles, whisk in the flour. Cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture turns golden brown, about 3 minutes. Slowly add the broth in a steady stream, whisking constantly to prevent lumps from forming. When all of the broth has been added, increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, whisking occasionally for 5 minutes, or until thickened slightly. Remove from the heat.
  • Melt 2 of the remaining tablespoons butter in another large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add thyme and carrots and cook just until carrots are tender, about 5 more minutes. Transfer vegetables with a slotted spoon to the bowl containing the chicken.
  • Melt remaining butter in the same skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook over medium-high heat until mushrooms release their liquid, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low, season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and simmer until liquid evaporates. Remove from the heat and add to chicken along with the peas, reserved sauce and remaining salt and pepper. Toss well and spoon into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.


  • Lightly flour a clean work surface. Roll dough until it is slightly larger than the baking dish and about 1/4 inch thick. Carefully place the dough over the pie filling, tucking the edges underneath. Bake until crust is golden brown, about 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 350° F and bake until the filling starts to bubble at the edges, 20 to 25 minutes more. Cool for about 5 minutes before serving.

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