You guys. Chicken pot pie. How delicious is this food? I could eat this every day for the rest of my life and never get sick of it. This recipe is inspired by one of my college roommates and greatest friends, Leigh. Thanks girl for introducing me to this dish. My life and waistline will never be the same again.
I make chicken pot pie a few times throughout the year, usually using left over chicken or turkey at Thanksgiving and I rarely make it the same; generally just throwing a little of this and that in until it tastes right. I finally sat down and wrote down the recipe I used after a particularly good pie and boy am I glad I did.
Let’s get started. First, chop all those veggies and mince the garlic. If you are using leftover chicken go ahead and dice that up as well. If you are using fresh chicken, cook it through using whatever method you choose and then dice it up.
Next, add diced veggies to large pot or dutch oven with olive oil and turn heat to medium high. Cook veggies until soft and slightly browned. This should take about 10 minutes. Once they are finished cooking, take the vegetables out of the pot and place them in a bowl or on a plate and save for later.
Now time to start the roux. This is the base of the gravy and sounds more complex than it really is. Add the butter into the same pot that the veggies cooked in, no need to wash this pot or anything; we want to keep all those flavors. Turn burner on to medium heat and let butter melt. Once butter melts, add minced garlic and flour and cook for about 3 minutes while stirring constantly. Next, add milk, bouillon, and salt and pepper and cook until thickened.
Once thickened add cooked vegetables, diced chicken, and frozen peas into gravy and give it a good stir. This is the delicious innards of your pot pie. Inhale the scent of this mixture. Get out a spoon. Take a good scoop. Put directly into mouth. Applaud your excellent cooking skills.
Now for the pie crust. If you are in a hurry and you have some store bought crusts, feel free to use them. I have been in that place and you are going to end up with a wonderful meal. But if you have a tiny bit of extra time, make a double batch of this crust. I promise that you will not regret this.
Either way, roll out your crusts and cut them into strips. Pour your innards into a lightly greased 13″ x 9″ baking dish and use the pie crust strips to create a lattice on top. Brush the crust with a beaten egg and bake at 375 degrees F for 45-60 minutes or until the crust is cooked through and golden brown.
Round Pie Method with Top and Bottom Crust
- Cut pie dough in half and roll out.
- Place one rolled out crust in bottom of 9″ round pie dish. Add parchment paper on top of dough and fill with dry beans or rice.
- Bake at 425 degrees F for 10-15 minutes.
- Add innards to pie dishes.
- Cut second rolled out dough into strips to create lattice, or place rolled out dough directly on top of pie. Fold over and crimp edges to seal.
- Cut slits into top to vent during baking.
- Brush with egg wash.
- Bake at 375 degrees F for 30 – 45 minutes or until top crust is cooked through and golden brown.
Always remember that every pie is a personal pie if you try hard and believe in yourself.