Chicken Pot Pie By Sharon Food

CHICKEN POT PIE

Steps:

• For the chicken: Start by putting the chicken in a pot and covering it with water. Bring the water to a boil, and then reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 45 minutes, and then remove the chicken from the pot. Set the chicken aside to cool briefly.
• Shred the chicken with 2 forks, reserving the bones. For the stock, return the bones to the pot and boil for 20 minutes. Remove the bones from the pot and discard.
• For the pot pie: When you're ready to use the Thyme Pastry, remove from the freezer and allow it to sit on the counter to thaw slightly, about 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Begin by finely dicing the vegetables. Slice the celery stalks into narrow strips, then slice in the other direction to create a fine dice. Repeat this process with the carrots, and the onion.
• Melt the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots and celery. Saute until the vegetables start to turn translucent, a couple of minutes.
• Add 2 cups of the shredded chicken and stir to combine. Sprinkle the flour evenly over the vegetables and chicken, and stir to combine. Cook for a couple of minutes, stirring gently.
• Pour in the chicken broth, stirring constantly. Stir in the bouillon cube and wine if using. The flour will combine with the chicken to create a delicious gravy. Next, add the peas.
• Pour in the cream and stir. Allow the mixture to cook over low heat, thickening gradually, about 4 minutes. Season with the thyme, salt and pepper, and remove from the heat. Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed. Be sure it's adequately salted!
• Pour the chicken mixture into a deep pie pan or small casserole dish.
• Roll out the pastry so that it's 1 inch larger than the pan. Place the crust on top of the chicken mixture and cut small slits in the top. Press the crust gently into the sides of the dish to seal. I don't worry about making a perfect edge on my chicken pot pie because a) it looks more rustic and b) I'm lazy, hungry and I want to eat.
• Bake until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbly, about 30 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.
• To freeze: Allow the filling to cool completely then top with the crust. Cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and place in the freezer.
• To cook from frozen: Remove the pot pie from the freezer, brush with egg wash (1 egg mixed with 2 tablespoons water or cream) and place directly in a 375-degree F oven and bake until lightly browned and bubbly, 30 to 45 minutes.
• For the thyme pastry: Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Using pastry cutter, gradually work the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles tiny pebbles. This step should take 3 or 4 minutes.
• Lightly beat the egg with a fork, and then add it to the mixture. Next, add in the cold water and vinegar. Stir the mixture together until it's just combined, and then remove half the dough from the bowl. (Dividing the dough in half results in two pretty generous pie crusts. If you desire a thinner crust, you may divide the dough into three crusts.)
• Place in a large plastic bag (do not seal) and slightly flatten with a rolling pin. This makes it much easier to roll out the crust later. After flattening, seal the bag tightly.
• Repeat with the other half of the dough and place the plastic bags in the freezer. I like to make several batches of pie crust at a time so I always have a crust ready to go.
• For recipes other than this pot pie, remove from the bag and place on a lightly floured surface. With a rolling pin, begin rolling the dough from the center, outward. Be gentle and patient; it'll take a little time to get the dough completely rolled out.
• If you think the bottom is really sticking to the surface below, use a nice, sharp spatula to loosen it and sprinkle some extra flour on top. Then flip it over to finish rolling. Remember to roll from the center in single, outward strokes; no back-and-forth rolling.
• Again with a spatula, loosen and lift the pie crust and carefully lay it over a pie pan. Using your hand, lightly form the crust so that it fits inside the pan and overlaps the edges.
• Because it's quick and easy, I just tuck the excess dough under itself above the rim. Then you can apply whatever decorative effects that you like to the edge. Or you can leave it plain if you'd like! Just tell yourself it's more rustic that way!
• Fill the pie crust with filling and bake according to the pie recipe's directions. Or, for a pre-baked crust, fill with pie weights (or pinto beans placed on aluminum foil) and bake at 400 degrees F until golden, about 10 minutes.

DELICIOUS CHICKEN POT PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Saute onion, celery, carrots and potatoes in margarine for 10 minutes.
• Add flour to sauteed mixture, stirring well, cook one minute stirring constantly.
• Combine broth and half and half.
• Gradually stir into vegetable mixture.
• Cook over medium heat stirring constantly until thickened and bubbly.
• Stir in salt and pepper; add chicken and stir well.
• Pour into shallow 2 quart casserole dish and top with pie shells.
• Cut slits to allow steam to escape.
• Bake for 40-50 minutes or until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly and cooked through.

CHICKEN POT PIE

Steps:

• Make the dough: Combine the flour, sugar, salt, thyme and chives in a food processor and pulse a few times to evenly combine. Add the butter and pulse 7 or 8 times until the butter is in pea-size bits. Add the vinegar and 2 tablespoons ice water and pulse just until the dough starts to come together into a ball. (Add 1 to 2 more tablespoons ice water if the dough is too dry.) Form the dough into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate while you make the filling, at least 1 hour.
• Make the filling: Pile the 2 crushed garlic cloves, bay leaf, lemon peel, peppercorns and coriander seeds on a square of cheesecloth. Bring the corners together to form a pouch and tie with a piece of kitchen twine.
• Combine the chicken, chicken broth and cheesecloth pouch in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a rapid simmer and cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes. Remove the chicken to a plate using tongs. Strain the liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl; discard the cheesecloth pouch. Wipe out the saucepan; return the strained broth to the pan and keep at a very gentle simmer over low heat. Shred the chicken using 2 forks.
• Melt the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 10 to 12 minutes. Add the potato, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook until the potato is slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Add the 3 minced garlic cloves and the thyme and cook until softened, 1 minute. Add the vinegar and cook until the liquid has evaporated, about 1 minute. Stir in the flour until the vegetables are evenly coated. Pour in 1 3/4 cups of the strained chicken broth (save the rest for another use). Bring to a gentle boil and cook until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the heavy cream. Add the shredded chicken, parsley and peas and stir to combine and heat through; season with salt and pepper. Transfer the filling to a 9 1/2-inch deep-dish pie plate and let cool until no longer steaming, about 20 minutes.
• Bake the pot pie: Preheat the oven to 375˚ F. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pie dough into an 11-inch round, about 1/8 inch thick. Place it over the filling. Roll the overhanging dough under itself and crimp the edges with your fingers. Cut vents in the top of the dough. Beat the egg and 1 teaspoon water in a small bowl. Brush the crust all over with the egg wash. Place the pot pie on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until the crust is a deep golden brown, 50 minutes to 1 hour. Let cool 20 minutes before serving.

CLASSIC CHICKEN POT PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• In a heavy-duty pot, cook the onion, celery and carrot with the butter on medium to high heat until the vegetables are soft. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant (be careful not to burn). Stir in the flour and cook until a paste forms. Reduce to low heat and add the chicken broth, half-and-half, sea salt, sage, pepper, allspice, nutmeg, dry mustard and cayenne. Cook until thickened, periodically stirring. Remove from the heat and add the chicken and peas. (Pot pie filling can be made the day before and chilled, or day-of if using right away.) Portion the pot pie filling into 4 small oven-safe crocks or baking dishes, with at least 1 cup filling per dish. Cut the puff pastry sheets according to the sizes of the baking dishes, enough to cover the top.
• Bake until the puff pastry is golden brown and has risen, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve immediately.

CREAMY CHICKEN POT PIE

Steps:

• Sauté onion, celery, potatoes and carrot in butter for 10 minutes.
• Add flour to sautéed mixture, stirring well; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.
• Combine broth and half and half, also add ½ cup water; gradually stir into vegetable mixture.
• Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and bubbly.
• Stir in salt and pepper.
• Add chopped chicken, stirring well.
• Pour chicken mixture into a greased shallow 2 quart casserole. Top with pastry pie crusts.
• Cut slits to allow steam to escape.
• Bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes or until crust is golden brown.
• ** I add a little bit more half and half and add some water because otherwise it thickens too much. Don't let it get too thick before you pour it in the container to bake. The first time I made this it was too thick and ended up being a little dry by the time we got to eat it. So when it starts to thicken, go ahead and combine chicken with it and put it into the oven.

CHICKEN POT PIE BY SHARON

Steps:

• Mix chicken, green beans, mixed vegetables, sliced potatoes, condensed mushroom and chicken soup in casserole dish. (I mix in a big bowl and pour into my casserole dish).
• Mix 1/2 cup milk, egg and biscuit mix. Pour over chicken mixture.
• Bake at 400°F for 30 minutes or until golden brown.