Chickless Pot Pie 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.

CHICKLESS POT PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• In a medium saucepan, combine the carrots, peas, potatoes and celery. Cover with water, bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, drain and set aside.
• In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the onions in the butter substitute until they are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the flour, salt, pepper, celery seed and garlic powder. Cook for 2 minutes to get the flour taste out. Slowly stir in the broth and then add the milk. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until thick, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the drained vegetables. Roll out one of the unbaked crusts and place in a 9-inch-deep pie plate. Pour the mixture into the bottom crust.
• Roll out the second pie crust and place on top. Seal the edges and cut small slits in the top to allow steam to escape. Bake until the pastry is golden brown and the filling is bubbly, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

CHICKEN POT PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Place the chicken breasts on a baking sheet and rub them with olive oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, or until cooked through. Set aside until cool enough to handle, then remove the meat from the bones and discard the skin. Cut the chicken into large dice. You will have 4 to 6 cups of cubed chicken.
• In a small saucepan, heat the chicken stock and dissolve the bouillon cubes in the stock. In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and saute the onions over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until translucent. Add the flour and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add the hot chicken stock to the sauce. Simmer over low heat for 1 more minute, stirring, until thick. Add 2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and heavy cream. Add the cubed chicken, carrots, peas, onions and parsley. Mix well.
• For the pastry, mix the flour, salt, and baking powder in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add the shortening and butter and mix quickly with your fingers until each piece is coated with flour. Pulse 10 times, or until the fat is the size of peas. With the motor running, add the ice water; process only enough to moisten the dough and have it just come together. Dump the dough out onto a floured board and knead quickly into a ball. Wrap the dough in plastic and allow it to rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Divide the filling equally among 4 ovenproof bowls. Divide the dough into quarters and roll each piece into an 8-inch circle. Brush the outside edges of each bowl with the egg wash, then place the dough on top. Trim the circle to 1/2-inch larger than the top of the bowl. Crimp the dough to fold over the side, pressing it to make it stick. Brush the dough with egg wash and make 3 slits in the top. Sprinkle with sea salt and cracked pepper. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour, or until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling hot.

VEGETARIAN "NO CHICKEN" POT PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Saute onion, celery, carrots and potatoes in butter 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 and tyme; add tofu 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.

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.

HOMEMADE CHICKEN POT PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Place 1 pie crust in a 9-inch pie plate. Poke several holes in the bottom of the crust.
• Bake crust in the preheated oven for 5 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool.
• Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Season both sides of chicken breasts with rosemary, parsley, salt, and pepper. Add chicken to the skillet and saute until golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes per side.
• Reduce heat to medium-low and add 2/3 cup chicken broth. Simmer, being careful not to overcook, just until chicken juices run clear, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate, allowing it to cool until the juices settle, about 15 minutes. Reserve pan drippings.
• Meanwhile, melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add pan drippings and garlic. Saute until garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add onion, salt, and pepper and cook until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Whisk in flour until mixture thickens.
• Add 1 3/4 cups chicken broth and milk, 1 cup of liquid at a time, whisking constantly. Remove from heat once mixture begins to thicken.
• Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces and mix with thawed vegetables and broth mixture until combined. Pour into the pre-baked pie crust. Cut slits in the remaining pie crust and place it on top of the pie, crimping the edges to seal and decorating them with tongs or a fork, if desired.
• Place pot pie in the oven and bake until crust is golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes. Check edges halfway through baking time and cover them with aluminum foil if they start to brown too much.