Stuff My Kid Eats

You’ve heard me mention before that word “chicken” in response to “what’s for dinner?” can insight a riot from my toddler. That is unless the word “chicken” is followed by the word “pie.”  As you can see from the photo above, the little stinker pulled a steps tool up to the counter and started to dig in before I could get her plate to the table.

Chicken Pot Pie

There’s a lot of different ways to make chicken pot pie, and a lot of different crusts you can use; the way I’ve always done it is by filling individual ramekins with chicken, vegetables, and gravy, then topping them with a light and buttery sheet of puffed pastry. Feel free to skip the individual dishes and use one large one, or alter on the veggies if you want (for instance I add broccoli, which isn’t traditional), and if puff isn’t your thing, then swap it out for phyllo dough. Just don’t forget to thaw the pastry in the refrigerator the night before, otherwise you’re going to end up with a couple frozen, unusable blocks of dough that have no business near your beautiful chicken – I know this first hand. (To adapt this recipe for vegetarians, see Vegetarian Modifications at the end of the recipe.)

Chicken Pot Pie

Serves 6

• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1 shallot, finely diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 Tbsp. fresh thyme, minced
• 3 Tbsp. flour plus more for dusting
• ½ cup Sherry
• 2 cups chicken stock (see recipe in Homemade Stocks)
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 cup diced carrots, from about 3-4 carrots
• 1 cup pearl onions, peeled and cut in half (fresh or frozen)
• 2 cups russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes (from about 3-4 potatoes)
• 1 cup diced celery, from about 3-4 celery stalks
• 1 cup diced broccoli
• 1 rotisserie chicken, meat removed from bone and torn or cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 cup peas (fresh or frozen)
• 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 2 Tbsp. fresh Italian parsley, minced
• ½ tsp. sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 sheet frozen puffed pastry, thawed overnight in the refrigerator
• 1 egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Heat butter and oil in a large skillet set over medium heat, until butter has melted and begins to brown. Add shallots and thyme and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add thyme and garlic and cook until just fragrant, about 1 minute. Add flour and cook until thick and starting to brown. Add sherry, stirring and cooking until liquid has reduced by half, about 2-3 minutes. Add milk and stock and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.

To the simmering liquid, add carrots, pearl onions, and potatoes and cook until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Add celery, broccoli, chicken, peas, Worcestershire sauce, parsley, sugar, and salt and stir until combined. Cook for another couple minutes until all the ingredients are covered in gravy.

Scoop chicken mixture into individual oven-safe baking dishes or ramekins, or one large oven-safe baking dish, filling to the top.

Lightly dust a work surface with flour and roll out puff pastry dough to get rid of the seams. If you’re making individual pot pies, then with a sharp knife, cut rounds slightly larger than the circumference of ramekins. Place a pastry round over each filled dish, crimping the edges a bit and allowing about ½ of dough to hang over the sides. If you’re making one large pot pie, lay the sheet of dough over the baking dish, with a sharp knife, trim the dough to fit, leaving ½-inch overhang, crimp the edges slightly.

Brush dough all over with egg wash and use a sharp knife to make a few small slits in the top for steam to escape. Place baking dish(es) on a baking sheet to catch the drips.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the inside is bubbling at the edges.

VEGETARIAN MODIFICATIONS

• Omit chicken and replace with 1 additional cup each of carrots and broccoli.
• Omit chicken broth and replace with vegetable broth.