Happy February, friends! In honor of this month of love, I am sharing my husband's all-time favorite dinner: chicken pot pie! Steamy potatoes, hot veggies, and tender chicken are baked in a flavorful, thick gravy and tucked in a flaky crust. This pot pie is soul-satisfying and addicting. You can't just have one slice, I'll warn ya!
Last week, my husband, Jacob, returned home from a week-long business trip. I asked him what I could do to help him relax when he got home, and he replied, "Please have pop and food".
Um, ok. I think I can handle that... (like we never have pop and food??)
So I decided to be super impressive and wonderful and make him his favorite dinner, buy 3 kinds of pop, and bake his favorite cake.
Maybe after the next business trip he can be a little more specific.
Last week, my husband, Jacob, returned home from a week-long business trip. I asked him what I could do to help him relax when he got home, and he replied, "Please have pop and food".
Um, ok. I think I can handle that... (like we never have pop and food??)
So I decided to be super impressive and wonderful and make him his favorite dinner, buy 3 kinds of pop, and bake his favorite cake.
Maybe after the next business trip he can be a little more specific.
This chicken pot pie recipe belongs to my mother-in-law, AKA "Chef Cha-cha". Believe it or not, she taught me how to make her son's favorite dinner. It was sort of a requirement for marriage.
This chicken pot pie takes a little bit of time and love to put together. It is always best to have everything chopped and ready before you begin cooking. Be sure to have at least a half-hour of interrupted time set aside to prepare the pie, too. It is TOTALLY worth it, trust me!
This chicken pot pie takes a little bit of time and love to put together. It is always best to have everything chopped and ready before you begin cooking. Be sure to have at least a half-hour of interrupted time set aside to prepare the pie, too. It is TOTALLY worth it, trust me!
I started off by peeling and dicing two potatoes into bite-sized cubes. I always microwave the potatoes for just a couple of minutes (until they can be pierced easily with a fork) to keep them from being too hard and under-cooked in the pie.
Shameless product recommendation: I absolutely LOVE my Pampered Chef Micro-Cookers. I have both the small and large sizes, and I have had them for years and years and years. The small one is perfect for the two potatoes.
Shameless product recommendation: I absolutely LOVE my Pampered Chef Micro-Cookers. I have both the small and large sizes, and I have had them for years and years and years. The small one is perfect for the two potatoes.
Dice up some onion, about 1/2 cup.
This next part can look different each time I make the pie. Sometimes, I will bake a few chicken breasts or even use leftover chicken depending on how it is seasoned. Lately, though, I've just picked up a rotisserie chicken. It's already so flavorful and tender, and sometimes I can make it stretch for another meal. I've used dark or white meat in this pie and both are wonderful.
Tear up the sections of the rotisserie you would like to use, about 3 cups.
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Well, look who decided to show up (here's my surprised face)!
"Do I smell chicken?"
"Do I smell chicken?"
The final bit of prep I do before cooking is to microwave or steam the pack of veggies for a minute or two and then mix them with the potatoes. I just don't like under-cooked veggies in my creamy chicken pot pie!
Okay- time to cook! Begin with butter, of course. About 1/3 of a cup.
Melt the butter on medium heat and add the onions. Allow the onions to simmer for a few minutes.
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Sprinkle in 1/3 cup of flour.
Stir the mixture for a few minutes. Everything will need to be stirred constantly for a little bit now. Don't leave your pan!
Reed is enjoying a high-tech night tonight. I can see him easily in the living room from the stove. Every once in a while we duct tape "roads" on the floor. Reed will pick some of my old pans to use as "mountains" and drive his cars around.
Yes, I am willing to duct tape my floors for time to make this chicken pot pie.
Yes, I am willing to duct tape my floors for time to make this chicken pot pie.
Go ahead and season the flour-onion-butter mixture with a teaspoon of salt and about a 3/4 teaspoon of pepper. We will probably add more seasoning later, but this is a good place to start.
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Ok, time to add the next set of ingredients. Add about 1 3/4 cup of chicken stock...
Reed decided to join me for a bit here. He is adding 2/3 cup of milk.
Stir in a can of cream of chicken and 2 chicken bullion cubes.
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Spend a few minutes stirring. No breaks allowed!
The mixture will become creamy and bubbly and smooth and beautiful.
Now for my favorite part. Dump in the chicken, potatoes, and beautiful veggies. Mix everything together and steal a few bites!
Here I add my secret ingredient: thyme. I add a big teaspoonful. Then I taste-test it and add more salt, pepper, or thyme to taste.
Oh my. Do I really have to put it in a crust? Because I will happily just eat it like this.
Okay, okay, I'll put it in a crust. Shortcut here- store-bought pie crust. Don't tell my grandma. Her pie crusts are amazing, and I know how to make them. She would not be happy with me.
But I'm hungry and I want chicken pot pie now! So I'm pouring the entire mixture into my deep-dish pie pan. If you don't have a deep-dish pie pan, have no fear! Freeze any leftover pot pie mix and make another pie another night. It freezes beautifully. It's a win-win!
But I have a deep-dish.
But I have a deep-dish.
Add another crust on top and make it look purty.
I always cut two slits in the top of my crust in case the mixture decides to get extra-bubbly. One time we carved a portrait of Oliver in the top, but I'm not ready to publish that yet!
Bake 30-35 minutes at 425 degrees. Batta-bing, batta-boom... you have chicken pot pie!
Jacob's favorite part- scooping out that first slice!
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It's so beautiful! And it smells amazing. My mouth is watering!
Okay, so please excuse me while I go make this again. Writing this post a week after making the pie has been torture! I could seriously eat this once a week! If I didn't already have plans tonight, this is what my dream night would be:
I would make this beautiful pie and bake it while Reed and I read books and he goes blissfully and peacefully to sleep without a peep, whine, or one-last-drink-of-milk-please. I will put on my comfy pjs and throw my current required college read, The Handmaid's Tale, out the window where it belongs (ugh, don't get me started). I will feel much better when I grab A Man Called Ove instead. Then I will sit on the corner of my couch with a cold Dr. Pepper, read, and scarf down chicken pot pie until my comfy pjs no longer fit. Then I will go to sleep for 12 hours.
But, I have other plans tonight. Sigh.
This, folks, is the ultimate comfort food. I hope you try it, and I know you will love it. Happy February!
I would make this beautiful pie and bake it while Reed and I read books and he goes blissfully and peacefully to sleep without a peep, whine, or one-last-drink-of-milk-please. I will put on my comfy pjs and throw my current required college read, The Handmaid's Tale, out the window where it belongs (ugh, don't get me started). I will feel much better when I grab A Man Called Ove instead. Then I will sit on the corner of my couch with a cold Dr. Pepper, read, and scarf down chicken pot pie until my comfy pjs no longer fit. Then I will go to sleep for 12 hours.
But, I have other plans tonight. Sigh.
This, folks, is the ultimate comfort food. I hope you try it, and I know you will love it. Happy February!
Chicken Pot Pie
Ingredients:
1/3 cup butter
1/2 cup of onion
1/2 cup flour
1 3/4 cup chicken stock
1 can cream of chicken
2/3 cup milk
2 chicken bullion cubes
1 teaspoon of salt, plus more to taste
1 teaspoon of black pepper, plus more to taste
3 cups of cooked and shredded chicken
10 oz package of frozen vegetables
2 potatoes, diced
1 teaspoon of thyme, plus more to taste
2 pie crusts
1/3 cup butter
1/2 cup of onion
1/2 cup flour
1 3/4 cup chicken stock
1 can cream of chicken
2/3 cup milk
2 chicken bullion cubes
1 teaspoon of salt, plus more to taste
1 teaspoon of black pepper, plus more to taste
3 cups of cooked and shredded chicken
10 oz package of frozen vegetables
2 potatoes, diced
1 teaspoon of thyme, plus more to taste
2 pie crusts
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Heat butter on low in large saucepan until melted. Saute onion lightly. Add flour, salt, and pepper and mix well.
3. Stir in chicken stock, milk, bullion, and cream of chicken. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir for one minute.
4. Add chicken, potato, and frozen veggies. Pour mixture in prepared crust, and cover with second crust.
5. Bake at 425 degrees until brown, 30-35 minutes.
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Heat butter on low in large saucepan until melted. Saute onion lightly. Add flour, salt, and pepper and mix well.
3. Stir in chicken stock, milk, bullion, and cream of chicken. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir for one minute.
4. Add chicken, potato, and frozen veggies. Pour mixture in prepared crust, and cover with second crust.
5. Bake at 425 degrees until brown, 30-35 minutes.
Did you enjoy this recipe? Try some of my other favorites in Table:
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