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Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Chicken Pot Pie

Chicken Pot Pie
I love it when the second Wednesday of the month rolls around, because that means it's time for another round of the Blogger CLUE Society (more about this at the bottom of the post). Our theme this month is potatoes, and the blog I was assigned to do a little clue hunting on was none other than Cake Duchess, written by my friend Lora.

I came back several times to dig for potatoes on Lora's blog, changing my mind about what I was going to make every time. At first I thought I'd make her Purple Cauliflower and Potato Gratin, but apparently this isn't the time for purple cauliflower in my markets, because there was none to be found. Sure, I could have made it with white cauliflower, but that wouldn't have been as fun.

Next, I had my heart set on making something that I haven't made in a few years—homemade gnocchi. But not just regular gnocchi, potato and butternut squash gnocchi! There was a butternut squash sitting on my table, potatoes in the potato bin (and by potato bin, I mean a makeshift box that I keep in a dark spot in the kitchen). I even dusted off my gnocchi paddle. And then I just didn't.

I do that...get bouts of laziness. Push tasks back. I once mentioned that it only took me 10 years to make my husband a loaf of chocolate bread. It's that kind of thing.
Chicken Pot Pie
I went back to Cake Duchess to do a little more digging and came across this Easy Turkey Pot Pie recipe that I'd been wanting to make since she first posted it. It didn't have potatoes in it. Here's the thing, pot pie was one of my all-time favorite foods growing up...and the ones I ate did have potatoes in them. I remember, because aside from the flaky crust and the chunks of chicken or turkey, the potatoes were my favorite part. So, I figured that Lora wouldn't mind if I added some potatoes to it.

As I was grabbing the carrots and celery from the crisper, I noticed about half a bunch of kale hanging out. That went in the pot pie, too...along with a little garlic. Other than that, I didn't mess with a good thing.

Chicken Pot Pie
Tender chicken, potatoes, kale and veggies in a savory sauce tucked under a flaky, golden pie crust. Chicken pot pie is the ultimate comfort food.
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Chicken Pot Pie
by Heather Schmitt-Gonzalez
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Keywords: entree nut-free soy-free sugar-free chicken potatoes American

Ingredients (serves 6-8)
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 small carrots, chopped
  • 2 stalks celery, chopped
  • large handful kale leaves, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 cups cooked, diced chicken
  • 1 med-large Yukon Gold potato, cooked until almost tender & cubed
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 heaping tablespoon fresh thyme
  • sea salt
  • ground white pepper
  • 1/4 cup white wine
  • 3 cups chicken broth or stock
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1 unbaked pie crust, homemade or refrigerated
  • 1 large egg beaten with 2 tablespoons water (egg wash)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375° F. Have a 10" to 12" cast-iron or oven-safe skillet ready.

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium-high heat, then add the onion, carrots, celery, and kale. Cook until the vegetables start to turn tender and the onion turns translucent, 5-7 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another minute.

Sprinkle the flour over the top and stir until it is all absorbed, cook for 2 minutes. Add the chicken, potatoes, and thyme; season with a good smattering of salt and pepper. Pour in the wine (if using) and let bubble for a minute, pour in the chicken broth; let the sauce come to a bubble and thicken up a bit, 2-3 minutes.

Stir in the cream and let it continue to bubble gently for 3 minutes. If sauce seems too thick, stir in a bit more broth to loosen it up. Taste again at this point, and adjust seasoning if needed—this is your last chance to do so. Pour everything into the reserved skillet.

Roll the pie crust out on a lightly floured surface and set it over the filling, tucking in the edges against the sides of the skillet. Cut a slit (or similar) in the top to vent the steam.

Carefully brush a thin layer of egg wash over the crust (discard extra). Set the skillet on a large baking sheet or over foil (to catch any bubble-ups) and slide into the preheated oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the crust is a deep golden brown, and the filling is bubbling at the edges.

Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

notes:
If you don't have leftover cooked chicken and want to make this, start with about 1.25 pounds of uncooked, skinless, boneless chicken. Saute or poach it, then chop it up to use in recipe.

You can also substitute cooked turkey (great for Thanksgiving leftovers) and/or turkey broth.

Make a Curried Chicken (or turkey) Pot Pie by adding 1 to 1-1/2 tablespoons of good curry powder when you add the flour; omit the thyme.
Chicken Pot Pie
Oh, and will somebody please tell me I'm not the only one who can't hear the words "chicken pot pie" without turning into Donnie...

The blogger C.L.U.E (Cook, Learn, Undertake, Eat) Society meets every month in a game of mystery, intrigue, and fun! We are given a theme and secretly assigned another member's blog; our mission is to hunt through our assigned blog to find a recipe that fits the theme through our eyes. We then head into the kitchen and recreate the recipe and post together on reveal day!

I'm a lifelong mystery-lover, my favorite board game is CLUE, and I'm a believer than there's no better way to get to know somebody than through food—is there any doubt that I enjoy this event!?

Today is reveal day, and this month's theme is: POTATOES. Join me in reading about the food hunted down this month in the #bloggerCLUE member's kitchens!