Recipe Wednesday - Simple Chicken Pot Pie

I LOVE chicken pot pies, but I'm not a huge fan of the ingredients in most of the store bought ones and I just can't justify the cost of buying Applegate Farms frozen pot pies, even though they're very tasty. We have a Gordon Ramsey recipe that we cook up every so often, but the pancetta and cream make it pretty unhealthy and the puff pastry is pretty labor intensive. I was really excited when I saw a new and simpler pot pie recipe on Weelicious.

Chicken Pot Pie (Makes 4)

This works best if you make it as a team - C made the filling while I made and rolled the dough.

Crust (my own version, visit Weelicious for the original):

1 stick butter, chilled and cubed
1 1/4 cup AP flour
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
3 tablespoons very cold water

The original crust was shortening-based, so I substituted my super-quick butter-only crust instead. It's not going to be quite as flaky but it will still be tasty and won't clog your body with trans fats (I'm not claiming butter is healthy, but at least we know where it comes from!).

In a stand mixer with beater attached, mix flour, sugar, and salt until combined. Add the butter and beat on medium until the chunks are no bigger than pea-sized. Trickle in the cold water while you mix until the dough just comes together (sometimes it takes me an extra 1/2 tbsp or so). Since this is quick crust you don't need to refrigerate, so just cut it into sections and roll (8 portions if you want top and bottom crusts, 4 pieces for top crusts only).

Pie Filling (this is directly from Weelicious):

2 Cups or 1 14 oz Can Chicken Broth
2 Chicken Breasts, boneless, skinless
4 Tbsp Butter, divided
1 Small Onion, minced
2 Stalks of Celery, diced
2 Carrots, peeled and diced
1 Tsp Fresh or 1/2 Tsp Dried Thyme
3 Tbsp Butter
3 Tbsp Flour
1 Cup Milk
Salt
1 Cup Peas (frozen)

1. In a saucepan, bring chicken stock and chicken breasts to a boil, reduce to a simmer, partially covered for 12 minutes. Remove the chicken breasts to a plate, reserving the chicken broth, and when cool, cut the chicken into bite size chunks.

2. Heat 1 tbsp of the butter in a saucepan over medium heat and cook the onions for 4 minutes or until translucent.

3. Add the celery, carrots and cook for an additional 3 minutes.

4. Melt the remaining butter into the vegetables and sprinkle the flour over and stir to make a roux. Cook for 1-2 minutes stirring to coat the vegetables.

5. Add the milk, reserved chicken broth and peas and simmer over low to medium for 10 minutes or until thick and creamy.

6. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

7. Place 1/4 of the mixture in 4 10 oz ramekins or 1 large ramekin.

8. Dust a flat surface with flour and roll out the dough 1/4 inch thick (about the size of a pie plate).

9. Place the ramekins on the dough upside-down and cut 1/2 inch wider around to make the top crust of the pot pie.

10. Place the cut-out dough on top of the ramekin and gently pinch the sides, pressing it to make it stick. (I happen to think that the crust is the best part of a pot pie, so I lined my ramekins with a thin crust, as well)

11. Using the tip of a knife, make 3 slits on top of the dough (to allow ventilation). (Of course I made 4 slits so it would be an even number!)

12. Place ramekins on a cookie sheet and bake for 30 minutes at 400 degrees.

13. Cool and serve.