Chicken Pot Pie

After talking to friends about chicken pot pie, the majority of them have had not-so-good experiences with the dish. We heard responses that wished it didn’t get so mushy, had a different crust, more flavor, less peas, and more. Taking on the challenge, we have developed a recipe inspired by others such as Paula Deen and Ina Garten that will change your mind if you’re skeptical on pot pies, and confirm your love if you’re already a believer.

Chicken Pot Pie

Prep Time: 30 min. Cook Time: 30 min.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts

2 cups carrot, chopped

2 cups celery, chopped

1 cup peas, (always optional in our book)

1 large yellow onion, chopped

2.5 cups chicken stock

2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes

2 tablespoons herbs de provence (or basil, thyme, fennel, and savory)

5 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons flour

Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

1 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup flour (optional)

5 garlic cloves, minced

Olive oil

2 sheets Puff Pastry

1 egg

Preparation:

Take puff pastry sheets out of the box and set aside to thaw (do not unroll yet).

Make a roux heating together 3 tablespoons of flour and 3 tablespoons of butter in a small pan over medium high, whisking constantly until it becomes light brown.

Preheat oven to 350°. Place chicken on a baking sheet and lightly drizzle oil and sprinkle salt to season. Bake for 30 minutes. Keep oven on. Once cooked through, remove from oven and let rest until cool enough to touch. On a cutting board, shred the chicken by holding one side of the breast with a knife, and scraping the rest of the chicken with a fork.

Coat bottom of a dutch oven with a thin layer of olive oil and turn to medium heat. Once hot, add onion, garlic, carrot, and celery to the oil, and cook until onions are translucent.

Once onions are cooked down, add the stock to the dutch oven. Add herbs and red pepper flake, and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Add 2 tablespoons butter, cream, and roux, and stir until combined. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes to thicken. Add additional white flour if needed to thicken. Finally, add the cooked chicken, coating the chicken with the vegetables and sauce. Turn the heat to very low and stir occasionally while baking the lattice crust.

Dough should be thawed but still cold. Unfold the puff pastry dough one sheet at a time, and cut it evenly along the trifold. Cut each trifold again so that you have 12 1″ wide strips. Roll out each of the strips with a rolling pin so they become more thin. On a baking sheet lined with a silicone pan, weave 6 strips vertically and 6 strips horizontally to create a lattice. Whisk 1 egg in a small bowl to create an egg wash. Gently brush the lattice with the egg wash. This will create a golden brown finish once baked.

Place in the 350° oven for 25-30 minutes until dough has risen and top is golden brown. Remove lattice from oven. You can place the lattice directly on your dutch oven of chicken pot pie if you want to impress a group, or ladle an individual portion of chicken filling in a bowl and cut crust lattice to fit (as pictured here).

Serve hot.