Chicken Pot Pie

"No Kitty, that's my pot pie!"

I did not grow up eating pot pies.  My mother, accomplished at French cuisine, and a smattering of Italian dishes in addition to her stellar Vietnamese repertoire, wouldn't have known what it was or how to make one (she never consulted the red and white checked Betty Crocker cookbook someone had given her) so my first introduction to chicken pot pie was at age 25, at the home of a friend of a friend; and the soupy hunks of chicken, mushy peas and carrots, topped with soggy biscuits, did little to make the first impression a good one. I'm probably not wrong in guessing that the pot pie was constructed from cream of chicken, frozen peas and carrots and Pillsbury biscuits.  Enchanté I was not (an experience not unlike my foray into packaged Mac and Cheese at age 24; should I mention the horror that I could not hide when my college classmate pulled out the foil package of orange cheese by-product and poured it into the noodles?).  So I had no reason to eat or want to make a chicken pot pie. Or any pot pie for that matter. Until an episode of South Park.

Cartman snaps at Kitty to stay away from his pot pie with such ferocity that I felt compelled to ask, "How good can a pot pie be?" My then-significant other began waxing lyrically about how much he loved pot pies. So much, in fact, that he got up, left and went to the grocery to buy himself a frozen pot pie to eat. I did not give his taste buds much credence; the fact is, he grew up eating packaged foods at home (his mother's acquaintanceship with a stove did not begin until long after her children had left the house) and then later, institutionalized food at college and during his stint in the Navy.  How bad were his taste buds?  Well, he once attempted to boil a steak because:  "The Navy boils everything." 

Shortly thereafter, I decided to try my hand at a pot pie and consulted a copy of the revised Joy of Cooking which I had been given as a housewarming present. Right after the recipe for Chicken or Turkey a la King was the one for Pot Pie. It first required a batch of creamed chicken (a roux, stock, cream and cooked chicken), with frozen vegetables added to the mix, a few teaspoons of fresh thyme, and then drop biscuits baked on top. Having no visual clue as to what a pot pie should look like, I could only operate on the previous experience -- my friend's friend's casserole dish. So I served the pot pie in the casserole dish and after he finished his first plate, He-Who-Lacks-Taste(buds) exclaimed, "This is excellent! It tastes store bought!"

It was the highest compliment he was capable of giving me. It did not bode well for our relationship and indeed, we did not last too much longer thereafter.  But of course it made sense -- the recipe was heavy on cream, overly salted and a perfect proxy for processed chicken pot pie. It lacked subtlety or genuine flavor.

The recipe itself was good for technique -- but I didn't like the heaviness of the creamed chicken or the blandness of the vegetables accompanying it.  And I certainly didn't like the biscuits on top. So I revamped the recipe to include my own preferences:  pastry dough for a crumbly crust and top; diced carrots, peas and potatoes (or other vegetables as strikes my fancy) and creamed chicken made with 1% milk (so it's not so heavy) that owes its flavor to a nice hearty stock that's made while the chicken's boiling.

And I promise you this so does not taste store bought!  I know this because Hubby offered this compliment when a friend recently wolfed down a third helping:  "Yeah.  My wife's pot pie is no !@#$."  Pithy.

It So Does NOT Taste Store Bought Chicken Pot Pie

Not being a fan of Thanksgiving leftover sandwiches, I use turkey carcasses to make turkey stock and leftover turkey meat for a turkey pot pie.

Boiled chicken + Quick Stock

1 lb chicken, cut up
2 medim carrots, peeled and cut in half
2 celery stalks
1 medium onion, peeled and quartered
7 peppercorns
1 bay leaf
1 sprig fresh thyme
salt to taste

Cover chicken with cold water.  Add remaining ingredients and bring to a gentle boil.  Skim any impurities that rise.  Allow chicken to simmer until cooked, about 30-45 minutes.  Season the stock to taste.  Shred meat from the chicken bones and set aside.

Creamed Chicken & Vegetables

1 cup small diced carrot
1 cup small diced celery
1 cup small diced Yukon Gold potatoes
1 cup peas (fresh if possible)
you can always substitute other vegetables; just cut small dice.

4 T butter
1/2 cup flour
1 cup chicken stock
1 1/2 cup 1% milk

Melt butter in a heavy saucepan on medium high heat.  Add the flour and stir to make a roux.  Stir the roux about 5-7 minutes for a nice golden color.  Add the stock.  Reduce heat to medium and add the milk, stirring constantly.  The roux will thicken; once it does, add the shredded chicken meat, then stir in the carrots, celery, potatoes and peas.  Cook a further 5 minutes.

Baking and Assembly

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  I like pot pie to have a pastry crust on the bottom and top.  I'm lazy so I'll stoop to using Pillsbury ready made pie crusts.  Line pie pans or casserole dish with pastry.  Blind-bake about 10 minutes so the crust is partially cooked (and won't get soggy when you add the creamed chicken and vegetables).  Remove pan(s) from oven and allow the crust cool slightly, about 5 minutes, then pour in the creamed chicken.  Cover with the second pastry dough and cut a few slashes in the top to allow steam to escape.  Bake 35 - 40 minutes, until vegetables are cooked. 

Comments

[eliza]

i don't mind eating chicken pot pie once in a while too :)
isn't always true that the food we eat now reflects what we ate while we're young? my son likes mac and cheese while i rather eat chicken noodle soup!

[beastmomma]

That sounds yummy. I have only had store bought pot pie at a friend's place. It is not something that speaks to me or calls loudly to my taste buds.

[tami]

i *just* saw ina making her version on barefoot contessa. i haven't had chicken pot pie in MANY years...but her recipe looked amazing. i'm going to be making this myself soon :)

[Alanna]

I made chicken pot pie for the first time last year using the recipe from Cook's Illustrated, much similar to this. I used a smoked chicken, though, which really added, at least according to the people here for dinner that night who are still slightly moaning about it ... lovely post, all around! AK

[joey]

This sounds amazingly yummy! Chicken pot pie was not something familiar to me growing up. We had chicken empanada, and also "chicken pastel" (which was a lot like the pot pie I think). Your recipe sounds fantastic! I love food in pastries and crusts! :)

[karlanee]

Oh I love a good pot pie, but like you, I want REAL pot pie, not biscuit-topped mush. I prefer a crumbly pastry crust, so I'm delighted that you have shared this recipe. Guess what we're having for a meal at our house this week?

[Stephanie]

I must confess to a certain fondness for those freezer-section pot pies...

I have to (when the rare mood takes me) make them myself these days...can't find too many made with fake meat!

[Ivonne]

Every time I see that you've posted, my face just lights up! I love reading your writing.

Like you, I tasted my first pot pie in my 20s. Let's just say it was not something that would have ever appeared on our table amongst the pasta, bread and tomatoes.

Interestingly enough, I too am familiar with the Joy of Cooking recipe. Your variation is wonderful.

And now I want pot pie ...

[Kelly]

Ki,

I love chicken pot pie. I make it when I'm tired. This is how I make it, and I never have complaints -- and it's REALLY FAST. I also can't be bothered to dice anything except potatoes

1 can low sodium cream of mushroom soup
Shredded meat of 4 boiled chicken thighs (I hate white meat. No skin)
1 bag frozen peeled baby onions
1 bag mixed frozen carrots & peas
about 5 yukon gold potatoes, peeled and boiled and diced
I dump everything together, mix it up, salt and pepper to taste, then I make some Bisquick topping and pour it over the top. It's very good. Although Jacques Pepin says you can also place some frozen puff pastry on top and that's great too

Your sister

[jasmine]

I love this story. I have a similar one about a guy I dated in school who thought that all good spaghetti tasted like Chef Boyardee.

j

[barbara]

It's good to have you back. I missed your wonderful way with words.

[cath]

Eliza, oh a good bowl of chicken noodle always makes me happy!

Jaspreet -- trust me, my first chicken pot pie experience was horrifying.

Tami, drop me a note and let me know how Ina's recipe is! I saw Martha's version on TV a while ago but didn't really feel compelled to try it...

Alanna, smoked chicken sounds extraodinary!!

Joey, yeah I'm with you on pastries and crusts...

Karlanee -- how was dinner?!

Stephanie: come on babe, you make great vegetarian meals -- how about a vegetarian pot pie?

Ivonne, let me know when you're coming and I'll be sure to make a pot pie for you.

Kelly dear God, are we related? What you described sounds exactly like the abomination I ate in my twenties!

Jasmine - oh yes. Chef Boyardee. The dark days...in college...oh yes...

Barbara...you are so sweet. Thank you.

[Popcorn]

Great photo!

And I use the Joy of Cooking recipe as well. It is consistently tasty. It's also a big comfort food for me, being a Southern girl :)

I love your site, by the way. And Congratulations :)

Popcorn

[sygyzy]

Have you considered brushing the bottom with some sort of lubricant like egg whites or butter so it creates a waterproof barrier between it and the filling?