Lady and Sons Chicken Pot Pie

First was Tyler Florence's Chicken Francese
Second was Ann Burrell's Braised Chicken with Tomatillos and Jalapenos
Third came a version of Ina Garten's Apple Pie; Apple Pear Pie in a Cast Iron Skillet

Now I'm on to Paula Deen. One of my favorite comfort foods is chicken pot pie. When I saw Paula Deen top hers with puff pastry.....well, it was a no brainer. I had to give it a try. Turns out that one of my daughter's liked the puff pastry more than what I normally do (which is pour bisquik over the top). My other daughter is lactose intolerant, has decided to eat gluten free and has slowly become a vegetarian. Sir Sportsalot wasn't home that night. My take? I'll tell you in a minute.

Btw, if you don't know what I'm doing....I'm cooking something from each of the celebrity chefs that some friends over on my Facebook Page, PeacefulCooking had listed as their favorite chefs. My next post will be a recipe from Jacques Pepin.

Back to the chicken pot pie. I cut the recipe in half and baked them in single serving bowls. With the girls grown (still living at home) and gone most of the time, I'm trying to teach myself how to cook less food. What a challenge that is! Anyway...I still had some "filling" leftover so I froze it for next time. Even though I cut the recipe in half, I'm going to share the full version recipe with you. Paula say's this will serve 4 people. I believe it could serve up to 6, but that depends on the appetites of those you're feeding.

Lady and Sons Chicken Pot Pie
Printable Version

4 sheets puff pastry, thawed (assuming you're using the frozen version)
1 egg, beaten
4 chicken breast halves or 2 cups leftover cooked chicken
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Powder
2 TB vegetable oil
1/3 cup melted butter
2/3 cup flour
1 quart heavy cream
1/4 cup chicken base (I used 4 tsp bullion instead)
1 TB minced garlic
1/2 small onion, minced
1 cup each of frozen peas and carrots (I used 2 cups of a frozen veggie mix)
pinch fresh grated nutmeg (optional)


Preheat your oven to 350'

Cut your puff pastry into 1" strips so they're a little longer than your baking dish (if you're making individual servings then cut the strips thinner to accommodate the size of the bowl). On a cookie sheet you're going to weave the strips together:

Lay out the vertical row. Then fold back every other strip halfway. Lay a strip in the middle horizontally. Take the strips you folded back and lay them flat again.
Now take the opposite vertical strips and fold them back. Lay another strip horizontally. Take the folded back strips and lay them flat again. Continue this until you've reached the end.

Then repeat the process going the other direction. I hope this helps....

**If you don't want to go through all that, then just take the strips and lay them across each other without weaving.

Make as many lattices as needed.

Brush your lattices with the beaten egg.

Bake for about 5 minutes, until the dough rises and turns a light golden brown. Set aside.

(after 5 minutes in the oven, mine still weren't brown so I had to stick them back in)

For the filling, season your chicken with salt, pepper and garlic. I cut up my chicken before hand but you can either saute them in the oil whole, or cut up. Either way, saute the chicken in a large skillet with high sides until cooked. Cut them into chunks if you didn't do so before cooking and set aside.

Drain out the oil and melt the butter in the skillet. Slowly add in the flour, stirring constantly. Don't let it turn brown. Slowly stir in the cream until fully incorporated and smooth.

Add the chicken base or bullion, the garlic and onions. Stir until thickened. Add your veggies and cooked chicken.

Remove from heat and divide the filling into oven proof bowls or casserole dishes. Lay your puff pastry on top

Place on a baking sheet in order to catch any spills. Bake in a 350' oven for about 5 minutes or so, until nice and bubbly.

Now...my take on this dish. I LOVE the puff pastry. The filling is a bit rich. You can use half and half or just plain milk to tone it down or "lighten" it up. You can add a little more milk or cream to get the consistency you like. The flavor was wonderful. I love making them into individual serving sizes. Although for me...one bowl was enough for two dinners...it was that filling!

This dish is quick and easy. Especially if you were to use leftover chicken. It's hearty and filling...perfect for those cold winter nights coming up.