This pot pie is especially quick when you top it with store-bought puff pastry, which you can cut into circles and set over the filling like biscuits or leave in one piece like pastry dough. If you are crunched for time, you can cut the puff pastry into 3
INGREDIENTS (for 8 servings):
- 1 recipe Fluffy Buttermilk Biscuits
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts and/or thighs
- 2 cups homemade chicken broth or low-sodium canned broth
- 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 medium-large onion, chopped
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and cut crosswise 1/4-inch thick
- 2 small celery ribs, cut crosswise 1/4-inch thick
- Salt
- Ground black pepper
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- 3 tablespoons dry sherry
- 3/4 cup frozen green peas, thawed
- 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
PREPARATION:
Make pie dough or biscuits and refrigerate until ready to use. If using commercial puff pastry or phyllo dough, follow package instructions for thawing.
Adjust oven rack to low-center position; heat oven to 400 degrees F. Put chicken and broth in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Cover and bring to simmer; simmer until chicken is just done, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer meat to a large bowl; transfer broth to another bowl.
Increase heat to medium-high; heat oil in Dutch oven. Add onion, carrots and celery and saute until just tender, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Meanwhile, shred chicken into bite-size pieces. Transfer cooked vegetables to bowl with chicken; set aside.
Heat butter over medium heat in Dutch oven. When foaming subsides, add flour; cook for about 1 minute. Whisk in reserved chicken broth, milk, any accumulated chicken juices and thyme. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low and continue to simmer, stirring, until sauce fully thickens, about 1 minute. Season to taste with salt and pepper; stir in sherry.
Pour sauce over chicken-vegetable mixture; stir to combine. Stir in peas and parsley, and adjust seasonings. Pour mixture into a 13-by-9-inch pan or any shallow baking dish of similar size or into six 12-ounce ovenproof ramekins or bowls. Top as desired. Bake until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly, about 30 minutes for large pies, 20 to 25 minutes for smaller pies. Serve immediately.
Note:Topping Options:In addition to the biscuit and flaky pie dough toppings, puff pastry, either commercial or homemade, can blanket the chicken filling. Or you can top the pie with four or five phyllo sheets that have been thawed according to package directions, trimmed to pan size and brushed with butter. If you want, you can top the pot pie with leftover mashed potatoes.
Article:One-Pot Chicken Pot Pie'The Perfect Recipe' by Pam Anderson. Copyright© 1998 by Pam Anderson. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.