Quick Cuisine: Chicken Pot Pie
I have fond childhood memories of my mom buying the Marie Callendar’s chicken pot pies from the freezer section. This recipe has a much shorter cooking time! It is flexible and easily doubled if you want to make for a larger group. It is delightfully decadent in that it has a touch of puff pastry, and a bubbly rich sauce. But it is not as heavy as the traditional pot pie because there is only crust on top and the majority of the filling is made with vegetables. You could skip the chicken entirely and go for another cup of vegetables. I use leftover rotisserie chicken since its already seasoned. Enjoy!
Ingredients - (for two people)
One package store bought puff pastry (you won’t use all of it so make cheese straws with the rest!)
one small egg, beaten
One Tablespoon olive oil + one Tablespoon of butter
1 Cup/130 grams of chopped rotisserie chicken
1 Cup of Leek/90 grams, chopped
1 Cup of Mushrooms/80 grams, chopped
1/2 cup/80 grams of frozen peas
1 Tablespoon of flour
pinch of garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon of dried tarragon (or 1 tablespoon of fresh parsley)
1 teaspoon chicken powder or 1 bouillon cube (I like Kub Or)
One cup / 120 mL of water
One Tablespoon of sour cream (optional)
salt + pepper as desired
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 200C/400F.
In a small bowl mix the chicken powder, flour, garlic powder and tarragon/parsley and set aside. In a pot heat the olive oil and butter on medium heat. Once the butter is melted add the leek and mushrooms and let them cook, but not brown. Cover and let the vegetables sweat and give the occasional stir. After about 5-7 minutes, add the chicken and peas and let it heat through. Once the chicken is warmed, about 2-3 minutes, add the dry ingredients and coat the ingredients. Slowly add the water and let the mixture get thick. If the mix is too paste-like, add a bit more water a 1/4 cup or 15 mL at a time. Add the sour cream if using. Once the mixture is bubbly and thick, give it a taste, and season with additional salt and pepper if you like.
Remove the chicken mixture from heat. Place the mixture in a dish that can be covered with puff pastry, for this I use a small 6inch x 4inch (15cm x 10cm) baking dish. Cover the mix with the puff pastry. Brush the pastry with egg and cut small lines with a knife. Bake for about 10-14 minutes until the puff pastry is golden brown. Serve immediately.