Recipe of the Week: Chicken Pot Pie

Aren't these the cutest?! Sometimes I allow myself to be proud of things I create in the kitchen. And sometimes, it's not necessary because it's such a bust. But these make me smile.

I found a recipe that I've altered quite a bit to get this final result. It's not difficult, but it is time-consuming. To cut down on the amount of prep time, you could purchase pre-chopped veggies, either fresh or frozen. Since cooking is usually therapeutic, I like the prepping process.

The original recipe claims to make 4 pot pies, but I think it makes at least 7, probably 8, men-sized servings. I divided the leftover filling into Ziploc bags and threw them in the freezer. When we're ready for them again, I'll pull them out the day before to thaw. I found 7" Le Creuset casserole dishes at Marshall's the day before, but Target has some round baking dishes that would be great.

I made the cut-out letters and hearts from extra pie crust using a tiny paring knife. But here's a link for tiny cookie cutter letters.

Chicken Pot Pie

Serves 8 (filling freezes well)

Ingredients

3 whole (6 split) chicken breasts, bone-in, skin-on

3 tablespoons olive oil

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

5 cups water

2 tablespoons chicken base

12 tablespoons (1.5 sticks) butter

2 cups yellow onions, chopped (about 2 onions)

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup heavy cream

2 cups medium-diced carrots

1 (10-ounce) package frozen peas

8 ounces mushrooms, sliced

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped

1 teaspoon fresh thyme, finely chopped

Refrigerated pie crust (one crust per pie)

1 beaten egg with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash

Flaked sea salt and cracked black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place chicken breasts on a baking sheet and rub them with olive oil. Sprinkly generously with salt and pepper. Roast for 35-40 minutes, or until cooked through. Set aside until cook enough to handle, then remove the meat from the bones and discard the skin. Shred the chicken with two forks. You'll have 4-6 cups of shredded chicken.

In a small saucepan, heat the water and chicken base. In a large pot, melt the butter and saute the onions, carrots, mushrooms, garlic, thyme, and rosemary over medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes, until translucent. Add the flour and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add the hot chicken broth to the sauce. Simmmer over low heat for 1 more minute, stirring, until thick. Add 2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and heavy cream. Add the chicken and peas. Mix well.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Fill ovenproof bowls evenly. Unroll a refrigerated pie crust and place over each dish. Trim the circle to 1/2-inch larger than the top of the bowl. Crimp the dough to fold over the side, pressing it to make it stick. Brush the dough with egg wash and make 3-4 slits in the top. Sprinkle with sea salt and cracked pepper. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour, or until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling hot.

Have fun making these!