Ask Bob what he'd like for dinner on a cool night and he's likely to say "Chicken Pot Pie" followed by "please!" because his mama raised him right. He lights up at the thought of that comforting classic loaded with white-meat chicken and healthy veggies in a luscious cream sauce. Ahhh!
So I knew this Ultimate Chicken Pot Pie would be a hit with my hubby. Especially since Pepperidge Farm's spin on one of his long-time favorites replaces the standard pie crust with their Puff Pastry Sheets. We got hooked on those light and airy layers of goodness when I made a Christmas appetizer with them just this past year. Once you thaw these freezer-section finds (allow about 40 minutes for that), they can be as easy to use as refrigerated pie crust but much flakier.
This recipe recommends beginning by rolling one puff pastry sheet to a 12-inch square, placing it in a 2-quart round dish and baking it before filling. Since I didn't have a dish like that, I rolled a 10-inch square and put it in an 8-inch square dish. Voila! It fit perfectly and saved me some rolling-pin time.
While the bottom crust baked, I gathered ingredients for the filling. It's packed with cooked chicken as well as fresh carrots, onions and mushrooms and frozen peas.
That meant lots of slicing and dicing, which I always dread doing by hand. But this time it was fun thanks to my new Cuisinart food processor. It was ideal for this job because the large bowl holds up to 8 cups, measurements printed on the side make it easy to tell when you've chopped enough and everything except the base is top-shelf dishwasher safe. With this workhorse, I sliced 1 1/2 cups of carrots and 3 cups of mushrooms then diced 3/4 cup onion and 3 cups grilled chicken breast in no time. (You can use any leftover chicken or stop by the deli counter.) Since I was on a roll, I also threw in some celery and a potato. (My variations to the recipe are shown below.)
I picked up this time-saving gadget at Kohl's because my friend Bev, one of the smartest shoppers I know, says she gets all her appliances there. And, of course, I had a coupon and a gift card (thank you Kohl's!). In addition to slicing and chopping, my new toy mixes, purees, liquefies, kneads and shreds foods at the press of a button (High, Low, Pulse or Off). I can't wait to try all the other functions!
With the prep done, I sautéed the vegetables in butter and whipped up the cream sauce according to the directions below. However, since we Texans love a little kick, I opted for horseradish mustard instead of Dijon. I also used dried parsley because I somehow forgot to pick up any fresh. (My brain must have been taking a vacation that day!)
Bob walked through the kitchen just as I was finishing up the filling, took a deep breath and said "WOW ... that smells wonderful!"
"Just wait till you taste it," I replied, pouring the filling into the baked crust. Then, I topped it with strips of the remaining puff pastry sheet in a pretty lattice pattern and baked it for about 45 minutes.
Digging in, we agreed this deep-dish delight tasted as good as a warm hug. Wonderful aroma, downhome flavor and impressive enough for company ... no wonder they call it "The Ultimate!"
Thaw: 40 minutes
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Bake: 1 hour 10 minutes
Heat the oven to 400°F. Unfold 1 pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Roll the pastry sheet into a 12-inch square. Press the pastry into a 2-quart round casserole. Trim the excess pastry. Prick the pastry thoroughly with a fork. Place aluminum foil onto the surface of the pastry.
Bake for 25 minutes. Remove the aluminum foil.
Heat the butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the carrots, onions and mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes or until the vegetables are tender-crisp, stirring occasionally. Add the flour and cook and stir for 3 minutes or until the flour is golden brown. Slowly stir in the broth and heat to a boil. Cook and stir until the mixture boils and thickens.
Stir in the mustard, thyme, black pepper, chicken, peas and 3 tablespoons parsley. Remove the skillet from the heat.
Unfold the remaining pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Cut the pastry sheet crosswise into 6 (1 1/2-inch thick) strips.
Spoon the chicken mixture into the casserole. Weave a lattice pattern over the filling with the pastry strips. Trim any excess pastry. Sprinkle with the remaining parsley. Place the casserole onto a baking sheet.
Bake for 45 minutes or until the filling is hot and bubbling and the pastry is golden brown
Charlotte's Variation:
Replace carrots and onions above with:
Replace 1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard with 1 tablespoon horseradish mustard.
Replace fresh parsley in the filling with 1 teaspoon dried parsley. Omit sprinkling parsley on top pastry sheet.
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You'll also enjoy:
Prepare your own Mexican quick fix with this Chipotle-inspired bowl. Carbs are moderated by filling the bowl with beans, extra veggies and chicken. No need for rice, since the beans count as carbs.
Tips:
If you love tomatoes, increase the quantity to 1/2 cup, but note that the carbohydrates will also increase.
If preparing this recipe for one person, cut all of the ingredients in half. Or simply prepare the full recipe up to the end of step 2 and store leftover chicken and vegetable-bean mixture in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat in the microwave on High for 1 to 2 minutes, or until heated through, and continue with step 3.
Health Bite: The iron, calcium, magnesium, manganese, copper and zinc in black beans help to keep bones strong and healthy.
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