Chicken Pot Pie Pioneer Woman Recipes

CHICKEN POT PIE

Steps:

• For the chicken: Start by putting the chicken in a pot and covering it with water. Bring the water to a boil, and then reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 45 minutes, and then remove the chicken from the pot. Set the chicken aside to cool briefly.
• Shred the chicken with 2 forks, reserving the bones. For the stock, return the bones to the pot and boil for 20 minutes. Remove the bones from the pot and discard.
• For the pot pie: When you're ready to use the Thyme Pastry, remove from the freezer and allow it to sit on the counter to thaw slightly, about 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Begin by finely dicing the vegetables. Slice the celery stalks into narrow strips, then slice in the other direction to create a fine dice. Repeat this process with the carrots, and the onion.
• Melt the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots and celery. Saute until the vegetables start to turn translucent, a couple of minutes.
• Add 2 cups of the shredded chicken and stir to combine. Sprinkle the flour evenly over the vegetables and chicken, and stir to combine. Cook for a couple of minutes, stirring gently.
• Pour in the chicken broth, stirring constantly. Stir in the bouillon cube and wine if using. The flour will combine with the chicken to create a delicious gravy. Next, add the peas.
• Pour in the cream and stir. Allow the mixture to cook over low heat, thickening gradually, about 4 minutes. Season with the thyme, salt and pepper, and remove from the heat. Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed. Be sure it's adequately salted!
• Pour the chicken mixture into a deep pie pan or small casserole dish.
• Roll out the pastry so that it's 1 inch larger than the pan. Place the crust on top of the chicken mixture and cut small slits in the top. Press the crust gently into the sides of the dish to seal. I don't worry about making a perfect edge on my chicken pot pie because a) it looks more rustic and b) I'm lazy, hungry and I want to eat.
• Bake until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbly, about 30 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.
• To freeze: Allow the filling to cool completely then top with the crust. Cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and place in the freezer.
• To cook from frozen: Remove the pot pie from the freezer, brush with egg wash (1 egg mixed with 2 tablespoons water or cream) and place directly in a 375-degree F oven and bake until lightly browned and bubbly, 30 to 45 minutes.
• For the thyme pastry: Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Using pastry cutter, gradually work the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles tiny pebbles. This step should take 3 or 4 minutes.
• Lightly beat the egg with a fork, and then add it to the mixture. Next, add in the cold water and vinegar. Stir the mixture together until it's just combined, and then remove half the dough from the bowl. (Dividing the dough in half results in two pretty generous pie crusts. If you desire a thinner crust, you may divide the dough into three crusts.)
• Place in a large plastic bag (do not seal) and slightly flatten with a rolling pin. This makes it much easier to roll out the crust later. After flattening, seal the bag tightly.
• Repeat with the other half of the dough and place the plastic bags in the freezer. I like to make several batches of pie crust at a time so I always have a crust ready to go.
• For recipes other than this pot pie, remove from the bag and place on a lightly floured surface. With a rolling pin, begin rolling the dough from the center, outward. Be gentle and patient; it'll take a little time to get the dough completely rolled out.
• If you think the bottom is really sticking to the surface below, use a nice, sharp spatula to loosen it and sprinkle some extra flour on top. Then flip it over to finish rolling. Remember to roll from the center in single, outward strokes; no back-and-forth rolling.
• Again with a spatula, loosen and lift the pie crust and carefully lay it over a pie pan. Using your hand, lightly form the crust so that it fits inside the pan and overlaps the edges.
• Because it's quick and easy, I just tuck the excess dough under itself above the rim. Then you can apply whatever decorative effects that you like to the edge. Or you can leave it plain if you'd like! Just tell yourself it's more rustic that way!
• Fill the pie crust with filling and bake according to the pie recipe's directions. Or, for a pre-baked crust, fill with pie weights (or pinto beans placed on aluminum foil) and bake at 400 degrees F until golden, about 10 minutes.

CHICKEN POT PIE TOAST

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the carrots, celery and onion and sauté until the vegetables start to turn translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the thyme sprigs, then sprinkle the flour evenly over the vegetables and stir to combine. Next, add the chicken broth, cream, bouillon cube, turmeric and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to the boil, stirring constantly, then reduce the heat to low. Simmer, stirring, until the liquid has thickened and the vegetables are tender, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Toast the brioche.
• Add the chicken to the pot and stir it into the sauce. Cook for a minute or two, then add the peas and cook for 1 minute more, stirring so that everything is combined.
• Place 1 slice of toast on a plate. Top with a ladle of the chicken mixture. Garnish with chives.

CHICKEN TOT PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Place a large skillet over a medium heat and add the butter. When the butter has melted, add the onion and saute until translucent, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Add the chicken, cream of celery soup, 1/2 can of water and the frozen mixed vegetables. Stir well and cook until just heated through, 3 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the mixture into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
• Arrange the tater tots in tightly packed rows to completely cover the top. Do not press the tots into the mixture; just let them sit on top. Bake until the tot topping is browned and the chicken mixture is bubbly, about 30 minutes, then serve.

TEX-MEX CHICKEN POT PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Melt the butter in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the jalapeño and poblano peppers, corn and onion. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook to soften the vegetables, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir until the flour has coated the vegetables, a minute or two (avoid letting the flour stick to the bottom of the skillet). Stirring constantly, slowly add the chicken broth. Stir in the cream, cilantro and chipotle peppers. Allow the sauce to come to the boil and thicken, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat, then taste and adjust the seasoning. Add the chicken and stir to combine.
• Roll out the Pie Crust on a lightly-floured surface to an 11-inch circle, large enough to hang over the skillet. Carefully lay the crust over the skillet, pressing gently into the sides to seal. Brush the top with the beaten egg and sprinkle over the pepper jack cheese. Cut 2 to 3 small slits in the top and bake until the crust is golden, about 30 minutes. Cool slightly before serving, 10 minutes or so.
• Combine the flour, salt, butter and shortening in a large bowl.
• Using a pastry cutter, gradually work it all together until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
• Beat the egg with a fork and add it to the mixture along with the vinegar.
• Add the cold water.
• Stir it all together until it comes together, adding another tablespoon or two of water if it needs the moisture.
• Form the mixture into 2 balls and wrap them in individual plastic bags. If using immediately, chill for 20 minutes in the refrigerator before rolling out. If freezing, remove them from the freezer 30 minutes before you are ready to use them.

CHICKEN PIE

Steps:

• For serving: a peppery green salad with arugula and baby spinach
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
• To make the filling, melt the butter in a large pot over medium-high heat, then add the onion, carrot, celery and parsnips. Season with salt and pepper and stir them around until the onions start to turn translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the wine and cook for another minute. Sprinkle over the flour and stir it in to incorporate. Cook for a minute or two, but do not let it brown. Add the broth and stir, working out any lumps. Lower the heat to medium and cook until it starts to thicken, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the green beans, thyme and turmeric. Fold in the Shredded Boiled Chicken and cook until heated through. Add the half-and-half, taste and adjust the seasoning. Add more broth if it is too thick. Pour the hot filling into the prepared baking dish.
• Brush the edges of the dish with the egg wash. Lay the pastry over the top, press down the edges and brush the top of the pastry with the egg wash. Cook until the crust is golden brown, about 45 minutes.
• You can also assemble the pie ahead of time. If you are making it ahead, allow the filling to cool, cover and place in the fridge. When you want to cook the pie, brush the edges of the dish with the egg wash, add the filling to the dish, lay the pastry over the top and press down the edges. Brush the pastry with the egg wash and cook at 375 degrees F until the crust is golden brown, about 1 hour.
• Serve the chicken pie with a peppery salad of arugula and baby spinach.
• Pour the broth into a large pot and bring to a boil. Add the chicken pieces and bring back to a boil. Turn the heat to medium low and simmer until the chicken is tender, about 45 minutes.
• Remove the chicken from the pot and set it aside to cool briefly. Remove the skin and bones and shred the chicken.

DECONSTRUCTED CHICKEN POT PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
• Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken, celery, carrots, onion and some salt and pepper. Cook until the vegetables just begin to soften, about 7 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the crusts. Unroll both sheets of pastry, even out the surface with a rolling pin and cut out 3 circles from each. Transfer the circles to the prepared baking sheets, poke them all over with a fork and brush with the egg wash. Sprinkle over some salt and pepper. Bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, sprinkle the flour over the chicken and vegetables and add the turmeric; cook for 2 minutes. Pour in the hot stock, add the half-and-half, peas, thyme and rosemary and cook until the sauce thickens, another 3 minutes. Serve in bowls topped with the crusts.

INDIVIDUAL CHICKEN POTPIES

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat, then add the onion, carrots and celery. Cook, stirring the vegetables around, until they start to soften, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the veggies and stir to combine. Cook the flour-coated veggies for 1 minute, then pour in the chicken broth (and wine, if using!) and stir to combine. Let it heat up and start to bubble and thicken, about 3 minutes.
• Stir in the chicken, then add the turmeric and thyme, then season with salt and pepper. Add the half-and-half, then stir the mixture and let it bubble up and thicken, about 3 minutes. If it seems overly thick, splash in a little more broth. Turn off the heat and let the filling cool to room temperature.
• Meanwhile, roll out the pie crusts slightly and cut out 8 dough circles just a bit larger than the pie pans (if using a muffin tin, you'll need sixteen 3 3/4-inch circles). Press a dough circle into each pie pan (or 8 muffin cups), making sure the dough comes almost to the top of each pan. Fill the pies with the chicken mixture. Lay a second round of dough over the top of each pie. Press the dough so that the edges meet, then use a fork to seal the edges. Mix the egg with 2 teaspoons water and brush it all over the surface of the crust. (Discard any extra egg wash.) Cut small vents in the surface of the crusts.
• If you're baking the pies right away, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, place the pies on a baking sheet and bake 25 to 30 minutes, until the crust is deep golden brown and the filling is bubbly. Serve them straight out of the pie pans or turn them out of the pan and serve them upside down!
• Find this recipe and more in Ree's new book, The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Dinnertime ($30, William Morrow Cookbooks).