TRADITIONAL CHICKEN POT PIES FOR TWO

A rotisserie chicken with lots of meat to use up was the inspiration for this recipe. I used a pie crust recipe from epicurious which I will post separately. Over the years, I’ve made so many different pot pie recipes, including my own. Though I love shortcuts, I just don’t like using canned soups in my cooking. Call me weird. How long does it take to make a roux, anyway? And I can pronounce the ingredients in my pot pie, besides the fact that mine tastes better than anything from a can, IMHO. If you’re looking for a shortcut, skip this recipe, because this is all from scratch. It’s the way I mostly cook.

This is my own recipe, and I pretty much used what was in my fridge. Results were stellar. We both gobbled this one up and gave it my highest rating. The crust was tender, flaky and light, and the filling was perfect – nice chunks of meat with a not too soupy sauce and just enough veggies and seasonings. I have two Corning Grab-It pots that I used to bake the pot pies in. They’re the perfect size for one serving each, and I always make our pot pies in them. Any small casserole dish will work, though, or use a slightly larger one for two servings.

Traditional Chicken Pot Pies for Two Printable Recipe Source: Judy’s Kitchen Rating: 10 out of 10

INGREDIENTS: Your favorite pastry recipe 3 Tbsp. Smart Balance 50/50 Butter Blend (or butter, if preferred) 1/2 cup chopped onion 1 tsp. finely chopped garlic 2-3 slices cooked, crumbled bacon 2 Tbsp. flour 1/2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme leaves Sea salt and pepper to taste (go light on this, and taste at the end to adjust) 2-1/2 cups chicken broth 1 cup shredded or chopped cooked chicken, turkey or meat of choice (or veggie if preferred) 1 cup frozen peas (or other veggie of choice) 1/2 cup cooked chopped potatoes (half white, half sweet) 1/2 cup heavy cream Heat oven to 400F. In a medium-sized sauté pan, cook the onion in the SB over medium heat till transparent. Add the garlic and bacon and cook another minute. Stir in the flour, thyme, salt and pepper to make a paste. Add the broth slowly, stirring all the while to make a thin roux. Bring to a boil, stir, stir, stir. Add chicken and veggies. Reduce heat to simmer. Cook a few minutes to heat everything, then stir in the heavy cream. Get the roux to the proper consistency now. If it’s too thick, add more broth. If it’s too thin, stir in a bit more flour. Transfer contents to buttered ramekins or small casserole dishes. Top with pastry; flute edges; cut steam vents in top. Place casseroles on foil-lined rimmed baking sheet and place in oven about 20-25 minutes, or till pastry is nicely browned and pot pie is bubbling hot. Let cool about 10 minutes before serving. Yield: 2 servings.