Chicken Pot Pie

This Chicken Pot Pie recipe is the best chicken pot pie I have ever had. My good friend Leslie sent me the recipe and we endeavored to make Chef Anne Burrell's recipe, you can find the original here . I have modified it some to account for size and personal taste. This recipe makes a large casserole dish worth of pot pie, and it is the bomb. 

For the crust: 

1/4 cup of butter (1/2 a stick) cold cut up into small cubes

1/2 cup of cream cheese (1/2 a package) cold cut up into small cubes

3/4 cup of flour

salt and pepper 

1 egg yolk

you may need a tablespoon of cold water, but i did not. it depends on the humidity of your house. 

1 egg for the egg wash

For the filling: 

1 large sweet potato

2 Tablespoons of oil

2 large ribs of celery

2 small carrots

1 large red onion

2 cups of cooked chicken (rotisserie or left overs) 

1 cup of green beans cut into small pieces

2 large cloves of garlic minced

6 fresh sage leaves, cut up very small

6 stems of fresh thyme

Salt and pepper

For the gravy: 

1/4 cup of butter (1/2 a stick) cold

4 Tablespoons of flour

4 cups of good chicken broth 

Here is what you do: 

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. 

2. Peel and dice your sweet potato and roast for 20 minutes. 

3. While your potato is roasting make your dough. Using your food processor, dump all of the ingredients in and run until a ball of dough is formed. It may take a while. If it is still too dry add some cold water. Wrap in cling and place in the fridge to chill out.

4. Get your veg for the filling ready. Dice up all of your veg. In a large pot, add the olive oil and cook the vegetables until they are fragrant and the onions are translucent. Add the garlic, sage, thyme, salt, and pepper. Take off the heat. Add the chicken and stir.  Take your roasted sweet potatoes out of the oven and stir into your mixture.

5. Turn your oven down to 350 degrees F.

6. Make your gravy. You’re going to make a roux, which is nothing more than butter and flour used as thickener for the stock. Put your butter and flour in heavy bottomed skillet over medium high heat. Whisk the mixture until it is a light golden color and smells nutty. Add the stock and let simmer, whisking occasionally until thick, about 8 minutes.

7. Now assembly. Using a deep dish, I used by a 9 by 13 casserole dish, spray with non-stick cooking spray. Add the vegetables and chicken. Pour the gravy over top. Roll out your dough the size of your baking dish from 1/8 to ¼ inch thick. Place over top, cutting vents for steam to escape. Fork or fold in the overhang so the crust neatly tucked in. Brush with a beaten egg to form the egg wash.

8. Bake 30-40 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbly. Enjoy with good friends, a nice light red wine, and if you can, a fire.

As always, many blessings, much love, and happy baking.