Chicken Pot Pie from Home Cooking with Paula Deen Magazine, January 2013

It’s sleeting and snowing outside at this very moment. That this is happening right now means that I’ll worry for the next four hours or so. My husband is at work, some forty miles away and Dudette, who’s at school, will be riding a bus home in a little less than three hours.

Ya’ll up north tease those of us down here about the whole snow thing.  I see you do it on Facebook all the time, so don’t say it doesn’t happen. And don’t think I’m pointing fingers. Us ‘southern’ parents aren’t much better.

We gripe when the decision’s made to close schools before a drop of anything hits the ground.  We lament our kids staying at home when the roads in front of our house are clear by 9am. I’ll admit it; I’m guilty.

Heck, I’m from the Chicago area. When snow’s predicted up there, the kids pray for at least six inches because that’s what it takes for the school board to even contemplate closures.

Of course, there are 174 plows used in the city of Chicago alone. When that fleet hits the roads, the experienced drivers have things cleared up and in residents’ driveways quickly and efficiently.

Down here, our whole county has about 40. Then there’s salt. The city of Chicago has 320,000 tons of the stuff. Winston Salem? 2,000. When the city’s bracing for a storm, that includes pulling people from landscaping to drive snow plows.

Of course, that’s just city preparedness. What most folks who haven’t been through a southern winter storm don’t realize is that our snow is rarely just snow. When ya’ll send a cold front down upon us, it piles up on top of our warm air. That means there’s usually ice involved, sometimes a lot.

Salt melts the ice, but there aren’t enough plows to come through fast enough to remove the slush before it freezes again, which creates black ice, which is deadly, not a joke.

Trees get coated with ice, snap and take out power lines, which is why the store shelves are cleared when bad weather is predicted.

Me? Nah, I don’t hit the stores. I make big, honkin’ casseroles the night before. Stuff that would be easy to heat on a snowy day, even if over an open fire if need be. Stuff like chicken pot pie.

The Process

I am doing my best to let go of the whole diabetes thing with Paula. Really, I am. But, when I see 6 tablespoons of butter in the ingredient list, I have to shake my head. Paula, Paula, Paula. Does she really think that just lopping of two tablespoons so it’s not her signature stick of butter fools anyone?

So yes, you will use close to a stick of butter in this casserole, but since it feeds a gazillion people, that’s ok. It’s well distributed and won’t add extra poundage to your hips.

Of all the chicken pot pie meals I’ve made, I have to say that this is one of the easiest to pull together. I love that it’s all made in one pot. There’s a bunch of prep with all the chopping and cubing that’s with meat and vegetables, but that goes quickly.

I did not like the way the crust was done. I definitely prefer putting the uncooked dough on the uncooked chicken filling to baking the crust separately and then trying to maneuver it on to the cooked casserole. My crust suffered greatly through the transfer. Greatly.

I may have said shibbit.

The Verdict

It’s a good thing that this pie will feed a gazillion people because the family did a good job of trying to finish it off in one sitting. After dinner was over, Hubby mentioned that he had thought he’d finished before the over-full point, but apparently hadn’t. Comfy pants were in order. Dudette had three servings. Three. I’ll even admit that I had two.

What makes this pot pie different than others is the sour cream addition. It adds creaminess and uber-flaver.

Even though we loved this, you should be aware of a couple of things. I know I’m a salt hound and can say that about most things, but this time I say it from a cook’s perspective, not personal taste. Even Hubby, who rarely uses the stuff, thought so.

Also, the sauce is very runny, even after sitting for 15 minutes while the crust baked. If you like using crusty bread with your meals, this is perfect for that.

What I’d Do Different Next Time

I’d up the salt amount to 1 1/2 teaspoons. For how much pot pie there is and the addition of the potatoes, which absorb a lot, it needs it. I would also suggest using fresh garlic cloves and just mincing them over using the jarred variety. If it’s winter where you are and you can’t find fresh thyme without paying a lot for it, just substitute a teaspoon of dried thyme and it’ll taste just as good.

Chicken Pot Pie from Home Cooking with Paula Deen Magazine, January 2013

 

Print

Prep time

30 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

1 hour

 

from Home Cooking With Paula Deen Magazine, January 2013

Author: Taking On Magazines One Recipe At A Time

Recipe type: Casserole

Cuisine: American

Serves: 10

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons butter
• 2½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into ½-inch pieces
• 1 8-ounce package sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1½ cups sliced carrots
• 1½ cups chopped celery
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon bottled minced garlic
• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup white wine
• 8 cups chicken broth
• 4 cups chopped Yukon gold potatoes
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 14.5-ounce package refrigerated pie crusts

Instructions

1. In a large Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Add chicken and next five ingredients, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 12-15 minutes or until chicken is done and vegetables are tender.
2. Add flour, and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Stir in wine, and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in broth and next 5 ingredients. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender and mixture is thickened. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream.
3. Preheat oven to 400. Spray a 2-quart baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
4. Spoon chicken mixture into prepared baking dish and bake for 20 minutes. Keep warm.
5. On a lightly floured surface, unroll pie crusts and stack together. Roll crusts to forma 17-inch circle. Using a fluted pastry wheel, cut crust into 1-inch strips.
6. On parchment paper on prepared pan, weave crust strips into a lattice pattern that will fit the baking dish.
7. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Place lattice crust over cooked pot pie and serve.

What I’d Do Different Next Time

I’d up the salt amount to 1½ teaspoons. For how much pot pie there is and the addition of the potatoes, which absorb a lot, it needs it. I would also suggest using fresh garlic cloves and just mincing them over using the jarred variety. If it’s winter where you are and you can’t find fresh thyme without paying a lot for it, just substitute a teaspoon of dried thyme and it’ll taste just as good.

3.2.1596

If you Liked That, You Might Like These: