Winter is finally here! The wood stove is going all day and night, we bundle up to do our chores, and I get to make comfort foods that are only made in the winter–like chicken pot pie. A few years ago I was on a chicken pot pie kick, but we haven’t had them in quite some time and I am not sure why. They are so easy and I love a good chicken pot pie.
I am not talking about ones from the freezer aisle or that horrid fast-food chain (you know the one). I am talking about homemade, simple ingredients, keep you warm on a cold night, kind of pot pie. In the past, I have made passable pot pies, edible pot pies if you will. But this is an amazing chicken pot pie. So amazing that my husband who has never liked chicken pot pies now complains that I don’t make them enough.
If you want all the fancy pics with step by step instructions, go here to get the full experience. While you are waiting for the pot pie to cook, browse around the recipes because there are some really, really, REALLY good ones (I could seriously drink her homemade BBQ sauce). If you trust me, just scroll down and make it–you won’t be disappointed!
There’s a lot of room for changes in this recipe…here’s what I did:
No corn or peas; subbed green beans.
Subbed sweet potatoes for regular potatoes.
The original recipe called for poached breasts, but I used my crockpot chicken. That way you get homemade broth, too.
I wouldn’t add any extra salt after the 2 tsps. and I added a large pinch of dried sage.
I halved the recipe and used three 2 cup Pyrex bowls, but next time I will use 1 cup bowls (we did eat it all, but we really should not have) or fill the 2 cup bowls only halfway.
I froze these twice and both times it was as good as freshly made. I use Pyrex, so I placed it in a cold oven, then turn it on to make sure the Pyrex heats slowly. Cooking from frozen is about 45 minutes. Also, I smoked a chicken and made broth with the bones and it was AMAZING! It had a sweet smoky warm flavor that we now crave.
Homemade Chicken Pot Pies
Adapted from simplyscratch.com
Yield: 6 servings
Prep Time: about 1 hour {not including making your own pie crust or broth}
Cook Time: 25-30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes {give or take}
Ingredients:
1 stick of Butter, divided
2 whole Carrots, peeled and diced small
2 Celery Stalks, diced small
1 cup Diced Cooked Potatoes (sub sweet potatoes)
1 medium Yellow Onion, peeled and diced small
1 cup Frozen Peas (sub green beans)
1/2 cup Frozen Corn (sub any veggie you like or add more of another)
3 cups Chicken Broth, warmed
1-1/2 cups Whole Milk (or 1 cup whole milk + 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream)
1/2 cup Flour
2 teaspoons Kosher Salt, more or less to taste
1/2 teaspoons Black Pepper, more or less to taste
1 tablespoon Dried Parsley
1 teaspoon Chopped Fresh Thyme
1 large pinch Dried Sage (optional)
Directions:
TO COOK THE CHICKEN: Place a whole chicken in a crockpot and cover with water. Cook on low overnight. Remove and debone chicken in the morning. Place all bones back in the crockpot of broth and simmer for another 4 hours. Shred chicken with two forks and chop any large pieces. Put in the fridge until ready to make the pot pies.
TO MAKE THE POT PIES: Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and grease six 10-ounce ramekins with butter or olive oil.
Roll the pie crust out and use a bowl {slightly larger than the ramekin}, trace and cut out 6 circles, using the scraps to make more if needed. Keep the dough circles in the fridge so they stay cold. If you are freezing in pyrex with lids, cut the dough to fit into the bowl and up the sides a bit; not over the sides.
Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a large Dutch oven.
Add in the diced carrots and cook for 5 minutes. Add in the diced onion and celery and season with a teaspoon of kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper. Cook until the onions are soft and translucent and the carrots are soft {but not too soft}.
Now add in the remaining 6 tablespoons of butter and let that melt. Once melted add in the half cup of flour and stir often while it cooks for 2 minutes.
Pour in the 3 cups of hot chicken broth and the 1-1/2 cups of whole milk. Let that simmer, stirring occasionally until thickened 5-8 minutes.
Next add in the frozen peas, corn, or other veggies, cooked chicken, dried parsley and chopped fresh thyme. Stir. Taste, add seasoning further, with up to a teaspoon more of salt and a little more black pepper if desired.
Place the ramekins on a rimmed baking sheet. Evenly divide the diced cooked (sweet) potatoes into each prepared ramekin.
Spoon the pot pie filling evenly over the potatoes, filling the ramekins to the brim. Let them cool down a bit before placing the pie dough over the top and crimping the edges. With a sharp knife make slits for ventilation.
Slide the tray of pot pies into a preheated 375 degree oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the crust is golden.
Remove and let them cool for 10 minutes before serving.
NOTES:
*For a glossy top crust, try beating an egg with a tablespoon of water and brush over top before baking.
*This can also be made in one 13×9 baking dish.
We are moving into the off season and you may be wondering how you’ll keep your freezer stocked with delicious meat to feed your family through the winter if the markets are closed.
Our last batch of hogs are back from the processor, so it seems like a good time to talk about the worst part of our job. One of the most common questions we get is “how do you kill/eat the animals you raise”? I write about death on the farm 
