recipe

KNR, p. 275 “Chicken Pot Pie”

September 15, 2021

Chicken Pot Pie is one of my all-time favorite comfort foods. If a restaurant has it on the menu, no matter what time of year, I order it, with one qualification – I’m fairly picky about the type of crust. It has to be a solid pie crust, no puff pastry desired. I also enjoy a double crust, but I have been known to eat the pot pie that only comes with a top crust at a local pub. That’s because the filling is soooooo good and that top crust is perfect. The cook makes two dozen on Wednesdays, and I get there early if my taste buds hanker his masterpiece. Which is often.


As a recent birthday present, Sheila came up with this version to surprise me. It tastes suspiciously like the original, so she must have persuaded him to give up the recipe. But, I didn’t hear any reports of bodies at the pub, so it’s all good.

Use “Pie Crusts for Double Crust Meat Pies” recipe here.

 

Chicken Pot Pie

Sheila Kerrian
Print Recipe
Prep Time 40 mins
Cook Time 35 mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 4 Tablespoons butter
  • 1 1/4 cups diced onion
  • 2/3 cup diced carrots
  • 1/2 cup diced celery
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
  • Dash pepper
  • 6 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 3 cups chicken broth, reduced sodium
  • 3/4 cup half & half
  • 1 cup diced small red potatoes
  • 1/2 teaspoon thyme
  • 3 cups cooked (shredded or half-inch chopped) chicken
  • 3/4 cup early young peas, drained

Instructions
 

  • Assemble all ingredients, including pie crusts.
  • Melt butter in 12” skillet.
  • Add onion, carrots, celery, and salt to the skillet. Cover and cook 6 minutes on medium until veggies are soft, not browned.
  • Remove from heat and add flour a Tablespoon at a time, and mix until veggies are thoroughly coated.
  • Return to heat and stir in chicken broth, then half & half, and bring to boil on medium high heat – about 3-4minutes, stirring constantly.
  • Mix in diced potatoes, pepper, and thyme, cover and turn down heat to medium low.
  • Simmer until potatoes are tender,about 8-10 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat.
  • Add chicken and mix thoroughly, then add drained peas and stir again.
  • Preheat oven to 450.
  • Place one crust in deep 9” pie pan.
  • Place all the chicken mixture into the pie pan, then cover with the second crust.
  • Crimp the edges of the top and bottom crusts together to seal in the mixture.
  • Brush the top with an egg yolk wash.
  • Prick the top crust with a fork several times to allow steam to release.
  • Place pie on sided aluminum cookie tray and set on rack in bottom third of the oven.
  • Bake at 450 for 18 minutes, then rotate cookie tray. Lower heat to 375.
  • Bake at 375 for an additional 15 minutes, until crust is golden brown.
  • Note: if crust edges are browning too quickly, cover the edges with pie shields, or strips of aluminum foil.
  • Remove from oven and let stand for 10 minutes, for easier slicing. Serve while still warm.

Notes

 
Enjoy!

 

KNR, p. 274 “Pie Crusts for Double Crust Meat Pies”

September 15, 2021

Lots of taste testing went into this pie crust. A lighter crust that we use for fruit pies did not stand up to the weight of a meat and veggie pie, but this one stays tender and has great flavor as well.

Pair it with the Chicken Pot Pie recipe here.

 

Pie Crusts for Double Crust Meat Pies

Recipe by Sheila Kerrian
Print Recipe
Course Main Course
Cuisine American

Ingredients
  

  • 2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 2 Tablespoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 cup butter (16 Tablespoons) cut into 1/4 inch cubes
  • 6 Tablespoons very cold water
  • Egg yolk wash (one yolk and 2 Tablespoons water lightly whisked together) 

Instructions
 

  • Use food processor to briefly pulse together flour, sugar, and sea salt.
  • Add cubed butter and pulse together until size of small peas.
  • Add water and pulse together until dough forms.
  • Remove dough, (no need to chill) divide in half, flour dust work surface and roll out each half until 1/8 inch thick – makes two 11-12”rounds.
  • Place one in 9” pie pan and set aside the other (on parchment paper for best results).
  • Make chosen filling and spread evenly onto bottom crust.
  • Cover filling with top crust and crimp two crusts together to seal in filling.
  • After the pie has been created and the two crusts have been crimped together, brush the top and edges with the egg yolk wash before baking.
  • Follow pie directions for baking time and temperature, baking until golden brown.
  • Remove from oven and let sit for about 10 minutes for easier slicing.
  • Serve while still warm.

 

Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

KNR, p. 272 “Tomato Basil Chicken Soup”

February 19, 2022

We love all kinds of soups, but don’t always have broth on hand to make the base for a hearty one. Here’s a recipe that uses a can of soup from the grocery store shelf as the already flavored base, but becomes a filling meal for 3-4 when the other ingredients are added. The prep is simple – takes only ten minutes. Then depending on whether you have a cooked chicken on hand or uncooked chicken cutlets, use a crockpot or a large spaghetti pot, it will take anywhere from thirty minutes to two hours to cook.

 

Chin Bawambi, a previous contributor to our recipes and an enthusiastic cook, often uses a crockpot and this recipe was devised with that in mind. The Kerrian kitchen doesn’t have a crockpot, but we found that a spaghetti pot worked well for us. We just had to watch it and stir more frequently. He promises that no bodies wound up on the floor in his kitchen either, while he worked from home and created this delicious meal.

Print
"Tomato Basil Chicken Soup"
Author: 
Recipe type: Entree
Cuisine: American
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 2-3
 
Ingredients
  • One can tomato basil soup, Progresso
  • 1/2 can Goya black beans (about one cup)
  • 1 pound uncooked tenderloin chicken, cut into one inch chunks
  • 1 teaspoon Montreal chicken seasoning
  • 6 baby carrots, cut into one inch pieces (about one cup)
  • 3 celery stalks, trimmed and diced, (about one cup)
Instructions
  1. Use a crockpot.
  2. Pour tomato basil soup into the pot, then add black beans.
  3. Place the uncooked chicken chunks on top of the black beans.
  4. Sprinkle the Montreal chicken seasoning on top.
  5. Add carrots and celery and stir entire pot of ingredients until mixed.
  6. Cover and cook at medium high heat for first hour, then drop to low for another hour, stirring every 30 minutes.
  7. Celery and carrots should be fork tender when done.
  8. Serve with garlic bread.
  9. Variation: Chin reveals that the recipe also works well with beef as the meat ingredient.
Notes
Tips:
If using a spaghetti pot on the stovetop, cover and cook on medium for the first half hour, stirring every 10-15 minutes. For the rest of the time, drop the temperature to low and simmer until carrots and celery are tender, stirring every 10-15 minutes.

If using a cooked chicken, chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces, drop into the pot and mix with the other ingredients. Cook on medium heat until veggies are tender, about 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.

 

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