My dad claims he “finally found a chicken pot pie that came out perfect”. No idea where he found this recipe, but if I had to guess it was the Lake Fork Fishing Forum… his most visited website. I adapted a few things (call me a food snob but canned mushrooms aren’t in my life) to get the ingredients, seasonings and consistency just right. It’s really good and so much better than the one in the little tin I grew up eating!
When I was in Prague last year I found this beautiful dish. It’s not perfectly round and the blue painted design is flawed… and it weights a small ton. It’s perfect imperfections couldn’t be passed on… I had to have it. I padded it up and carried it on my 15 hour flight home.
I’ve made only 2 dishes in this Bohemian beauty… tiramisu and this chicken pot pie. My next challenge will be a proper British meat pie… I need to some more research and tasting in jolly old London in 2018.
Some tips on selecting the right dish:
- To make this full recipe your baking dish needs to hold 8-10 cups. A large cast iron skillet or large round/oval baking dish will work. I measured out water in mine to see the volume… it was 8 cups with room to spare and this recipe filled it to the top.
- The bottom crust had to be rolled out to fit up the sides of my dish. The top crust is perfect size with extra to fold over the edges.
- If you want to 1/2 the recipe, it’s easy to 1/2 the ingredients. Then you could use a regular pie plate or even a square glass baking dish (get creative with the crust to make it fit). Reduce the baking time to 30 minutes and check to see it it’s bubbling at the edges.
Dad’s Chicken Pot Pie – Serves 8-10
INGREDIENTS
Olive oil
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1/2 large yellow onion, chopped
15 crimini mushrooms, sliced thick
6 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed from stems
1/2 stick butter
1/2 cup flour
3 cups chicken broth
1/3 cup half and half
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
3 cups chopped cooked chicken (2 large bone-in, skin on chicken breasts, baked 425 for 45 minutes – meat removed and into large cubes)
12 ounce bag frozen mixed vegetables (peas, carrots, corn, green beans)
2 cups frozen diced hash brown potatoes (not shredded)
½ cup milk to thin mixture
2 flat sheets of refrigerated pie crust (2 rolled per box)
Egg wash: 1 egg + 2 Tablespoons of water, beaten in small bowl
INSTRUCTIONS
Baking dish needs to hold 8 -10 cups – deep dish pie plate or cast-iron skillet
Prepare crust:
Unfold 1 refrigerated pie crust. Place one crust in bottom of buttered/nonstick sprayed deep-dish pie plate or large cast iron skillet. I had to roll mine out to reach up the sides. Place in refrigerator until done with filling below. Keep 2nd crust in fridge, unrolled.
Prepare filling:
In a large pot over medium heat, add olive oil. Once hot, add onion, celery, mushrooms and thyme. Season with salt & pepper and cook until translucent and soft, about 5 minutes. Remove from pan and place into a bowl. Set aside to use later. Wipe out skillet to use in next steps.
Melt butter in the same large pot over low heat. Add flour stirring until smooth. Add chicken broth and whisk until smooth and bubbly. Add half & half, seasonings, frozen vegetables, frozen potatoes, chicken and onion/celery/mushroom mixture. Add milk (or water or stock) and turn heat up to medium-high. Stir until mixed thoroughly heated through, about 10 minutes. Taste mixture for seasoning and add salt/pepper as needed. Transfer to your baking dish (place on a cookie sheet in case the sauce leaks over the edges). Top with 2nd crust and crimp edges. Cut slits in top crust. Brush top crust with egg wash to create a nice golden crust.
Bake at 350 degrees for 45 -60 minutes until bubbly and crust is starting to brown. I covered mine after 45 minutes so the crust didn’t over brown. Let sit for 20 minutes to cool slightly and let sauce set up.