Did you miss me last week? Don’t think I was being lazy, or even out partying it up…no, I’ve been a bit under the weather. It’s great when you’ve prepared for times such as these by making a few freezer meals to fall back on (it beats always having eggs, pancakes or grilled cheese in a pinch).
This recipe is adapted from my daughter’s recipe. Usually it’s made with poached chicken breast, but I happened to have a delicious fully cooked smoked turkey breast on hand. Also, you can change up the vegetables depending on what you have on hand. Got wild Mushrooms? Then use them. Parsnips? Lovely. I need to be mindful about what I add, lest it get picked out and pushed to the side of someone’s plate.
The bottom crust is homemade from my favorite Martha Stewart recipe for pate brisee, but you can use any crust recipe.
pot pie (makes 2 pies)
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 onions, chopped
4 carrots, diced
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 cups whole milk
10 ounces frozen peas
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
2 9-inch pie crusts, rolled out and placed in pans
1 box puff pastry
sea salt and black pepper
Heat oven to 400 degrees (if planning to bake immediately).
Poach chicken in a pot of simmering water until cooked through, about 10-12 minutes. Let cool and then shred.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and carrots and cook, stirring, until they begin to soften, about 6-8 minutes (don’t let them darken). Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and continue to cook while stirring for 1 minute.
Add chicken stock and cook about 1-2 minutes. Add the milk and simmer until the sauce thickens, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in the chicken, peas, thyme 1 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Transfer equal parts to prepared pie pans.
Lay the puff pastry on top, pressing around edges to seal. Flute crust, if desired. If cooking immediately, cut several vents in the crust. Place pot pies on baking sheet and bake until bubbling and the crust is golden, 30-35 minutes.
If freezing, wrap tightly with foil or double plastic wrap.
