Chicken Pot Pies

(This is getting republished because somewhere in the web, the recipe disappeared. You will also find a second filling version as well, which still needs a little tweaking and more flavor).

I've discovered a couple of new blogs, one of which is shutterbean. I found a version of this recipe there. I had to laugh though at the cookbook it came out of. This recipe in it's original version evidently is "man food," at least it came out of a cookbook called, Mad Men, Feeding Men and Boys. I didn't know men ate differently than women. I knew my husband used to be a vegetarian and still doesn't enjoy pork because pigs are smart animals. I know he loves a good salad or quiche. I doubt the changes I made to the recipe still qualifies it as "man food."

My changes? I added some mushrooms, kohlrabi (it was starting to multiply in my fridge), and dijon mustard and omitted the dill and the celery from the original recipe. I remembered my biscuit pot pie I made and decided to make the recipe mimic that one a little more. I used some left over cooked chicken I froze after having a rotisserie chicken. You could easily substitute some of Thursday's leftover turkey for the chicken. You could also leave the meat out all together and substitute another vegetable like sweet potatoes, turnips, or potatoes.

Everyone loved this dish. The individual pot pies were rather time consuming. You could also make this with one crust on the bottom and another on top in a pie pan. Curtis claims it's the individual pot pies that make it so "manly," though. The original recipe also said they can be frozen and reheated in the microwave or frozen before baking and bake them whenever you want them. I would like to make a batch of these and freeze the entire thing sometime to have an easy supper in the freezer to pull out as necessary. There is enough dough for 8 - 9 pot pies.



Cream Cheese Pastry
from Shutterbean

1/2 c butter, at room temperature
4 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
1/4 c heavy whipping cream (or whole milk will do in a pinch)
1 1/2 c plus 2 T flour (plus more for rolling out dough later)
1/2 t salt

Combine the butter, cream cheese, and whipping cream and mix until smooth, using an electric mixer or food processor. Add the flour and salt, process (mix) until dough holds together in a ball. Turn out onto floured surface and divide into 2 pieces. Form balls and then flatten each piece into a 5" disc. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

Chicken Pot Pie, version 1
adapted from Shutterbean

1 heaping c shredded chicken
2 T butter
1/2 c onion, chopped

Any combination of vegetables to equal 3 c (go for variety in colors, preferably)

• 1/3 c celery, chopped
• 1/3 c carrots, chopped
• 1/2 c frozen peas
• 1 c kohlrabi, peeled, diced, and cooked
  
• 1 c mushrooms

1/2 t salt
1 t dijon mustard
2 T flour
1 1/2 c chicken broth
1/4 c Parmesan cheese

Saute onion in butter in a large nonstick skillet for 3 minutes or so, until onions soften. Add carrots, celery, and mushrooms. Saute until mushrooms release their juices, about 5 minutes. Add peas and cooked kohlrabi, cook 2 more minutes. Stir in the salt, mustard, and flour and cook for 1 minute more. Add the chicken broth and stir until thickened. Stir in shredded chicken and Parmesan cheese. Cool (if it's hot, it will make the pastry very difficult to deal with).

Chicken Pot Pie v. 2 (the not as flavorful, needs more tweaking version)
adapted from Bon Appetit

2 small fennel bulbs, trimmed, halved lengthwise, triangular core discarded, and thinly sliced
1 3/4 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (approx 2 c cooked chicken)
1/2 c carrot, diced
5 T butter
5 T flour
2 1/2 c whole milk
3 T fresh lemon juice
1 t dijon mustard
(1/2 t worcestershire sauce---will add next time for more flavor)
1/4 lb cooked ham, diced into small cubes

Saute fennel in some olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until fennel begins to soften. Add the carrots and continue to saute until carrots and fennel are soften. Remove from pan and set aside.

In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium high heat. Add the flour and stir 2 minutes. Gradually add the milk and whisk until sauce thickens. Add the lemon juice and salt. Add chicken, carrots and fennel, and ham, Season with dijon, worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Cool completely.

To make Pot Pies (for both versions)
1 egg, beaten with 1 T water

Roll out cream cheese pastry on a flour surface. Using an overturned bowl (about 5 inches in diameter), cut out circles. Transfer circles to the side and repeat with second disc and leftover dough (rolling and cutting each disc twice---reserve leftover dough). Place 1/4 - 1/3 c filling in half of each circle. Wet the edges of dough with water. Fold dough over to make a half circle. Pinch the edges of the dough together and crimp with fork (unless you are running short on time and aren't concerned at all with appearances---then you can skip the crimping part). Repeat until all circles are filled. Put leftover filling a small oven proof dish and cover with leftover pastry dough. If you have time, chill for a few minutes. Right before baking, brush the egg wash (1 egg plus 1 T water) over each pot pie).

Bake in preheated 375 degrees oven for 20 - 25 minutes (for version 1) or 40 minutes (for version 2), or until golden brown (If you skip the egg wash, the golden brown won't happen). Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

You can also cool and freeze the pot pies for a quick lunch/snack/dinner at a later time.