Freezing temperatures and the snow are officially here to stay. Obviously this means it’s time to make the heartiest, coziest, and more comforting meal in the history of the world: chicken pot pie! I never fully understood what the fuss was all about until I started making this dish myself a few years ago. I’ve since perfected my recipe and can now truly appreciate how delicious and filling this dish can be. I stuff mine full of vegetables and herbs for a flavorful and colorful all-in-one-pot dinner. The individual pot pies are (in my not-so-humble opinion) the perfect way to serve them; it’s as if each person is privy to their own personal feast. Better yet, that way there is no fighting over the delectable pie crust topping! These are great for entertaining because everything can be prepared ahead of time– just leave enough time to bake and cool these piping hot bowls of chicken pot pie magma!
I originally based my recipe off of this recipe, but you’ll notice a few changes that I now incorporate!
- For the pastry:
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ tsp. salt
- 12 Tbs. (1½ sticks) cold unsalted butter,
- cut into ½-inch cubes
- ½ cup ice water, plus more as needed
- For the filling:
- 14 Tbs. (1¾ sticks) unsalted butter, cut
- into ½-inch cubes
- 1 cup plus 2 Tbs. all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup dry sherry
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 2 tablespoons Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 quarts chicken stock
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 6 celery stalks, sliced
- 8 carrots, peeled and cut into slices
- 1 turnip, peeled and cut into slices
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 2 cups frozen brocoli
- 4 oz. white button mushrooms, cut into ¼-inch dice
- 6 oz. small red-skinned potatoes, cut into ½-inch dice
- 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, grilled with salt and pepper and chopped in ½" chunks
- Generous doses of sea salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 egg, beaten with 1 tsp. water
- To make the pastry, in a food processor fitted with the steel blade, combine the flour, salt and butter and process with 15 rapid on-off pulses; the mixture should look light and dry and resemble tiny, irregular flakes and crumbs. Add 5 Tbs. of the water and process with 5 rapid on-off pulses. Add the remaining 3 Tbs. water and process with 3 rapid on-off pulses. Stop and feel the dough (taking care not to touch the blade); it should be just damp enough to mass together. If necessary, add more water by tablespoonfuls, pulsing briefly after each addition. The total mixing time is less than 1 minute, and the dough should remain a rough, shaggy mass.
- Using floured hands, pat the dough into 2 disks. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough disks into rounds approximately ¼" inch thick. I used the bowl as a measuring tool to ensure the dough was large enough to cover the bowl with an additional ½-1" overhang. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to bake.
- Preheat an oven to 400ºF.
- To make the filling, in a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture smells fragrant and nutty, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the sherry, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne pepper, and Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base. Slowly add the stock, whisking until smooth, and bring to a boil. Add the thyme, bay leaves, rosemary, onion, celery, carrots, turnip, and mushrooms and cook until the vegetables are almost tender, about 10 minutes. Add the potatoes, peas, broccoli, salt and pepper and cook until the potatoes are tender, approximately 15 minutes. Add in the chicken. Remove the bay leaves and discard.
- Transfer the filling to individual oven-safe bowls. Brush the rim of the bowls with water. Lay the pastry round over the top and press the edges to seal. Brush the pastry with some of the egg mixture and place on a cookie sheet. Bake until golden brown, about 30-40 minutes. Let rest for at least 15 minutes before serving, the pie crust holds in a lot of heat!
- Enjoy! This recipe serves approximately 8.
