Chicken Pot Pie

Last weekend it felt like the middle of July here in the bay area, way too hot!  Luckily we are back to the cooler weather of spring and before it gets too hot I want to get a few more cold weather comfort dishes in. I have always loved chicken pot pie with all of those yummy veggies and chicken surrounded by creamy goodness and topped with a flaky golden crust!  (wait a minute while I mop the drool from my chin...)  

I really love Ina Garten's recipe for pot pie, it makes a nice creamy sauce and is full of wonderful vegetables.  I added even more vegetables to the mix and used leftover roasted chicken from dinner the night before.  Feel free to prepare your chicken any way you like, I prefer to roast my chicken and then use the bones to make my homemade stock.  

I also chose to use puff pastry to top the pie but you can make any pastry you like to top yours.  One sheet of puff pastry doesn't quite cover the entire 9 x13" pan so I used 1 1/3 sheets and pinched them together and then ran my rolling pin over to get rid of the seam.  Make sure that you use an egg wash on the top to help give your crust a beautiful golden color!

Better make this soon before the summer weather comes back!!

Enjoy!

Chicken Pot Pie

5 cups cooked chicken, cubed or shredded

5 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter

1 red onion, chopped

1 cup sliced mushrooms

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup heavy cream

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 cup medium-diced carrots, blanched for 2 minutes

1 cup cubed yukon gold potatoes, cooked until tender

1/2 cup asparagus, 2" pieces, blanched

1/2 cup frozen peas

1 cup frozen small whole onions

1/2 cup minced fresh parsley leaves

puff pastry or homemade pastry dough

1 egg beaten w/ 1 tablespoon of water (for egg wash)

In a small saucepan, heat the chicken stock. In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and saute the onions and mushrooms over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until onions are translucent. Add the flour and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add the hot chicken stock to the sauce. Simmer over low heat for 1 more minute, stirring, until thick. Add 2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and heavy cream. Add the cubed chicken, all of the vegetables, and parsley. Mix well.

Place in 9x13" dish and top with pastry.  Brush with egg wash and cut slits in pastry for the steam to escape.  Bake in 375 degree F oven for 35-45 minutes or until bubbly and the crust is golden brown all over.

Serves 8

Recipe adapted from Ina Garten on Foodnetwork.com