If I could marry a dinner entree it would be the chicken pot pie. It's an amazing comfort food that has sophistication without being too fussy. This is a pretty easy recipe for even the most timid kitchen-goer. I like to use a large dish for the pies to assure a good ratio of pie crust to filling. You can use oven safe dishes or aluminum pie pans.
My Favorite Chicken Pot Pie
4 cups chicken broth
1 bouillon cube
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 onion, finely chopped
4 large carrots cut in 1/2-inch rounds
2 ribs celery, sliced
3 tablespoons chopped chives
3 cloves garlic, chopped fine
Salt and black pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons dry sherry
1 store-bought 2-pound rotisserie chicken, shredded
1 (7-ounce) bag frozen pearl onions
1 (9-ounce) box frozen peas
2 (9-ounce) packages store-bought rolled out pie dough
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.
In a medium saucepan heat chicken broth and bouillon cube over medium heat until hot.
In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, celery, chives and garlic, and saute until tender. Season with salt and pepper. Add the flour and stir together until it becomes pasty and lump-free, about 2 minutes. Stir in the hot broth, heavy cream, sherry, chicken and frozen onions and peas. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer.
With a ladle, fill 4 to 6 ovenproof bowls, ramekins or aluminum pans with the filling. Place on baking sheet.
Sprinkle flour on countertop. Roll out dough to fit your dishes. Cut your dough larger than the tops of your oven-proof bowls. Lay dough over containers and crimp the dough around the edges. Make 4 small slits on the top. Sprinkle with salt and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve.
