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1.15.2015

NAT NESTS | CHICKEN POT PIE


I picked up this recipe from my friend Amelia, who writes the blog The Homebook, and it's very quickly become a cold-weather staple at our place. One of my dreams is to someday nail a great roast chicken all on my own--is there anything more blissful than the idea of assembling your own root + herb bed!! ??--but until that happens, I've been picking up cooked rotisserie birds at the local market, which makes this recipe incredibly, if not far less romantic. I also use a frozen pie crust, which is a travesty! Though I will allow that putting together the mirepoix might be traditional enough to make me feel sufficiently old-fashioned and cook-y for the time being, I'm not too worried about it.

These are my feelings on chicken pot pie, and they are weird, but I will own them. 

(One time in college I gained five pounds on Marie Callender frozen pot pies alone, if I remember correctly.) 


Is that not the prettiest mirepoix-in-the-works you ever did see? I like to imagine I'm living in a small country home with horses in the stable and smoke in the chimneys when I'm in the kitchen mirepoix-ing it up. Don't judge. 


The next-day leftovers on this baby are the whole point of the thing, I think.
(Amelia's finished photos came out way prettier than mine.)
(I'm going to be honest with you, proper capitalization in this blog is really starting to chafe my hide. ;) 

INGREDIENTS /
1 package of pre-made pie crust (enough for top and bottom) (or make your own--Amelia recommends this one)
2 cups diced potatoes
4 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried oregano
3/4 tsp black pepper
4 cups chicken broth
4 cups cooked chicken, shredded or cubed
1 cup frozen peas
2 cups frozen corn (or 2 fresh ear's worth cut corn) 
*note: I tossed in celery because I'm a celery addict, but the original recipe didn't call for it. I also think turnips, parsnips . . . even sweet potatoes? Could be great too! Maybe not sweet potatoes, I don't know. Actually . . . 

METHOD /
1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place potatoes and carrots in large saucepan, and add water to cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook for 8-10 minutes or until tender; drain.

2. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, and cook until tender. Stir in flour and seasonings until blended. Gradually stir in broth. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, until thickened. Stir in chicken, peas, corn and potato mixture. Remove from heat.

3. Roll out half your pie dough and place into pie or casserole dish, pressing the dough up the sides of the dish. Add chicken mixture. Roll out remaining dough and place over filling. Seal and crimp edges. Cut slits into the top of the pie to let out steam.

4. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until lightly browned. Crimp aluminum foil around the edges of the pie to prevent burning, if necessary. Let sit 10 minutes before serving.

23 comments:

  1. Wow, looks delicious!

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  2. I highly recommend Marc Bittman's "How to Cook Everything." I was a complete waste of space in a kitchen until I bought this for my fiance. I learned how to cook the most delicious roast chicken in the entire world (and its easy!), and then how to turn it into chicken soup.

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  3. Loving all these posts! I love hearing your input about all of life's subjects. Welcome back, lady.

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  4. I think you're confusing a roux and a mirepoix.

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    1. hah! i definitely was, how sad! thanks for letting me know, i changed it. clearly i am SUCH a gourmet :).

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  5. That's not "the prettiest roux you've ever seen"!! It's a mirepoix.

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  6. Your mirepoix looks like it has celery and yet your recipe doesn't...are you holding back on us?

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    1. hah! the original recipe doesn't call for celery, but i'm a celery addict. i think turnips or other roots would be good, too! i'll make a note. clearly i wrote this post way too quickly! (kindergarten application day, i'm swamped!)

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  7. Hi Natalie, roast chicken is so easy--I'm sure you can do it in a snap. Get a 5 lb.-ish bird, clean it, rub olive oil and seasoning all over the outside (I like Slap Ya Mama seasoning), and roast at 375F for about 90 min. Sometimes I rotate the bird so it roasts more evenly, but in 80-90 min. you should have a 180F, fully cooked chicken. That's it!

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    Replies
    1. I agree, you can totally handle it! And the leftover chicken and stock make an awesome next-day ramen.

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  8. add a splash of cognac into the filling next time.. it makes it incredible!!

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  9. I'm seriously obsessed with chicken pot pit! Just found your blog.... so stinkin' cute. Thanks for the recipe!

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  10. Nat I just wanted you to know I find your blog refreshing.I am a blogger too, I read a lot of life style blogs and get bored of them pretty quickly , but you manage to make the mundane charming. Thanks for sharing you have a nice style.
    Simmer Dougherty
    Ps I love Meg Ryan movies too especially Sleepless in Seattle

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  11. Actually might try this. I'm pretty lazy in the kitchen and this looks easy enough for a poor college student!

    http://katmicru.blogspot.com

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  12. i'm drooling now..looked yummy!!

    xo joselovincolors
    www.joselovincolors.com

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  13. The Barefoot Contessa has a suuuuper easy Perfect Roast Chicken recipe online. I've made it 3 times and it always turns out perfectly. I don't think you can screw it up. Then you save the carcass and make broth! :)

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  14. Soooo glad you use proper capitalization now- although it was kindof charming, it made your blog difficult to read

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  15. chicken pot pie is the best! this past winter, I'm pretty sure it made the weekly menu twice a week. sadly, there were never leftovers.. I have no restraint.

    love, arielle
    a simple elegance

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  16. That sounds delicious. I've been making homemade crust for twenty-six years. One year at Thanksgiving, I was in a rush and used a frozen crust. No one could tell! Don't worry for a microsecond over using a frozen crust. Enjoy that extra time and the fact that you don't have flour all over the floor when you're done.

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  17. I made this last night, but made biscuits and put them on top instead of using pie crusts (I didn't have frozen ones and I didn't have time to make them from scratch). Happy to say that it still tasted fantastic! Thank you so much for the recipe!

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  18. is broth the same as stock? you cant seem to buy broth in the stores here :(

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  19. that looks amazing! totally making that later this week!

    NicotineResources

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