The CooCoo Nest: Chicken Pot Pie Recipe

One of my go-to-meals is definitely Chicken Pot Pie. And since chicken breasts were on sale at Meijer last week, Chicken Pot Pie made it on our weekly meal list. It's another one of those meals that may seem intimidating; but believe me, it's super easy and your family will love it!

Here's what you'll need:

Chicken
*I used two large chicken breasts because we like white meat. But when I'm in a time crunch, I've used a store-bought rotisserie chicken and just shredded the meat.
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 stick unsalted butter
1 large onion (or 3 small ones this week), finely chopped
1 1/2 cups carrots, cut into 1/2-inch rounds
3 ribs celery, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 cup frozen peas
1 box refrigerated pie dough (you will need both shells if you want a top and bottom crust)
1 egg, beaten
kosher salt & pepper

Okay, let's just get this out of the way...

Yes, this recipe does call for heavy whipping cream and real butter! Get over it! If you use margarine or half/half, well I don't want to know about it.

Now that we've established that, let's start cooking!

First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Place your chicken breasts on a baking sheet (I line my baking pan with foil so I don't have to wash it later) and sprinkle with salt and pepper. I used bone-in chicken breasts with the skins. The skin keeps the chicken moist, and I remove it after it's baked.

Bake until done, about 40 minutes. Allow to cool enough so you can handle it, and shred the meat. Set aside.

Next, Mirepoix!

The culinary world has never known a finer marriage of flavors! Chop the celery, onions, and carrots so they are all relatively the same size. In our house, we have a little mouth to feed so we keep things about a half-inch in size.

In a dutch oven (aka big heavy pot), like this lovely...

My Precious

...melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, celery, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Saute until the onions are translucent and the carrots and celery are tender.

Add the flour and stir constantly for 2 minutes. The fat from the butter and the raw flour will combine to make a roux (thickener) for the filling. You are cooking out the raw flour flavor, so make sure you stir for the full 2 minutes. The mixture should be pasty and lump-free.

Next, stir in the broth, cream, chicken, and peas. Salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer until the filling thickens to your liking.

Line your baking vessel with one of the pie crusts.

It doesn't have to be pretty. We make a family style pot pie, but you could make individual pies instead.

Ladle the filling into the lined baking dish.

Cover with the remaining pie crust and tuck in the edges. Remember, it doesn't need to be super pretty. Pot pie is supposed to be rustic. Brush the top with egg wash and sprinkle with salt and pepper.