Homemade Chicken Pot Pie
Nothing says winter like comfort food. You know what I mean, the kind of food that warms you up from the inside and puts a smile on your face and heart. My chicken pot pie is a family favorite in any season, but recently, I made the best rendition of this southern classic.
A good chicken pot pie is hearty and chunky with a warm, buttery crust. I used to use self-rising flour, but I’ve been on a journey to use more organic ingredients that are derived from their natural source. I’ve struggled to find organic, unbleached self-rising flour, so I had to make the switch to using all-purpose Flour.
To make the crust for my pie, I used my favorite biscuit recipe (here). In addition to showing me how to make my own self-rising flour out of all-purpose flour, this biscuit recipe introduced me to the idea of grading my butter instead of cutting it into my flour. Because of this, my biscuits were forever changed.
The game changer (and new edition) for this particular pie is the homemade cream of chicken soup (recipe). I usually buy the canned version and try to get reduced sodium or low fat, but I will NEVER buy canned again! This homemade version was so easy to make and it was 1,000x better than the canned version. It was smooth, creamy and hearty - and it tasted fantastic. In fact, I’m considering making it again to just eat as a soup.
The rest is very basic and easy. I used halal chicken breast, which was cut into chunks and sauteed in olive oil. I also used a bag of organic mixed veggies - and Voila! I had a comforting one-dish meal for the entire family to enjoy!
Homemade Chicken Pot Pie Recipe
Ingredients:
2 pounds chicken breast (I used halal)
1 tbsp of olive oil
1 family size bag of mixed veggies of your choice (I use corn, peas, carrots, and green beans)
2 1/2 cups chicken broth (I used 2 cups of water with 2 maggi cubes)
1 1/2 cups milk
3/4 cup flour (soup) + 2 cups flour (crust)
season to taste - soup & chicken (soup suggestion: 1/2 tsp. onion powder, 1/2 tsp. garlic powder, 1/2 tsp. black pepper, 1 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. parsley, etc)
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tsp salt
6 tbsp unsalted butter (I likely used salted)
3/4 cup whole milk (I used 2% - you can also use buttermilk)
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400F.
Cut chicken breast into small pieces (size doesn’t really matter here). Season to taste and saute in a pan with olive oil until chicken is no longer pink. About 5-10 minutes depending on size. Set aside.
In a large pot, place mixed veggies and bring to a boil. Cook until desired tenderness and then drain. Set aside.
Prepare cream of chicken soup according to these directions.
Prepare biscuit dough according to these directions, stopping at #9. The only difference is that I added more milk. I like for my dough to be quite stickly to the touch. That makes them dense with lots of moisture (the way my family likes them) when cooked.
Combine the chicken, mixed veggies, and cream of chicken soup in the large pot used to boil to veggies. Stir until combined. Taste to see if you want to add more seasoning.
Transfer mixture to a clear 8.9 Inch X 13.2 Inch (3 Qt) baking dish.
Make sure your flattened dough is shaped to cover the top of your baking dish - adjust if needed.
Cover baking dish with dough and use a fork to poke holes throughout to vent.
Place dish in the oven and check after 15 minutes. The pie is ready when the crust is golden brown and firm to the touch (it should not cave in when you touch it).
Remove from oven and enjoy!
Mom tip: Make sure the kids don’t take all of the yummy crust and leave the veggies!
