Chicken Pot Pie

The extent of my experience with chicken pot pie had only been a recipe that my grandmother shared with me a few years ago. It was really good. Really, really good. It also included about half a box of Bisquick. I kid you not. Now that fall has arrived, I began craving your typical comfort foods, including chicken pot pie. Not really wanting to use so much Bisquick, I went out in search of a more authentic version of this classic recipe. I seemed to hit the jackpot with this version from Williams Sonoma and although an authentic recipe would include a traditional pie crust, puff pastry is seriously one of the best things ever.

This chicken pot pie was very easy and straight-forward to put together, and made the house smell absolutely fantastic. Any candle developers reading?? You should develop a chicken pot pie candle. I’d totally buy it. Mmmm. As you can see, I didn’t make individual pies, but rather made a full serving in a 2 quart casserole dish and used 1 full sheet of puff pastry.

Chicken Pot Pie
(Source: Williams Sonoma)

8 Tbs. (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes
½ cup all-purpose flour
4 cups chicken stock (I used broth)
½ tsp. chopped fresh thyme (I used 1/8 tsp dried thyme)
1 bay leaf
½ cup chopped yellow onions
½ cup chopped celery
½ cup peeled and chopped carrots
½ cup chopped white button mushrooms
½ cup chopped red-skinned potatoes
1 cup chopped cooked chicken
½ cup cooked fresh or frozen peas
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Four 6-inch squares frozen puff pastry
1 egg, beaten with 1 tsp. water
Preheat an oven to 400ºF.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture smells fragrant and nutty, 1 to 2 minutes. Slowly add the stock, whisking until smooth, and bring to a boil. Add the thyme, bay leaf, onions, celery, carrots and mushrooms and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add the potatoes, chicken, peas, salt and pepper and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool for 5 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and discard.

Divide the filling among 4 ovenproof bowls and place on a baking sheet. Brush the puff pastry squares with the egg mixture. Brush the rims of the bowls with water. Place 1 pastry square on top of each bowl, pressing lightly on the edges. Bake until the pastry is puffed and golden brown, about 20 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving. Serves 4.

Share This Post: