Easy (Phyllo Dough Crust) Chicken Pot Pie

This chicken pot pie is terrific made with homegrown heritage* chicken, but it’s also delicious made using store-bought chicken breasts.  It’s really a thick chicken stew covered with a puff pastry, so it’s very easy to do.

It’s quickly become one of our favorite ways to eat heritage chicken because it’s got so much real chicken flavor.

*Heritage chickens are traditional chicken breeds that are raised over a longer period of time than today’s factory raised chickens, and therefore develop more flavor (see Heritage Birds for Real Chicken Flavor).

The dish can also be made in advance, simply make the stew and refrigerate.  Then bake the stew for 25 minutes, add the puff pastry top, and bake for another 20 to 30 minutes or until done.

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Easy Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients

• 2 whole heritage roasting chickens app. 4 lbs. each or 3 whole, bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts
• 5 cups chicken stock
• 12 tablespoons 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
• 2 cups chopped yellow onions (2 onions)
• 2 cups diced carrots (4 carrots)
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 10- ounce package frozen peas (2 cups)
• 1 1/2 cups frozen small onions
• 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
• 1 14 oz. package frozen puff pastry (thawed)
• 1 egg mixed with 1 tablespoon water (egg wash)

Instructions

For the chicken:

1. If using the heritage roasting chickens, preheat the oven to 325°F degrees, place the two roasting chickens breast down in a graniteware roaster, add water to approximately 1" deep in the roasting pan, and roast for 30 minutes per pound (i.e. if using 4 lb. birds, roast for 2 hours), or until cooked through.  Allow to cool, remove chicken from bone and shred, and discard skin and bones (or save for making chicken stock).   Pour the collected liquid from the bottom of the roaster into a large measuring cup, refrigerate to separate fat from broth, skim and discard fat, and reserve broth.
2. If using chicken breasts, preheat the oven to 375°F degrees, place the chicken breasts on a sheet pan, rub with olive oil, and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.  Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, or until cooked through.  Allow, to cool, remove chicken from bone and shred, and discard the skin and bones.

For the pot pie:

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F degrees.  In a large pot, melt the butter, and saute the onions and carrots over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes or until the onions are translucent.
2. Add the flour and cook over low heat, stirring constantly for two minutes; then add the reserved chicken stock, and stir over low heat for a few minutes until thick.  Add the heavy cream, salt, and pepper and stir to mix.  Then add the shredded chicken, peas, onion, and parsley.  Mix well.
3. Place the stew in a 10 x 13 x 2 inch rectangular baking dish, and place the baking dish in the oven for 15 minutes.  While the stew is baking, roll out the two pieces of puff pastry on a lightly floured surface, and join them to make one sheet large enough to cover the top of the stew.  Remove the stew from the oven, and cover the top with the puff pastry.  Brush the puff pastry with the egg wash, make several slits in the pastry top to allow steam to escape, and return the dish to the oven.  Bake for another 20 to 30  minutes, until the puff pastry is brown and the stew is bubbling.   Serves 8 generously.

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