Two peas and their pod chicken pot pie

The “meat pie” is a dish that’s everywhere in England – even massive stadiums. Last weekend, I zipped across the pond to cover one of three NFL games this season being played in North London at Tottenham-Hotspur stadium. Am I a sports reporter? Absolutely not. My job was to show viewers what Minnesotans who traveled to the game were experiencing and connect with Vikings fans from all over the world who showed up to cheer on their team. Not a bad assignment, to say the least.

The locals say that when it comes to stadium food – the Meat Pie reigns supreme. I got my paws on a chicken tinga version – basically chicken, onions and beans in a spicy red sauce baked into a flaky crust. It was tasty as all heck. Upon my return, I decided that my favorite version of a meat pie – the Chicken Pot Pie – needed to be on the Reimers family dinner menu immediately.

I grew up eating chicken pot pie this way – baked into a large pie pan and served in slices. My mom made it for us all the time in the fall and winter and it’s deceptively easy, totally impressive and most importantly – incredibly delicious. I made it this week on Minnesota Live and then served it for dinner.

A few pro tips before we get to the recipe:

• You can make this totally from scratch or use shortcuts as you see fit
• Homemade bone broth is great here – or use a box or jar version. My favorites are Kettle & Fire, Epic, Bonafide Provisions and Taking Stock Foods
• You can also sub the cooked chicken thighs for rotisserie chicken, although your pie won’t be quite as flavorful
• Homemade pie crust is wonderful but a store bought version is just fine too – my mom swears by the brand Pappy’s in the freezer section
• Feel free to make the filling ahead, refrigerate, then roll out the dough, fill the pie and bake later in the day
• You can also freeze the pie unbaked (and without the egg wash or heavy cream) and bake it straight from the freezer – it will just take a little longer to cook

Chicken Pot Pie

adapted from Two Peas & Their Pod

Gather:

1 tsp olive oil

1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1 cup chopped carrots

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped celery

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup butter

1/3 cup all purpose flour

2 cups chicken broth

1/3 cup heavy cream

1 cup frozen peas

1/2 tsp fresh thyme

2 tbsp chopped fresh Italian parsley

salt and pepper

homemade or store bought pie crust (enough for a top and bottom crust in a 9 inch pie plate)

1 tsp heavy cream or 1 beaten egg (to brush on the top of the crust)

Cook:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper or your favorite poultry seasoning blend (I love this one from Here’s the Deal Spice Co.). Cook the chicken thighs for about 5 minutes on each side, until just cooked through. Take the chicken thighs out of the pan and set aside. Add the butter, carrots, celery, onion and garlic to the same pan and use a wooden spoon to scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Season with salt and pepper.

Sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the flour to the vegetables and stir to coat – cooking for about 2 minutes. Then add the chicken stock and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. In the meantime, chop the chicken into 1 inch pieces. To the pan, add the heavy cream, thyme, parsley, chicken and peas. Stir over low heat to combine and continue to thicken. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed.

Set aside to cool slightly while you prepare the pie crust. Place the bottom crust in a 9 inch pie plate. Add the filling, then top with the second crust. Crimp the edges, cut a few slits in the center of the top crust to let steam escape and use a pastry brush to coat the top with a thin layer of heavy cream or beaten egg.

Set the pie plate on a rimmed sheet pan (to keep your oven clean!) and bake for 45 minutes, until the crust is golden brown. You can use a pie shield or tinfoil to cover the edges to prevent them from browning too quickly. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

I know the title of this post reads Chicken Pot Pie, but today we are going to call it a Turkey Pot Pie since I know you all have leftover Thanksgiving turkey in your fridge to use up. This recipe works great with chicken or turkey and why not put that turkey to good use by making a delicious pot pie for dinner. I am sure you are all tired of eating leftover turkey sandwiches. It is time for something new!

Chicken pot pie is the ultimate comfort food. Buttery, flaky pie crust filled with shredded chicken (or turkey), vegetables, and a creamy sauce. It tastes like home.

Josh makes this recipe all of the time and the boys love it. They get so excited when we tell them we are having pie for dinner. They don’t even complain about eating their vegetables because they are eating PIE for dinner. Nothing else matters.

If you don’t have leftover turkey to use up, then you can go the chicken route. Josh usually uses a rotisserie chicken from the store. He shreds the chicken and uses it for the filling. And I know you made homemade pie crusts all last week so if you want to cheat and buy a pie crust from the store, I totally get it. This pie crust is pretty tasty though:)

And this pie freezes beautifully. After the boys enjoy a few slices for dinner, I usually put the rest away in the freezer so I can reheat leftovers for lunch or busy weeknights.

This classic homemade Chicken Pot Pie is the perfect meal for when you are craving comfort food. My boys love it and I think you will too!

And make sure you check out our Holiday Gift Guide. We just posted it yesterday. There are gift ideas for him, her, and the kiddos! Happy shopping!

Chicken Pot Pie

This classic homemade chicken pot pie is the ultimate comfort food! It is a family favorite.

Yield: 1 pie

Prep Time:

Cook Time:

Total Time:

Ingredients:

For the pie crust:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• 1/2 cup cold buttermilk
• 1-2 tablespoons cold water
• 1 large egg, beaten, for the egg wash

For the filling:

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup diced onion
• 2 medium carrots, sliced (about 1 cup)
• 1 stalk celery, sliced (about 1/2 cup)
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh Italian parsley
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 and 3/4 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 3 cups shredded chicken or turkey
• 1 cup frozen peas

Directions:

1. First, make the pie crust. Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add the cubed butter and toss to coat. Dump the mixture out onto a clean surface and use a rolling pin to roll the butter into thin sheets, combining it with the flour. Use a bench scraper to scrape the rolling pin and to bring the mixture back into a pile as necessary. Continue until all of the butter is incorporated into the flour. Mixture will be very flaky. Return mixture to the bowl and place in the freezer for 15 minutes to chill the butter.
2. Remove from freezer and add the buttermilk. Use a spoon and then your hands to stir the mixture until it comes together into a ball. If mixture is too dry, add the water a tablespoon at a time. Divide the dough in two and flatten into disks. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge while you make the filling.
3. To make the filling, heat the butter over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add the onions, carrots, celery, and garlic and cook until tender, stirring occasionally.Whisk in the flour, salt, black pepper, thyme, chicken broth, and heavy cream. Whisk until there are no flour lumps and then simmer over medium-low heat for 10 minutes or until sauce has thickened. Stir in the shredded chicken or turkey and frozen peas. Remove from heat and set aside while you roll out the pie dough.
4. Preheat oven to 400°F.
5. Remove the pie dough from the refrigerator. On a lightly floured surface, use a rolling pin to roll out the dough into a 12-inch circle. Dough should be about 1/4 inch thick. Transfer dough to a 9-inch pie pan. Pat with your fingers, making sure it is smooth. Trim the extra overhang of dough with a knife and discard. Fill pie with filling. Roll out the second disk of dough and carefully cover the pie. Trim the extra overhang off the sides. Seal the edges by crimping with a fork or your fingers. With sharp knife, slice a few small slits in the center of the top crust. Using a pastry brush, brush crust and edges with beaten egg.
6. Bake for 45 minutes, or until crust is golden brown. I use a pie crust shield to protect the edges from browning too much too soon. Cool for 10 minutes, cut into slices and serve.

Note-we love making this recipe when we have leftover rotisserie chicken or turkey. This pot pie freezes well. Cool completely and freeze for up to 1 month. You can freeze the whole pie or slices.

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