So Good Chicken Pot Pie…..$10 or Less Meal

I love this homemade chicken pot pie! It’s creamy, delicious, and inexpensive. And the whole house will smell so good! The list of ingredients might look long but there’s not really that much work to it and most of the ingredients are probably already in your kitchen. This is one of those recipes that you can substitute ingredients easily, depending on what you like and what you have on hand. If you don’t like peas, use lima beans or green beans. Or if you don’t like corn, use extra carrots or add celery. I bought my pie crusts because they were on sale for $2.00 (for 2) at Safeway. I would have saved money if I had made them myself but even buying them, I was able to keep this under $10. You have the crust, the meat, and veggies so this is literally a one dish meal. You could add a small salad or fruit to round out the meal if you want. My chicken was on sale for $1.99 lb (chicken breast). You can also use a whole chicken if you want or mix white and dark meat. If you keep the measurements of the liquids and vegetables as I’ve written, you can substitute to your heart’s content.

You can also prepare these and bake them a day or two before serving and simply reheat in a low oven until ready to serve. This is one of those meals you want to prep ahead of time or cook on the weekend because it does take about an hour to cook the chicken and another hour to cook the potpie…..but it’s totally worth it! When I make this, I usually go ahead and make two, and then freeze one for a later date.

I based this recipe on one of Emeril Lagasse’s recipes from his Emeril’s Potluck Cookbook….I just changed up some of the ingredients to fit my budget. Again, this looks long and complicated but it is totally worth some of the extra time, and it’s really not a lot of hands-on time.

CHICKEN POT PIE-

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: about 2 1/2 hours

Serves: 4 for approx $7.50

Ingredients:

• 2 piecrusts
• 1 lb chicken (either cut up from a whole chicken, or breast, thighs or legs-or a combination)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock or broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 russet potato, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 2 cups)
• 1 cup sliced carrots (about 2 carrots)
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped onions
• 1/2 cup corn (I used canned but you can use frozen or fresh)
• 1/2 cup white button mushrooms, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup peas (I used canned)
• 1/8 cup heavy cream (1 1/2 tablespoons)
• 1 1/2 tablespoon flour
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 egg, lightly beaten

Directions:

Prepare pie crusts if making or defrost according to package directions. If making, refrigerate at least 30 minutes before rolling out. You want two piecrusts that will fit a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan. Place one crust in pan and trim the edges of the dough so that 1/2 inch hangs over the sides of the pan. Roll the remaining crust out and place on a baking sheet with plastic or parchment over it until ready to bake the potpie. The key to this is to keep your dough cold until ready to bake.

Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Heat a Dutch oven or other large heavy pot over high heat and brown the chicken on both sides in the olive oil, working in batches if necessary, about 5 minutes on each side. Drain all the fat from the Dutch oven and add the chicken stock, bay leaf, and oregano. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the chicken is very tender, about 1 hour. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken pieces to a plate and set aside until cool enough to handle. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bones (if using boned pieces), and tear into bite-size pieces. Set aside.

Meanwhile, add the potato, carrots, onions and heavy cream to the Dutch oven and return to a boil. *If using canned vegetables like the corn and peas I use, you’ll add those later . If using fresh corn and peas or green beans, add them now.Cover the pot, reduce the heat to a simmer , and cook until the vegetables are very tender, about 30 minutes. *If using canned vegetables, add them to the pot about 5 minutes before the fresh vegetables are tender and done.

Combine the flour and butter in a small bowl to form a thick paste. Ladle some of the hot chicken broth into the bowl and whisk to combine with the flour-butter paste. When smooth, add to the pot and stir to combine will. Bring the sauce to a low boil and continue to cook until the sauce is thick and smooth, about 5 minutes. Add the reserved chicken meat, stir to combine, and remove from the heat. Discard the bay leaf, taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Set aside to cool completely. Once cooled, refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and position an oven rack on the lowest rung of the oven.

Put the chilled filling in the chilled pastry-lined pie pan and using a spatula, smooth the filling to the edges. Place the egg in a small bowl and beat with 1 tablespoon of water. Lightly brush the edges of the overhanging pastry with some of the egg wash. Top the potpie with the other crust and trim the edges to match those of the bottom crusts. Using your fingers, pinch the edges of dough together and crimp. Using the tip of a sharp knife, cut several slits in the top of pie to allow steam to escape while cooking. Brush the top of the potpie with some of the egg wash.

Bake the potpie for 20 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue baking until the crusts are golden brown and the filling is heated through, about 40 minutes longer.

Remove the potpie from the oven and allow to cool slightly before serving. Cut into wedges and serve.