This classic chicken pot pie is loaded with vegetables and chunks of tender chicken, all in a smooth, delicious gravy. The puff pastry crust not only looks beautiful, but it offers a wonderful alternative to the standard pastry crust.
Keyword: chicken pot pie, puff pastry, turkey pot pie
Servings: 6
Ingredients
1packagepuff pastry sheets, thawed
1poundboneless, skinless chicken breast(s), cooked and cubed*
1/3cupbutter
5carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/2" roundsabout 2 cups
1onion, chopped
1/2poundmushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1/3cupflour, all-purpose
1cartonchicken broth, 4 cups or 32 ounces
1/2cuphalf-and-half or milk
1cupfrozen peas, thawed
1tbspDijon mustard
1tspthyme, dried
1tspsalt
1/2tspblack pepper, fresh ground
1/4tspcelery seed
1/4cupchopped fresh parsley
Instructions
Heat oven to 400° F.
Bottom Pastry
On a lightly floured surface, carefully unfold one pastry sheet. (Put the other pastry sheet back in the refrigerator to keep cool.) Roll into a 12" x 12" square. Press the square of puff pastry into the bottom of a 2-quart, oven-safe casserole. Trim away excess pastry and prick thoroughly with a fork. Cover the puff pastry with a piece of aluminum foil. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil.
Filling
Place butter in a 12 inch skillet and melt over medium heat. Add carrots, onions, and mushrooms, cook just until carrots are tender, about 5 minutes; stir occasionally. Sprinkle flour over vegetables and cook about 3 minutes, stirring until flour turns a golden brown color. Slowly add in the chicken broth, continue cooking and stirring until the mixture comes to a boil and thickens.
Add the mustard, thyme, and black pepper, stir to combine thoroughly. Gently stir in the chicken, peas, and about 3 tbsp. of the parsley. Remove pan from heat.
Make Lattice Top
On a lightly floured surface, unfold the second sheet of puff pastry. With a sharp knife, cut the pastry crosswise into 6 strips about 1-1/2 inches wide. Carefully spoon the hot chicken mixture onto the baked puff pastry in the casserole dish. Use the cut strips of pastry to weave a lattice pattern over the chicken and vegetable filling. Trim off any excess pastry. Sprinkle the remaining parsley over the top of the pot pie. Place casserole on a baking sheet.
Bake for 45 minutes, until the puff pastry is golden brown and the filling is hot and bubbly.
Notes
*I like to season the chicken breasts with salt, pepper and a little Cajun seasoning, then pan fry just until cooked through, no pink. Cool slightly, then cube.Options - I use a lot of carrots because my family loves them, but feel free to experiment with whatever vegetables your family likes. Consider the following:1 Large potato cubed, parboiled until almost tender½ cup celery, sliced, use in place of the celery seed1/2 cup whole kernel cornPlease don’t skimp on the butter, it’s needed in order to make the roux that will thicken the broth. It will give you a nice smooth gravy that goes perfect in this dish.Substitute turkey for the chicken or use a rotisserie chicken from the deli.Of course, when you have leftover turkey or veggies after a big family dinner, this is the perfect way to make use of those leftovers!