Ella Walter
Chicken pot pie is a comforting and delicious dish that's easier to make than you might think. With a flaky, buttery pie crust and a creamy sauce, it's a perfect meal for any time of the year. You can use store-bought puff pastry or make your own dough, and fill it with chicken, vegetables, and a rich sauce. The key to a great pot pie is in the preparation of the sauce and ensuring the pie doesn't become soggy. This guide will take you through the steps to make a perfect chicken pot pie, from preparing the filling to baking and serving.
Characteristics and their values for cooking chicken pot pie
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Meat | Chicken, rotisserie chicken, or turkey |
| Broth | Chicken broth, chicken stock, or vegetable broth |
| Vegetables | Carrots, celery, peas, corn, potatoes, mushrooms, zucchini, leeks, onions, garlic |
| Seasonings | Salt, pepper, thyme, cayenne, celery seed, garlic powder, lemon zest |
| Sauce | Milk, heavy cream, half-and-half, or whipping cream |
| Pie Crust | Homemade, store-bought, puff pastry, or pie dough |
| Baking Temperature | 375°F to 425°F |
| Baking Time | 30-40 minutes, until golden brown |
| Resting Time | 10-15 minutes |
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What You'll Learn
Choosing a pie dish
Choosing the right pie dish is essential for ensuring your chicken pot pie cooks evenly and develops a flaky, crispy crust. Here are some factors to consider when selecting a pie dish:
Material:
- Glass or metal pie dishes are recommended for chicken pot pies. Glass allows heat to distribute evenly, ensuring a flaky crust even when filled with pot pie filling. Metal pie plates are excellent conductors of heat, reducing the chances of a soggy bottom crust.
- Avoid ceramic pie dishes, as they can cause the pie to bake unevenly at high temperatures.
- Disposable foil pans can be used, but they reflect heat, making it harder for the crust to brown and potentially leading to a soggy bottom crust.
Size:
Most recipes recommend a 9-inch pie plate for chicken pot pies. This size provides enough space for the filling and allows for a generous crust.
Shape:
Chicken pot pies are typically baked in round pie dishes. This shape allows for even heat distribution and makes it easier to create a uniform crust.
Depth:
Choose a pie dish with sufficient depth to accommodate the filling and crust. A deeper dish can also help prevent the filling from overflowing during baking.
Oven-safe:
Ensure that your chosen pie dish is oven-safe and can withstand the high temperatures required for baking the pie.
By considering these factors and selecting an appropriate pie dish, you'll be well on your way to achieving a delicious and perfectly cooked chicken pot pie.
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Preparing the chicken
To cook the chicken yourself, start by seasoning the chicken with salt and pepper. Then, add the chicken to a large saucepan and cover it with water. Bring the water to a simmer and cook the chicken until it is barely cooked through. Remove the chicken from the saucepan and place it on a plate to cool for a few minutes before chopping it into bite-size pieces. You can also shred the chicken if you prefer a different texture. Remember to reserve about 1 3/4 cups of the water from the saucepan to use later in your sauce.
If you're short on time, you can also use frozen roasted chicken or leftover rotisserie chicken. Simply chop up the chicken and add it straight into your pot pie filling.
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Making the filling
To make the filling for a chicken pot pie, you'll need to cook the chicken, prepare the vegetables, and make the sauce.
First, season the chicken with salt and pepper and cover it with water in a large saucepan. Bring it to a simmer and cook until it's just cooked through. Then, remove the chicken and let it cool before chopping it into bite-sized pieces. You can also use rotisserie chicken or leftovers as a shortcut.
Next, prepare the vegetables. You can use a combination of onions, celery, carrots, leek, garlic, and thyme. Cook the vegetables in butter until they are soft and translucent. You can also add bouillon paste and celery seed for extra flavour.
Now, it's time to make the sauce. Add flour, salt, and pepper to the vegetables and stir until well blended. Then, gradually stir in broth or milk, or a combination of both, and cook until the mixture is bubbly and thickened. You can also add cream or half-and-half for a richer, creamier sauce. Finally, stir in the cooked chicken and your choice of vegetables.
At this point, you can prepare the pie crust and assemble the pot pie. Spoon the filling into the bottom crust, add the top crust, and bake until golden brown. Don't forget to add slits to the top crust to allow steam to escape!
Feel free to experiment with different vegetables and seasonings to make the filling your own. Enjoy the process of creating this comforting and delicious dish!
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Adding the pie crust
To add the pie crust to your chicken pot pie, start by bringing the crusts to room temperature. Remove the outer package and leave the crusts on the counter for 15 minutes. If left for too long, they could become sticky and hard to use.
Next, place one pie crust in an ungreased 9-inch glass pie plate. Press the crust firmly against the sides and bottom, allowing any extra crust to hang over the edge. You can use a glass or metal pie dish for the best crust. If you're only using a top crust, pour the pie crust into a heatproof glass, ceramic pie dish, or suitable skillet and brush the edges with egg wash.
After adding the filling, roll out the second half of the pie dough into a 12-inch circle and lay it over the filling. Seal and crimp or flute the pie crust edges. Flute your pie by folding the top crust edge under the bottom crust edge to create a thick raised edge. Then pinch the raised edge between your thumb and forefinger, creating a scalloped pattern. Don't forget to make a few slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape.
Finally, brush the top crust with egg wash to give it a golden, glistening sheen. Simply whisk an egg with a tablespoon of milk and use a pastry brush to brush the top crust and edges.
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Baking the pie
To prevent the crust from burning, aluminium foil can be used to shield the edge of the pot pie towards the end of the baking time. If the pie is baked in a disposable foil or shiny metal pan, the bottom crust may get soggy from the filling. This is because the heat is reflected, making it harder to brown. To avoid this, the pie can be baked on a thick sheet pan or pizza stone placed in the oven.
Before baking, the pie crust should be pricked with a fork or slashed with a knife to allow steam to escape. An egg wash can also be brushed onto the crust to give it a golden, glistening sheen.
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Frequently asked questions
You will need chicken, vegetables (carrots, celery, onion, leek, garlic, peas, corn, potato, mushrooms, zucchini), butter, flour, salt, pepper, milk, chicken broth, and pie crusts.
You can use a store-bought pie crust or make your own from scratch. For a flakier crust, use a combination of butter and shortening. You can also use puff pastry for a crisp, flaky topping.
Use a glass or metal pie plate to ensure even heat distribution. You can also fill and bake the pie right after making it to prevent the crust from soaking up too much moisture.
Yes, you can use leftover or rotisserie chicken for a quick and easy option.
Preheat your oven to 400-425°F (depending on the recipe) and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbly.
