I thought I’d share this recipe, adapted from Betty Crocker’s Dinner in a Dish with you so that you can start planning what to do with your leftover turkey. This recipe is for chicken but think of it as a “key recipe” for any meat. What makes this recipe different from so many is that it uses a white sauce seasoned with thyme instead of using a can of cream of mushroom soup.
The recipe calls for peas, carrots, and pearl onions. Feel free to also toss in leftover green beans (reduce the amount of the other vegetables so that the net amount still equals 18 ounces)…even if they were part of the infamous Green Bean Casserole.
Most of the time, I just use the Pillsbury (or store brand) refrigerated pie crusts for my pot pies. I don’t know why I don’t make pastry for my savory pies but I don’t. Maybe I need to change my mindset.
Chicken Pot Pie
2 Pie Crusts (9 Inch) 2 Tablespoons Butter 2 Tablespoons Flour 1 Teaspoon Salt 1/8 Teaspoon Pepper 1/8 Teaspoon Ground Thyme 1/2 Cup Chicken Broth 1/2 Cup Half and Half 2 Cups Cooked Chicken, cubed (canned chicken works, too) 10 Ounces Frozen Peas and Carrots 8 Ounces Frozen Pearl Onions1. Heat oven to 425* F. Fit one pie crust into a pie pan.
2. Melt butter over low heat. Blend in flour, salt, pepper, thyme. Cook over low heat, stirring until mixture is smooth and bubbly. Remove from heat.
3. Stir in chicken broth and cream. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil 1 minute. Stir in chicken and vegetables. Pour into pastry-lined pan.
4. Place other pie crust on top; seal and flute edge. Bake 35-40 minutes or until nicely brown.
Makes 6-8 servings
Those Swanson chicken pot pies are not the same product today that they were when you were a child. And I remember them as even better in the ’50s. I bake a lot of variations on the chicken pot pie, and I agree that a white sauce or a sauce using thickened broth or bouillon is better than mushroom soup. I’m not a fan of the Pillsbury refrigerated pie dough, though — I think it has an after taste. (Maybe they’ll see my comment and make an adjustment to their recipe.) Sometimes I just use a biscuit topper.
Kathy,
Now that you mention it, there IS an after taste isn’t there. I couldn’t put my finger on it.
Is there a pre-pastry that you use in a pinch? Or is the biscuit topping your “in a pinch” option?
Okay — I admit it. I use a box pastry mix — either Betty Crocker or Krusteaz. When I was a bride, my mother, the retro housewife, suggested I move to a box mix in order to improve my pastry skills. I started with the box mix and never quit. But my family is particular about the crust. They don’t like store-bought.
I use the biscuit toopper a lot. I do like refrigerator biscuits but most often use Bisquick in order to keep the sat fat to a minimum.