Cozy Little Dinner
It’s that time of year when I begin wanting to hole up. I’m not quite there as the time hasn’t changed, but I can feel it in the air. On Sunday I wanted something warm and comforting but couldn’t put my finger on exactly what that would be.
I wanted something out of my grandmother’s cookbook, but know I just can’t with some of her old fashioned ingredients - as delicious as they may be in the moment. A good old fashioned Chicken Pot Pie was what I really wanted. I’d been a little under the weather and who doesn’t like that when they are a little down or out of sorts?
I played around with the recipe, lightened it up a bit, substituted the green peas for what I had in the freezer (which wound up being much better) used a short cut and I think you’ll like it. Added bonus is that it was super quick.
So, here is a tried and true, simple, keep in your back pocket recipe when you want cozy and comfort.
Not My Grandmother’s Chicken Pot Pie
Ingredients:
2 cups cooked and shredded chicken. (I used pre-shredded chicken from Aldi. It’s one of my secret weapons for ready to use shredded chicken breasts!). You can also cook and shred your own or use a rotisserie chicken.
2 cups unsweetened Almond milk
1 stalk celery, chopped
3-4 carrots, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 bag frozen steakhouse green beans (trust me on this one!)
1/4 cup flour
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 ½ teaspoons -or more- garlic powder
black pepper
1 T chopped fresh thyme
1 prepared pie crust
1 egg lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water to create an egg wash (optional)
Sauté the mushrooms in a Dutch oven until browned. Add the carrots, celery, and spices.
Scatter flour over the vegetables, and let cook for a few minutes. Add the milk little by little, stirring to incorporate. Boil the mixture until thickened, then add the chicken, peas, onions, and thyme. Transfer the mixture to a pie dish.
Place the pie dough on top of the dish and crimp. Brush the dough with the egg wash, and cut slits into the top.
Bake the chicken pot pie at 425 degrees F for 25 minutes, until golden. Let the pot pie sit for a few minutes, then DIG IN!