Monday, November 18, 2013

Cobblestone Chicken Pot Pie


I have loved Chicken Pot Pie since I was little.  When we called frozen dinners...."TV Dinners".  I loved it right down to the little tin it was cooked in.  I didn't get TV dinners often, but when I did...I always wanted chicken pot pie.

Today, Marie Callendars' makes a yummy calorie-filled (translate:  guilt-ridden) pot pie that I still love.  Even though there is this easy, frozen goodness....I wanted to try my hand at making my own with a bit of a twist.

 Let's Shop....

Shopping List:
Olive Oil
3 medium Leeks or 1 Onion 
(your choice...the store I shopped at didn't have them....go figure)
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 cup sliced celery
3 carrots peeled & sliced
1 cup red (or green...I forgot a red one...but it would be prettier)
Rosemary
Salt
Black Pepper
14.5 oz of Chicken Stock
3/4 cup of half & half
3 cups (I used a bit more) of diced cooked chicken breast
1 cup frozen peas
2 cups of cubed sourdough bread
1/2 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese
 

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  Heat 2 tbs of olive oil in a large skillet.  Saute your carrots and celery about 5 minutes.  Then add your leeks/onions, mushrooms, and green pepper.  Cook about 15 minutes or until tender (but, NOT mushy...YUCK!)

Add rosemary, salt & pepper.  At this point, I decided it needed some garlic powder.  In my opinion, EVERYTHING needs garlic.  So, I added about 1 tsp of garlic powder. I may have then added a dash or two of Italian herbs as well.  Because, I just "felt" it.  If you cook a lot like me, sometimes your "feel" things & you know you need to tweak it a bit.  



If you notice, I cooked with wine....sometimes, I even add it to the food. :)

While the veggies are doing their "thang"....cube your bread & toss it with 3 tbs of olive oil & throw some Parmesan cheese in there.  Save some cheese for the top too.


See that gorgeous broth....only homemade broth looks like that.  Have I convinced you yet to make your own??


I boiled my chicken breasts with a LOT of seasoning.  But, for convenience sake, you could use a roasted chicken from the deli section at the market...and, no one would think the less of you.  In fact, they might praise your time-saving measures. 

  
Once your veggies are cooked & seasoned, dump in the flour & go ahead and add some parsley....cuz you "feel" it.  Cook for one minute...stirring constantly.


Stir in broth and half & half. 

Cook & stir until thick & bubbly.  This takes about 5 minutes.  

Then add your chicken and peas.  You could add a splash or two of dry white wine if you have it.  I didn't.  But, it would enhance the flavor.


Spoon into an ungreased 2-quart casserole dish.  (Confession:  I greased mine...I couldn't help it.)


Top with breadcrumbs & sprinkle remaining cheese.

Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes until the casserole is bubbly around the edges and bread cubes are golden.




Serve it up in a shallow bowl & with a BIG spoon.  

Yum!  Way to go, Marie!  Your Cobblestone Chicken Pot Pie is dee-lish!

Recipe Credit:  HyVee (yup, kid you not...in their seasonal magazine) & a WHOLE lot of tweaks by me!

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