Well, the meal has been prepared. You toiled for hours roasting the turkey (chicken), making the dressing, baking the sweet potatoes, and doing everything else you do for Thanksgiving. You've napped, the football has been washed, and you've watched a few hours of dishes ... wait, that's not right. Obviously, the carbs are messing with your thinking. Now what? I'd say close your eyes and sleep it off. Figure it out later. The dishes will will still need washing and you know the Lions are going to loose anyway.
Have you recovered from your Thanksgiving feast now? Good. Now there's work to be done. What, you think those leftovers are going to turn themselves into wonderful new bites? It's okay, you've already done the hard part. That's right, there's plenty of things you can do with the leftovers.
Okay, I'll admit I don't have to deal with making enough food for 100 people and knowing only like 10 people are actually coming. You see, I don't cook the big meal for either of our families. I usually make a smallish Thanksgiving dinner for me and The Picky Eater. That's more than we can eat so there's always some left over. Admittedly, most of those leftovers get packed off to the hospital and devoured by the therapy staff there. Plus we get packed home with leftovers from the other two Thanksgiving feasts we get to enjoy (one in TN and one in KY - it's a busy weekend and A LOT of food).
I'm sorry to say (no I'm not) I like the leftovers better than the actual meal. I mean, while turkey (or chicken), corn bread dressing, and gravy are great (okay, if you've got enough dressing and gravy I'm happy) are great, think about a turkey pot pie then next day? Crispy pastry on top, and the rich gravy on the inside (go ahead and throw in some of that leftover gravy - I dare you). Come on, you know you want to.
The leftover Thanksgiving Chicken (get used to it. it will always be Thanksgiving Chicken in my house) recipe is my favorite way to use up leftover bird. It may have not been a Thanksgiving turkey, but it all applies. Actually, leftover turkey from one of the other Thanksgiving meals will make it's way in there too, so there. It is a Thanksgiving leftover recipe after all.
Old Fashioned Chicken Pot Pie
Or, A Chicken In Every Pot (pie that is)
My Thoughts
Chicken pot pie is such a wonderfully warm and comforting meal on a cool evening. This one gets it all right to. There's the buttery, flaky crust that is filled with perfectly roasted chicken, veggies, and a savory gravy that all comes together like a hug in a bowl.
Okay, it does take a bit of time, but trust me it is well worth the effort. While it's a bit more effort than getting one from your freezer section, you can do a lot by getting a rotisserie chicken (I just happen to like roasting my own and have the leftovers to make stuff like this) and using puff pastries (or pie crust) from the store. That's what I do.
Also, don't forget that this is perfect for using up the Thanksgiving leftovers. You might even decide that it's better than the Thanksgiving meal!
Difficulty
Medium
Makes
4 Servings
Tools
Time
Prep Time 30 min.
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 30 min.
The How To Do It
I don't make my own pie crust. I actually use frozen puff pastries from the grocery store. If you use either a frozen pie shell, or frozen puff pastries, you'll need to lay it out at least an hour before you begin. I did not include this in the cook time, but you'll never get them formed in the ramekins or whatever bowls you use. FYI, there's usually two puff pastries in each package and that is the perfect amount for a pie for me and a pie for The Picky Eater. There's always leftovers for the next day too!
Chop the chicken into small cubes/pieces (they really don't have to be cubes, just bite-sized pieces). I usually only make chicken pot pie after I've roasted a chicken. It's a great way to use up the leftovers. If you don't have leftover chicken you can roast your own. Roast two chicken breasts at 350° F for 30-40 minutes or until a thermometer reads 165-170° F with a little salt and pepper.
Preheat the oven to 375° F.
In a large pot, or Dutch oven (which is what I use), melt the butter and saute the diced carrots for 2-3 minutes over medium heat.
Add the onions and saute for another 2-3 minutes.
Add the garlic and then add the flour and continue to cook over low heat. You're going to have to stir constantly to keep it from burning. A lot of people reduce the heat, but I've found this works just as well and save some time. That's as long as you're willing to do the stirring. This will take about a minute. You're looking for a really pale brown/tan color. It's basically a lighter version of the roux from the Crawfish Etouffee.
Add the stock and bouillon (I use the paste. If you are using the cubes, you'll need to dissolve those in the stock in a separate pot before adding them into the mixture.
Add the salt, pepper, smoked paprika, and granulated garlic. Mix well.
Add the cut up chicken to the mixture.
Now add the peas and let simmer for about 5 minutes. The peas are frozen so they'll need a minute to thaw and for the whole thing to come back up to temperature.
In a small bowl, beat one egg with one tablespoon of water.
I use the ramekins to mark off how big the top and bottom pastries need to be, cutting one slightly larger than the ramekin.
Grease the ramekins with butter or non-stick spray (come on, use the butter. You've already got a stick of the stuff in the filling. Don't flake out on me now!).
Place the smaller disks of pastry in the bottom of each ramekin and then use the scraps to line the sides. The pastry in the bottom and sides is some of my favorite parts. It turns into something almost like dumplings but much more flavorful.
Bake the ramekins and bottom/side layers of dough for 20 minutes. This will get them partially cooked to mostly cooked. This keeps the dough from tasting raw and getting gooey.
Pour the filling into each ramekin, there should be just enough for both, and place the larger pastry disks (in the photo it's a square. I got lazy. You can too) on top and brush with the egg wash. Finally, cut three small slits in each pastry.
Bake for one hour. I actually usually check on it around the 45 minute mark to make sure the top isn't getting too brown (if it is you're done since everything in the pie was already cooked but the pastry).
