Fab: Skillet chicken pot pie

What better way to start the New Year off than with a wonderful family favorite..Chicken Pot Pie. This recipe comes to you via Southern Living (as I’m a Southern Living Source Member). The difference here is that you have CHOICES. You can go with a traditional pie crust (and even cut your prep time down by using the refrigerated pie dough found in the grocery store), or ramp it up a bit and top it with some bacon and cheddar cheese biscuits. Either way…it’s yummy

Ingredient List

CHICKEN PIE FILLING

• 1/3 cup butter
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Creole seasoning
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 large sweet onion, diced
• 1 (8-oz.) package sliced fresh mushrooms
• 4 cups shredded cooked chicken
• 2 cups frozen cubed hash browns
• 1 cup matchstick carrots
• 1 cup frozen small sweet peas
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
• PASTRY CRUST
• 1 (14.1-oz.) package refrigerated piecrusts
• 1 egg white

Here’s the 411

1. Prepare the Filling: Preheat oven to 350°. Melt 1/3 cup butter in a large saucepan over medium heat; add all-purpose flour, and cook, whisking constantly for 1 minute. Gradually add chicken broth  & milk, and cook, again – whisking constantly for 6 – 7 minutes or until thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat, and stir in Creole seasoning.

2. Melt 2 Tbsp. butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat; add onion and mushrooms, and sauté for 10 minutes or until they’re tender. Stir in the chicken, next 4 ingredients, and the sauce.

3. Prepare Crust: Place 1 piecrust in a lightly greased 10-inch cast-iron skillet. Spoon the chicken mixture over the piecrust, and then top with the second  piecrust.

4. Whisk egg white until foamy; brush top of piecrust with egg white. Cut 4 to 5 slits in top of pie for steam to escape.

5. Bake at 350° for 1 hour to 1 hour and 5 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.

Or for a different take you can…

Chicken Pot Pie with Bacon-and-Cheddar Biscuits:

1. Omit piecrusts and egg white.
2. Preheat oven to 425°.
3. Prepare Chicken Pie Filling as directed through Step 2.
4. Spoon filling into a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish.
5. Cut 1/2 cup cold butter into 1/2-inch cubes.
6. Cut butter cubes into 2 cups self-rising flour with a pastry blender or fork until crumbly and mixture resembles small peas.
7. Add 3/4 cup (3 oz.) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, 1/4 cup finely chopped cooked bacon, 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh chives, and 1 cup whipping cream, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened.
8. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead lightly 3 or 4 times.
9. Roll or pat dough to 3/4-inch thickness; cut with a 2 1/2-inch round cutter to form 15 biscuits.
10. Bake Chicken Pie Filling at 425° for 15 minutes.
11. Remove from the oven, and arrange biscuits on top of hot chicken mixture.
12. Bake 25 to 30 more minutes or until biscuits are golden brown and chicken mixture is bubbly.
13. Remove from the oven, and brush biscuits with 2 Tbsp. melted butter.

Prep: 50 minutes
Total time: 1 1/2 hour
Feeds: 6-8