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love this Chicken Pot Pie, the ultimate comfort food.

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Chicken Pot Pie
Chicken Pot Pie

Chicken Pot Pie is a recipe that brings about a comforting and nostalgic feeling. It reminds me of the individual boxed pies I enjoyed during my childhood, and the excitement that built up while waiting for them to cook in the oven for about 30 minutes. Back then, microwavable Chicken Pot Pies with a deliciously brown and crispy top were not readily available like they are today.

Chicken Pot Pie is a classic dish that evokes a sense of warmth and familiarity. Its creamy filling, packed with tender chicken and vegetables, is encased in a golden, flaky pastry crust. This comforting meal has stood the test of time and continues to be cherished by many. Whether enjoyed on a cozy winter evening or as a heartwarming family dinner, Chicken Pot Pie never fails to bring a smile to my face. Its timeless appeal and delicious flavors make it a beloved staple in American cuisine.

I prefer the double crust made with a basic pie crust for my homemade chicken pot pie. Today, I used Pillsbury store-bought crusts to make it even easier.

The filling in this recipe remains consistent, while the crust can vary based on personal preference. Some options for the crust include a lattice design, a single crust with vents, or a separate baked puffed pastry topping. Each of these choices offers its own unique taste and adds to the overall delight of the dish. As a twist, I have even experimented with topping the chicken pot pie with flaky biscuits, creating a scrumptious variation.

Chicken Pot Pie

Here’s a couple of more photos with the different crust I’ve used. This is with a puffed pastry:

Chicken Pot Pie

lattice top:

Chicken Pot Pie

and individual pot pies with single crust:

Chicken Pot Pie

I love to make individual pot pies in these large ramekins: https://amzn.to/3nmDelR

Delicious Homemade Chicken Pot Pie

I usually have either a homemade roasted chicken or a store-bought rotisserie chicken on hand, and there’s always some leftover. I don’t like wasting food, so when I have leftover chicken, I typically prepare dishes like Chicken Noodle Soup, Chicken and Rice Soup, a Chicken Casserole such as my Chicken and Green Chile Tortilla Casserole, Chicken and Dumplings, or even a Chicken Pot Pie, which I’m really in the mood for today! The possibilities are endless!

Chicken and Green Chile Tortilla Casserole http://chicken and green chile casserole

New Mexico Green Chile Chicken Casserole
New Mexico Green Chile Chicken Casserole

Chicken and Dumplings

Chicken and Dumplings
Chicken and Dumplings

An alternative to the roasted chicken is the chicken you use in making a homemade stock that I generally use for chicken salad or dumplings. I just take a whole chicken, add onions, celery, carrots, bay leaves, a little salt, and pepper, cover with water and cook until the chicken begins to fall off the bone. Here’s the link for these delicious dumplings: Chicken & Dumplings, the Perfect Comfort Food

Delicious Homemade Chicken Pot Pie

Chicken Pot Pie
Chicken Pot Pie

I hope you love this recipe as much as we do!

Chicken Pot Pie

Homemade Chicken Pot Pie

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Course: dinner, Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 3 tbsp butter
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 3 tbsp all purpose flour
  • 1/2 onion, diced
  • 1 1/2 cups carrots, thinly sliced
  • 1-2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
  • 1 1/2 cups potatoes (I used red becasue they hold better)
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • Fresh thyme springs and rosemary tied together with kitchen twine.
  • 3-5 cups chicken broth (start with the lowest amount and add more to your desired thickness)
  • 1 Knorr chicken bullion
  • 4 cups chicken or turkey, diced, cubed or shredded
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • 2 9 inch pie crust
  • 1 egg +1 tsp water for the egg wash

Method
 

  1. Heat the butter and oil over medium heat in a large saucepan. Add the onions, carrots, ptatoes and celery.  Sauté for 3 to 5 minutes. The vegetables will not be tender. They will finish cooking after your stock is added.  
  2. Add the flour to your sauteed vegetables and cook a minute or two, stirring to eliminate a flour taste.  
  3. Add the chicken broth and the chicken bullion. Stir to prevent lumps and bring up to a simmer, adding more stock if needed. Add your tied herbs. When you reach the desired thickness, lower the heat to a low simmer and cook until the carrots are tender.  Add salt and pepper to taste, but remember the bullion adds saltiness so do a taste test first.
  4. Remove from the heat and add your chicken and peas. Just stir to combine.
  5. While the filling is cooling, par-bake the bottom crust at 425 for 15-17 minutes.  I always fit my crust in the pan I'm using then place foil over the crust tucking the foil over the top of the crust, being careful not to hurt your crust, but securing in hopes your crust will not fall down the sides.  You can also add pie weights or beans which will help even more.  
  6. When the crust is par-baked, remove the foil and add your filling.  
  7. Add your top crust either as a lattice or a solid sheet.  If you use a solid crust, cut a few slits so the steam can escape.  You can use puffed pastry as I described in the content of the post.
    Beat the egg and water and brush your pie with the mixture.  I check the pie after about 15 minutes and brush again, but not necessary.  
  8. Bake the pie until it is bubbling and it is golden brown.  Bon Appetite! 

a most beautiful dry brined spiced roast turkey.

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Dry Brined Spiced Roast Turkey
Dry Brined Spiced Roast Turkey

Roast Turkey is a must at Thanksgiving and this Dry Brined Spiced Roast Turkey really is beautiful. This recipe was on the cover of the November, 2019 Bon Appetit magazine and I wanted to try it. Happy I did! It turned out wonderful! Not only is this turkey dry brined for two days, but it is cut into pieces before roasting.

I’ve always wanted to try the cutting of the turkey into pieces before roasting. My son is an excellent trained chef and he always cuts his turkey into pieces before roasting. Not only does it cut down on the cook time, but you get a much more evenly roasted turkey.

Beautiful Dry Brined Spiced Roast Turkey

The spice rub has black and pink peppercorns, kosher salt, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and light brown sugar. If you aren’t familiar with pink peppercorns, here’s a link: https://www.amazon.com/pink-peppercorns.

Viva Doria Brazilian Pink Peppercorn, Steam Sterilized Whole Pink Pepper, 8 Oz

There’s different brands and you may be able to find the pink peppercorns at your local grocery store.

There is a glaze with brown sugar, fresh herbs like sage, rosemary, bay leaves, and or thyme, garlic, orange zest, soy sauce and sherry or red wine vinegar.

Dry Brined Roast Turkey

Beautiful Dry Brined Spiced Roast Turkey

If you want to stick to the more traditional Thanksgiving Roasted Turkey, here is a link for that from my blog: https://the2spoons.com/thanksgiving-roasted-turkey/. I love them both!

Dry Brined Spiced Roast Turkey
Dry Brined Spiced Roast Turkey
Dry Brined Spiced Roast Turkey

Spiced and Glazed Roast Turkey

Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course: dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

For the Turkey and Dry Rub Brine
  • 1 12-14 lb Turkey, neck and giblets removed
  • 6 tbsp natural oil like vegetable or canola for rubbing the turkey
  • 2 tbsp whole black peppercorns
  • 2 tbsp pink peppercorns (if you have, otherwise, substitute for more black)
  • 1/4 cup plus 1 1/2 tsp Morton Kosher Salt
  • 2 tbsp garlic powder
  • 1 tbsp onion powder
  • 1 tbsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
For the Glaze
  • small handful of hardy herbs like sage, rosemary, bay leaves and/or thyme)
  • 4 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 2 2×1" strips orange zest
  • 1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
  • 1/3 cup sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
  • 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar

Method
 

  1. Place turkey, breast side up, on a cutting board and pat dry. Grip a wing and pull it outward so you can see where it attaches to the body. Using a sharp boning or chef’s knife, cut though the joint to separate the wing from the breast (if you hit bone, you’re in the wrong spot; pull the wing out farther to help you get into the place where the joint meets the socket). Remove wing; repeat on the other side.
  2. Cut through skin connecting 1 leg to carcass. Pull leg back until the ball joint pops out of its socket; cut through the joint to separate leg. Repeat on the other side.
  3. Now for the breast: Position the turkey breast side down with the opening facing you. Using kitchen shears, cut along one side of backbone until you get all the way through the neck end, then turn the turkey 180° and cut through the other side to remove the backbone (save it for making stock).
  4. Very finely grind black and pink peppercorns in a spice mill or mortar and pestle; transfer to a medium bowl. Add salt, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and 1 Tbsp. brown sugar and use your fingers to mix together.
  5. Place turkey pieces, skin side up, on a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle salt mixture liberally all over turkey, patting to adhere. You may not need all of it, but it’s good to have extra since some will end up on the baking sheet. Chill bird, uncovered, at least 24 hours and up to 2 days.
  6. Remove turkey from wire rack and rinse baking sheet and rack if needed (turkey will most likely release some liquid). Line baking sheet with 3 layers of foil to make cleanup easy and set rack back inside. Arrange turkey pieces on rack, skin side up, and let sit at room temperature 2–3 hours to help decrease the cooking time.
  7. Meanwhile, cook herbs, garlic, orange zest, soy sauce, vinegar, and remaining ⅓ cup brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved and glaze thickens slightly (it should just barely coat a spoon), 10–12 minutes. Remove glaze from heat.
  8. Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 425°. Rub turkey with oil and pour 1 cup water into baking sheet. Roast turkey, rotating baking sheet halfway through, until skin is mostly golden brown, 20–25 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300° and continue to roast turkey, brushing with glaze every 20 minutes and adding more water by ½-cupfuls as needed to maintain some liquid in baking sheet, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of breast registers 150°, and 170° when inserted into the thickest part of the thighs, 50–70 minutes longer (total cooking time will be 1–1½ hours). Skin should be deep golden brown and shiny. Transfer turkey to a cutting board; tent loosely with foil. Let rest 30–60 minutes before carving.