Recipe: Chicken Pot, Chicken Pot, Chicken Pot Pie

This is one of those meals where I have a little bit of this and a little bit of that laying around the house that I need to put to good use. Oh, and where I have a bit of a craving for pie crust.

I threw a package of chicken tenderloins in a deep pot with some extra virgin olive oil, black pepper and kosher salt. While that was sauteeing, I prepped my veggies.

From front to back, fresh basil, parsley, rosemary & oregano, minced garlic, finely chopped leeks and carrots.



I also took the time to mix up the pastry dough, using a very simple oil pastry recipe. You can totally use a ready made crust for this part, but this is really easy to make and it tastes so much better than what you'll get at the store.

Blend 2 cups all-purpose flour (unbleached) with 1 1/2 tsp salt. Then add 5 tbsp of ice water to 1/2 cup vegetable oil and add to flour mixture.



Combine with a fork until you get to about this stage, and then get in there with your hands until it all comes together into a nice ball.



Cut the ball in half. Cover one half with a damp paper towel and set aside. The other half will be rolled out for the bottom crust.



Now, I have a neat trick for rolling out dough (pie, cookie, whatever). You can sprinkle flour everywhere to keep it from sticking OR you can lay out sheets of waxed paper (I find two underneath and one on top that you can move around as you roll), which is so much less messy.

However you do it, roll out your bottom crust in a rough circle and carefully line the bottom of your pie plate with it.



And back to our pot we go. The chicken should be done sauteeing, so cut it up into bite-sized chunks, and return to the pot on medium heat with the herbs and veggies, and about 2 tbsp butter.



When the butter is fully melted, add in about 3/4 - 1 cup of low-sodium chicken broth. Follow that with about 1/2 - 2/3 cup white wine and 1/2 cup fat free milk.



When the liquids are thoroughly heated, toss in about 3-4 tbsp of flour and another 2 tbsp of butter. This will thicken the broth up and give it a really nice finish.



Finally, I tossed in some leftover peas I had from Turtle's dinner.



Carefully pour the chicken and veggie mixture into the pie crust. Please note - I probably could have used two packages of chicken for a little more, but lesson learned.



Cover the stop of the pie with the second crust. This is what I call a "rustic dish" so it doesn't have to be perfect. Cut a few steamholes in the top with a sharp knife and pop it in a 350* oven for about 40 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.



It's a little messy inside - I personally prefer a thinner sauce. I find thicker becomes gloppy and unpalatable to me. If you want it thicker, add less liquid and more flour until you get it the consistency you like. Easy peasy.



But check that out. The vegetables kept their color and a little bit of crunch and the gravy is delicious. MacGyver declared it "delicious" with gusto, and gobbled up two huge pieces.



If you have leftovers, you can leave them in the pie plate and heat the whole thing up in the oven the next day at 350 for 10-15 minutes. To keep the crust from overbrowning, just cover lightly with foil.

Enjoy!