Chicken pot pie casserole
Adapted from Alton Brown's recipe. We get about 8-9 servings out of it.
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1 1/2 pounds chicken thighs and/or breast, skin and bone removed, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3-4 ounces mushrooms, sliced 1/4-inch thick
4-5 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
4-5 medium celery stalks, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or grains of paradise
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
2 ounces butter
3 ounces flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups 2 percent milk, room temperature
8 ounces frozen green peas, thawed (you can double this or add 8 oz of any veggie you want)
1 teaspoon freshly chopped thyme
1 teaspoon freshly chopped tarragon
Pastry Crust:
1 package frozen puff pastry dough, thawed overnight in the refrigerator
Egg Wash:
1 large egg beaten
1 tablespoon water
Directions
Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees F.
For the filling: Place 1 tablespoon vegetable oil into a 10-inch cast-iron skillet and set over high heat until it shimmers. Add the chicken, season with 1 teaspoon of salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is no longer pink on the outside but not dry, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside in a medium bowl.
Decrease the heat to medium and heat the remaining tablespoon vegetable oil in the skillet until it shimmers. Add the onions, mushrooms, carrots, celery, garlic, remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt, black pepper, dried thyme, and dried tarragon, and stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions have softened, about 5 minutes. Add the butter and melt. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Gradually stir in the chicken broth and milk. Bring to a simmer, stirring continually. Continue stirring until the sauce thickens, about 3 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the peas, thyme, tarragon, and reserved chicken. Cover and set aside.
For the egg wash: Combine the beaten egg and water in a small dish and set aside.
To build the pie: Put the warm filling into a 13-inch rectangular oven safe dish.
Remove the puff pastry from the refrigerator. Unfold, smooth out flat, and place over the dish, overlapping a bit in the middle and tacking down along the edges. Brush the top of the pastry with egg wash. Bake for 15 minutes. Decrease the heat to 400 degrees F and bake until the crust is puffed and golden brown and the filling is bubbly, another 20 minutes. Cool on a rack for 10 minutes before serving.
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1 1/2 pounds chicken thighs and/or breast, skin and bone removed, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3-4 ounces mushrooms, sliced 1/4-inch thick
4-5 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
4-5 medium celery stalks, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or grains of paradise
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
2 ounces butter
3 ounces flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups 2 percent milk, room temperature
8 ounces frozen green peas, thawed (you can double this or add 8 oz of any veggie you want)
1 teaspoon freshly chopped thyme
1 teaspoon freshly chopped tarragon
Pastry Crust:
1 package frozen puff pastry dough, thawed overnight in the refrigerator
Egg Wash:
1 large egg beaten
1 tablespoon water
Directions
Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees F.
For the filling: Place 1 tablespoon vegetable oil into a 10-inch cast-iron skillet and set over high heat until it shimmers. Add the chicken, season with 1 teaspoon of salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is no longer pink on the outside but not dry, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside in a medium bowl.
Decrease the heat to medium and heat the remaining tablespoon vegetable oil in the skillet until it shimmers. Add the onions, mushrooms, carrots, celery, garlic, remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt, black pepper, dried thyme, and dried tarragon, and stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions have softened, about 5 minutes. Add the butter and melt. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Gradually stir in the chicken broth and milk. Bring to a simmer, stirring continually. Continue stirring until the sauce thickens, about 3 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the peas, thyme, tarragon, and reserved chicken. Cover and set aside.
For the egg wash: Combine the beaten egg and water in a small dish and set aside.
To build the pie: Put the warm filling into a 13-inch rectangular oven safe dish.
Remove the puff pastry from the refrigerator. Unfold, smooth out flat, and place over the dish, overlapping a bit in the middle and tacking down along the edges. Brush the top of the pastry with egg wash. Bake for 15 minutes. Decrease the heat to 400 degrees F and bake until the crust is puffed and golden brown and the filling is bubbly, another 20 minutes. Cool on a rack for 10 minutes before serving.