journey through chicken pot pie :o) (pic heavy)

13 years ago

I wanted to make a chicken pot pie today, as I haven't done any real cooking in while and wanted to make something I can heat up before work and reduce my reliance convenience foods. I thought it would be fun to take pictures of the process to share.

Before I could start, I had to get my cookbook ready. This is the only cookbook I regularly use. It ran out of battery in the middle of the process and shut off on me, but I'd already read ahead and knew what to do. Oops... I lied, I use the cell phone sometimes to pull up internet recipes because it is more portable, but it goes to sleep too quickly and I have to touch it with dirty fingers so I can wake it back up and see what to do next. I did not follow the recipe exactly, just used it as a guideline.

First things first, the vegetables. I didn't want to cut a lot, so I bought a bag of mixed vegetables. Of course they had green beans in them, so I spent 20 minutes picking those out and throwing them away. Yucko! I was going to throw in an onion, but my onion had gone moldy (2 weeks old, not refrigerated) and I'm not that crazy about them anyway. I also didn't include celery.... I don't hate it, but I don't love it either, and wasn't about to go to the store just to buy an ingredient I feel neutral about.

Then the sauce/gravy. Just butter, milk, and broth... I never keep store bought broth on hand, but picked up some a few weeks ago on a whim. Glad I did now! I added salt and pepper to this, but nothing else. So glad I got some cheap metal whisks, they do such a better job than the silicone one I tried to get by with for years for getting lumps out of gravy. I tasted the gravy and it was really good!

Luckily, I'd boiled some chicken quarters the night before last, in preparation for this pot pie. Those large square plastic tubs have been so handy for storing things like that and leftovers. Also handy for peelings... whenever I peel over the trash can, peels end up all over the floor, and end up dropping the vegetable in instead! Once, I threw the peeler in mistake and had to go dumpster diving to retrieve it.

Then onto the crust. I learned some time ago that the only way to make a crust is in the food processor. I couldn't find my trusty recipe, so I hopped on Google to help. Had a bit of trouble finding a recipe that didn't include shortening (I don't use/keep it... I used to, but after the last tub went rancid, I decided I could get better tasting food and have more room in the pantry without shortening being part of my life), but finally did. I was able to use my thrift store rolling pin that you fill with ice water for the first time. I like it much better than the silicone one I've had for years, and the weight of the ice water helped me to not have to press so hard on the dough.... I let the rolling pin do the work. Of course Jasper was keeping a watchful eye on me the whole time to help... he was hoping I'd drop some chicken on the floor (I did, actually, but I'll likely clean the kitchen before his majesty arises from slumber to find it... he doesn't get people food anyway, so I don't know if he'd even try to eat it). I was going to cheat and buy the crust, but I didn't put it on the list the last time I went to market, so it didn't come home with me. Besides, I was cheating with frozen vegetables and store bought stock anyway. Buying the crust would have been complete cooking blasphemy. I had to make the crust twice. The first time, the butter got too warm and it tore every time I tired to roll it... that process make me overwork the dough and it would have been tough, so I threw it away and started over with a different recipe that used more water and less butter. The first recipe was 2 cups of flour, 1 and a half sticks of butter and 4 tablespoons of ice water. The second was 2 cups of flour, 1 stick of butter, and 1/3 cup of ice water. Both also included a dash of salt, but the 2nd recipe seemed to work better. I read about a crust recipe that uses vodka (here, I think), but I only had vanilla vodka on hand and didn't think it would go well with a chicken pot pie. Maybe an apple pie, but not chicken! It did, however, work well as a beverage while I was making the pie :o) You can see my glass of coke and vodka in the background in the last picture.

I guess this is what coarse meal looks like!

Then add the veggies and gravy to the crust.

Ready for the oven now. My trademark is an ugly crust edge that always falls during baking, so why should this time be any different. I'm not entering a contest anyway :o)

Finished product. It just came out of the oven... I tasted it. It could have used more salt, but I'm very conservative with salt now because I've ruined things by adding too much (crab cakes, mashed potatoes, you name it). I can add some to each serving if I want. The texture of the crust is perfect. The edges got a little dark, but the silicone pie crust protector thingy always deforms them, so I didn't use it... I don't need any help with making deformed edges, that's the only thing I do perfectly!

I'll give someone the whole darn thing if they come clean this disaster up for me, I don't have the energy!

:o)

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Comments (20)

teresa_nc7
13 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Looks good enough to eat, Bobby! I think you did pretty good!

So what do you have against the lowly green bean anyway?

Teresa
centralcacyclist
13 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
It looks delicious! (My kitchen looks like that right now, too.) I'd be picking out the lima beans from a veggie mix. Homemade crust is SO much better than premade. Well done.
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wizardnm
13 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Good job Bobby! It looks great.

Nancy
arabellamiller
13 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
That looks fabulous. I could use some right now so I didn't have to make dinner.

AM
lindac
13 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I just tasted it...it needs onion!! LOL!
Lovely dinner Bobby!!....and If you think that is a trashed kitchen....come see mine some time....it's 3 to 4 times as big and twice as messed up!
L
John Liu
13 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
That looks very tasty. Good on you for making your crust. Did you freeze one too? Always a welcome thing to see in the freezer.
User
13 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Way to go Bobby. Your Chicken Pot Pie looks just perfect.

You won't mind if I pick the carrots out though will you.

Ann
dedtired
13 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Nice work, Bobby. Your crust looks better than any that I ever made, and I always wonder what coarse meal looks like too -- or the size of small peas. Huh?

Anyway, I love green beans but not in chicken pie. By the way, to me this is a chicken pie or a chicken dinner pie, not a pot pie. It's a Pennsylvania thing, I think.

Wow, what a mess. Have fun cleaning. I enjoyed the peek into your life.
gldno1
13 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
It looks great and just think of all the fun you had!
jessyf
13 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I'm coming over to share that pot pie and clean up for you.

I see peas, carrots and corn in the tub - if those are the veggies you like, I'm sure you can make up your own 'mix' next time from frozen bags. One of peas/carrots, the other of corn.
vacuumfreak
Original Author
13 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Thanks... it was fun, but a lot of work.

Theresa, I love green beans, except for the color, taste, and texture... other than that, they are my favorite food :o)

Barnmom, I hope you got your kitchen cleaned.... I finally forced myself to around midnight! I agree about homemade crust.

Ann, you can pick out all the carrots :o)
dgkritch
13 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
If you'll make 'perfectly textured' crust, Bobby, I'll clean up AND eat Ann's carrots and your green beans.

Just make extra gravy and I'd eat a carrot/green bean pie!

Beautiful! If it wasn't supposed to be in the 80s here for the next week, I might just have to make one.

Maybe in a couple of weeks. I'm not complaining though...........it means I may actually get a bunch of tomatoes to ripen before they freeze! Strange year.

Deanna
sewhappy2
13 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I had that same urge for chicken pot pie last week (I think it might have been the Oprah show that featured a rustic but delicious looking pie a couple weeks ago). Anyway, I stewed a whole chicken and made a wonderful pie. The next day, I invited my sister to come for lunch to help me eat some of the leftovers. She told me she was about to invite me to dinner that evening for the Chicken pot pie she had in the oven. I guess it must be that time of year.

By the way, to help with the flour mess from rolling out your pie crust, try wiping the counter with a damp towel and putting down a sheet of plastic wrap (the dampness will cause it to stick to the counter). Put your pie dough on the wrap and flatten into a disc, top with a second sheet of wrap. Roll the crust between the two layers of wrap and you won't need to add any flour to the counter, the rolling pin or the rolled crust. If you carefully peel away the top wrap and place it lightly back on the crust and then lift and flip to peel away the bottom layer - you can then lift the crust with one layer of wrap to place on the pie. I find that it makes my crust even more tender, and sure helps with the clean-up.
loagiehoagie
13 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Bobby, I give you credit for taking on this project. I have done similar undertakings....homemade lasagna with homemade noodles...probably cost me $35.00 and not as good as Stouffers LOL! And making homemade peorgies.....doughy tasteless stuff that pretty much sucked....Mrs.T is much better. My attempts at fried chicken...again...better to buy at a fastfood outlet than the mess and trouble that it takes to make it in-house. I think pot pies might be in that categorie too....maybe not a cheap brand like banquet.....but you may have some higher end stores that sell some good pies for less than you could make them for with a lot less stress. I know that eliminates the fun of trying.....and I get that totally! Sometimes just attempting a project is fun and when it is a success great!...and when it isn't ...a learning experience.

Duane
annie1992
13 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Bobby, it looks perfectly delicious to me and I wouldn't pick out anything. And I'd help you clean the kitchen. (grin)

Annie
vacuumfreak
Original Author
13 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Thanks everyone. I'm still eating it.... I would call this a success, but I did learn some things for next time. At least use onion powder if I don't have an onion, and be a little more generous with the salt. I'm adding both of those each serving now, and it really helps.

I'm glad other people wondered what coarse meal looks like, that made me smile :o)

Sewhappy, thanks for the suggestion.... Plastic wrap is not my friend, and I think for me at least using it in that manner would be harder than cleaning the worktop surface of the portable dishwasher. I scraped the dough off with a plastic pan scraper, and then just brushed the loose stuff into the trash... so much easier than trying to wash with a sponge and getting a gluey mess everywhere!

Duane, I agree. I have made things before (think pumpkin stuffed ravioli) that were not worth the effort to cook them, nor the clean up process. When I make something big, it is because I want to, I never force myself to.... sometimes I am very glad I did, and other times, even halfway through the process, I mutter, "why oh why" or "never again!" I hate finishing a project and thinking "Man, I should have bought that, it would have tasted better and saved me all this work!"

Annie, you like every food, don't you? :o)
centralcacyclist
13 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Bobby, I'm no good with plastic wrap either. I use waxed paper successfully to roll out pastry. One sheet on top, one under. Helps the transfer a lot.
lakemayor
13 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Bobby, That's makes my mouth water just looking at it. I love pot pie. I have tried to make it a couple of times without much success. Usually it just doesn't have enough taste. Maybe I'm used to the MSG in the banquet pies I ate as a kid. Loved, loved them. I would still eat them today but know I know what's in them.

Your crust looks great. I've just learned how to successfully make crusts from the Nathan's no fail recipe that Annie turned me on to.

I would eat all the veggies in your pie!!! and a side of green beens. I love vegetables.

Karen
sooz
13 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Wonderful photos, and yummy looking pie, Bobby! I see Jasper was lending his support during the process, too!
Smiles,
Sooz
dcarch7 d c f l a s h 7 @ y a h o o . c o m
13 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Bobby,

Lovely pot pie.

I hope you have a good vacuum to clean up the mess.

dcarch :-)

journey through chicken pot pie :o) (pic heavy)

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