Chicken Pot Pie

I'm starting to remember why I hate Boston in the winter.  I don't think I fully appreciated how awful the constant snow was in college because I didn't have a car to worry about.  We keep getting pummeled and every morning I have to shovel and battle to get my car out of my downhill sloping parking spot.  This is all to say that I have been in the mood for comfort food and nothing is better comfort than chicken pot pie.

This recipe is slightly healthier than most pot pie recipes because it uses white wine to flavor the broth and omits the heavy cream. The broth is still rich and silky but that comes from the addition of flour. My mom found this recipe a few years ago and I’ve wanted to try it ever since. You can make your own pie crust if you enjoy that sort of thing but I prefer to simply buy the puff pastry. I made individual bowls but it would also work well in a larger casserole pan- you would probably need to increase the cooking time by ten minutes or so.

 My mom’s original recipe used peas but I used French green beans (haricot verts) instead. I think this would also be good with some mushrooms added to the broth but I have a roomie who is not a big fan of them and I didn’t want to make her pick around them.

Whenever a recipe calls for shredded chicken I buy a rotisserie roasted chicken from Whole Foods instead of taking the time to roast my own.  It goes against my natural instincts to do everything from scratch but they are so yummy! Plus, it provides way more chicken than I actually needed and it is great to have on hand. I made a delicious lunch wrap today using the leftovers (which I will blog about soon), and I like to put it on salads as well.

Chicken Pot Pie
Makes 4 servings
2 cups shredded chicken
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 carrots, diced
1 cup haricot verts, blanched in boiling water and chopped
5 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup 1% milk
1 quart chicken stock
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, minced
1 tablespoon chives, minced
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper
1 sheet puff pastry, defrosted
Egg whites
Heat oil over medium heat, add carrots and onions and season with salt and pepper. Cook them, stirring, until they begin to soften, 6-8 minutes (do not let them darken). Add the green beans, then sprinkle flour over the vegetables and cook stirring for 1 minute. Add the wine and cook until mostly evaporated, about 5 minutes.
Add the milk and simmer until the sauce thickens, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock, herbs, and mustard, and simmer for about 30 minutes. Stir in the chicken, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Don’t be afraid to generously season! Salt tastes good!
Transfer to baking dishes. Roll out the puff pastry then cut it into whatever form will fit your dishes. Lay crust on top pressing to seal. Cut several vents in the crust, then brush with egg whites. Place the pies on a baking sheet and bake until bubbling and the crust is golden, 24-30 minutes.