Tasty Bits

Comfort Food

Kathy Dicken lives in Huntersville and is the author of the food blog, The Tasty Bits. For more meal ideas that are simple and delicious, you can follow her blog at www.thetastybits.com or on Instagram @thetastybits.

Puff Pastry Chicken Pot Pie

Just the words “Chicken Pot Pie”always give me a warm comforting vibe. However, it can be quite laborious to assemble, which may cause many people to opt for a store-bought pie. But it doesn’t have to be that way! Here are my tips to make a “homemade” pie that the whole family will love!

I feel that simple is best, so I eliminated the need for a top and bottom crust in this recipe, by just using a sheet of perfect-everytime Puff Pastry. No rolling required - just cut to fit your dish!

Next, always remember, rotisserie chicken is your friend. Not only does it add that slow roasted flavor, it’s ready when you are! My grocery store even has packages of the meat already pulled from the bird! Look for it!

And finally, skip the chopping, and grab a bag of frozen mixed vegetables. They are frozen at their peak of freshness, and couldn’t make this pie any easier!

Once you have those ingredients assembled, it’s time to bring out the secret ingredient - Pancetta! Simply start the pie filling by browning the pancetta (or diced bacon) in a large saucepan. Once the browning is done, leave those tasty pork juices in the pan, to marry with the veggie & chicken filling. The addition of that bit of salty pork flavor really adds loads of flavor to this pie!

This recipe makes the perfect dish for Sunday Supper, or anytime you feel like a comforting homemade dish.

Servings: 6 Prep time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil 4 oz. finely diced pancetta (or bacon) 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 2 large shallots - diced 2 medium carrots - peeled/diced fine 2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning ¼ cup flour 2 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth ¼ cup heavy cream 3 cups shredded cooked chicken (such as rotisserie) 1 (12 oz.) pkg. frozen mixed vegetables (such as peas, corn and beans) 1 sheet frozen Puff Pastry 1 egg

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Remove frozen mixed vegetables and Puff Pastry from the freezer to thaw while preparing the filling.

For the filling: heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large saucepan, and add the pancetta. Cook over Medium heat, stirring occasionally until brown and crispy, about 8 minutes. Remove pancetta and set aside, leaving the cooking juices in the pan. Next, add butter, shallots, and carrots to the pan. Season with ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Cook over Medium heat until carrots are tender, about 5-6 minutes. While vegetables cook, roll out puff pastry and cut to fit your baking dish. Set aside.

When carrots are tender, stir in flour and cook for 1 minute. Increase heat to Medium High, and add the chicken broth. Stir and scrape up the brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Cook and stir frequently until the mixture thickens, about 3 minutes. Then add the cooked pancetta, heavy cream, chicken, frozen vegetables and Italian seasoning. Stir to combine, and simmer for 3 minutes until heated through.

Finally, transfer pot pie filling to a pie or casserole dish and roll 1 sheet of puff pastry over the top, cut to fit the dish. Brush puff pastry with beaten egg, and bake for 20-25 minutes or until puff pastry is golden.

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