Chicken Pot Pie

I was flipping through my Southern Living cookbook when this recipe caught my eye – Chicken Pot Pie with a cheddar crust (not sure why I had never noticed it before…too many cookbooks :-D). The recipe seems fairly simple and I love that it uses cooked chicken, which not only reduces the total prep time but also makes it much easier to prepare with younger kids (this way, there won’t be any chance that they’ll get raw chicken all over themselves…yuck). In addition, I was extremely intrigued with the cheddar pastry, wondering if it’ll indeed “put this pot pie in a class all by itself,” as noted in the book. After tasting it for the first time last night, I will have to give it a resounding YES! The savory filling is delicious in and of itself but the crispy, “cheddary” crust certainly propels this dish to stardom. It has now earned a permanent place in the family favorites and I’m looking forward to making it often in the coming winter months. Enjoy!

Adapted from Southern Living 30 Years of Our Best Recipes cookbook

¼ cup butter or Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks
1 heaping cup chopped onions (about 2 small onions)
½ heaping cup chopped celery (1 stalk)
5 ounces peeled and sliced ¼-inch thick carrots (about 2 to 3 medium carrots)
½ cup all-purpose flour
2¾ cups low-sodium chicken broth (I use Swanson)
½ teaspoon black pepper
3 to 3½ cups chopped rotisserie chicken
5 ounces trimmed and cut into 1-inch length snow peas (trim by snapping/snipping off the tips and pull along the sides of the pod to remove the string)
Cheddar Pastry (recipe below)

Lightly coat a 8 by 8-inch or 11 by 7-inch baking dish with PAM cooking spray. Melt butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add onions, celery, and carrots and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions turn translucent. Add flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually add the chicken broth and pepper and cook until mixture is thickened and bubbly, again stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in chicken and snow peas. Spoon mixture into prepared baking dish.

Roll out pastry to ⅛-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface (or between 2 plastic wraps). Arrange dough across top of the filling, letting it hang over the side of the dish. Trim off excess dough (right to the edges) and crimp edges with a fork. Cut four 1 to 2-inch slits in the top of the dough. Set the pot pie on a baking sheet that is lined with aluminium foil for easy clean-up (the pot pie may bubble over as it bakes) and bake at 400ºF for 35 to 40 minutes or until golden. Serves 6.

Cheddar Pastry
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon coarse salt
½ cup plus 1½ tablespoons Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks or shortening
½ cup (2 ounces) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
4 to 6 tablespoons ice water

Combine flour and salt in a large bowl. Cut in “butter” with a pastry blender until mixture is crumbly. Stir in cheese. Sprinkle ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and stir with a fork until dry ingredients are moistened. Shape into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill until needed.