Chicken or Turkey Pot Pie . . . deliciously different

Monday 13 October 2014

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I was going through my old tin recipe boxes the other day  and found this recipe for a Chicken Pot Pie that someone had written down for me years and years ago but which I had never tried.  I think it may have been the little old lady that I boarded with when I first left home to go out to work, but I can't be sure.  I only know that it was tucked away in the old tin recipe box that she had given me when I left her boarding house to get married.

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In any case I had never made this . . . I know not why . . . and I had some leftover roasted chicken which I wanted to use up and so the time was right.  I found myself wondering afterwards why on earth I had waited so long to make this delicious pot pie?    I have surely been missing something pretty wonderful all of these long long  years!  (I won't tell you how long, lol)

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It's quite different than the usual chicken pie.  First of all you don't make a gravy.  You just make your pastry and line a nine inch pie tin with half of it.  Then you begin layering . . . shredded chicken on the bottom, thinly sliced potatoes, mixed cooked vegetables . . .  with a mixture of flour, garlic, herbs and seasoning between each layer . . .

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Then you pour some chicken stock down over it all, cover it with the top crust and bake it until the whole thing is golden brown and that stock has melded with that chicken and those vegetables with the seasoned flour to make a wonderful gravy that permeates the whole thing.   Actually the herbs were my idea.   The original recipe only called for seasoned flour.  I added the onions, garlic, and other bits.  It worked really, REALLY well!

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You could just use frozen mixed vegetables if you wanted, but I like to cook my own because I love swede and parsnips . . .  and they don't come in a frozen vegetable mix.  The whole thing was quite delicious and made a really wonderful pot pie.  I am thinking my Canadian friends could use some of their leftover turkey to make it too.  That would be fab!   In any case, do give it a go, I think you'll love it!

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*Layered Chicken Pot Pie*
Makes one 9 inch pie


This pot pie is unusual in that you layer the ingredients in the pie crust, sprinkling a herbed flour mixture in between the layers and pouring some chicken stock over top prior to topping with a top crust.  It's delicious and cuts out that step of having to make a gravy or cream sauce.  

Pastry for a two crust deep pie
8 ounces or 2 cups of leftover cooked chicken, shredded
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into cubes
1 small parsnip, peeled and cut into cubes
a  piece of swede (rutabaga) peeled and cut into cubes
(you will want roughly the same amount of swede as carrot)
a large handful of frozen corn
a large  handful of frozen peas
3 small potatoes, peeled and very thinly sliced
4 TBS plain flour
1/2 tsp sage flakes
1/2 tsp thyme
1 TBS parsley flakes
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 
450ml of room temperature chicken stock (2 cups)  

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Place the swede chunks in a pot of boiling salted water.  Cook for 5 minutes, add the carrot and parsnips.  Cook for five minutes longer.  Add the peas and corn, stir well to thaw them out, then drain the whole vegetable mixture in a sieve and run cold water through it to cool it down.   Drain well before using.

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Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6.  Have ready a baking tray lined with foil.

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Roll out the bottom of your pastry.  Use it to line a 9 inch deep pie dish.  Mix together the flour, sage, thyme, parsley, garlic powder, onion powder and salt and black pepper to taste.  Place the shredded chicken on the bottom of the dish.  Cover with a layer of potato and half of the vegetables sprinkling each layer with a portion of the flour mixture.   Repeat with a layer of potato, the remaining vegetables and a final layer of potato, again sprinkling each layer with the flour mixture, until it is all gone.  Pour the chicken stock over top.   Roll out the other half of the pastry and cover the top of the pie with this.  Trim and crimp the edges all the way around.  Cut a few slits in the top for venting and place the filled pie on the baking sheet.

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Bake the pie in the ehated oven for 45 minutes to an hour, until golden brown and the potatoes are tender.   Allow to stand for about 10 minutes before cutting into wedges to serve.  Serve hot.



16 comments

  1. As a Canadian with a fridge full of left over turkey, all I can say is Thank You!

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  2. You're very welcome Pat! I hope you enjoy it!

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  3. My husband (who never thinks about food) said he woke up the other day thinking of pot pie!!! I don't like the usual chicken pot pie, but now that I see yours I will have to try it. The 'usual' chicken pot pie has too much gravy for my liking. You don't precook the potatoes????

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  4. Lovely looking pie Marie, interesting technique, can't wait to make it. I too find mixed vegetables disappointing due to the lack of swede in the mix. It is possible to find in some supermarkets, but more often in freezer shops a bag of frozen casserole mix, which is usually carrot, swede/turnip, onion and varying other veg. Harder to find than the mixed veg, but certainly worth finding for the convenience.

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  5. Sharon, the potatoes are sliced very thin. You could of course use precooked potatoes if you are concerned! I really liked this because it was more filling than gravy!

    Thanks Karen. I don't like the mixed veg mixes you get in the shops. They never have the right combination for me either! Much nicer to do your own! I will look for the frozen casserole mix though. Sounds great!

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  6. Even your crust looks perfect!
    This looks delicious ..real comfort food.

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  7. Really an unusual method to make pot pie but sounds delicious.

    Will make a nice change in using turkey leftovers.

    Happy Thanksgiving, Marie

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  8. This looks amazing! Thank you so much for sharing, and warm greetings from Montreal, Canada.

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  9. I love pot pies Marie and this look awesome!!!
    xoxoxo

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  10. looks yummy! I've got pastry leftover from the weekend and now I know what I'm doing with it all.

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  11. Best crust I ever made Monique, using all butter and no shortening for a change! I dread to think of the calories, lol, but it sure tasted good.

    Thanks Darlene! Hope you like it!

    Thank you Linda in Montreal!

    Thanks Gloria. Love you! xxoo

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  12. I hope that you like it Paula! I'm sure you will!

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  13. I made this for dinner last night and my family LOVED it!!!! Even my son, who tries to eat Paleo, ate it and declared it delicious. Thanks for a great recipe.

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  14. Sharon, I am so glad that you made this for your family and that they loved it! Doing the happy dance here. Thank you so much for taking the time to let us all know! xxoo

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  15. Could I make these the night before and then refrigerate them to cook and serve the next day?

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  16. RAchel, you could certainly make up the filling the night before, and the crust, but I would delay putting them all together until the actual day you want to bake them in order to prevent having a soggy bottom crust! Hope this helps!

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