How Sweet Eats Chicken and Broccoli Cheddar Pot Pie {American Pies #1}

 Welcome to 2025, the year of making American Pies! At least one week out of the month, I will be sharing a pie recipe. The pie could be savory or sweet, but the idea is to make a dent in the huge list of pie recipes I have on my to do list. I'd also like to hone my crust making skills so we'll see what kind of crust adventure I have later in the year.

For now I'm kind of cheating when it comes to crust because I'm using puff pastry! If you've never used puff pastry before, don't be scared. IT IS SO EASY TO WORK WITH! If you've used puff pastry, but don't use it often, IT IS A COOK'S BEST FRIEND! Seriously, buy some puff pastry and you will find endless and delicious ways to use it. Puff pastry will help you make some really impressive and amazing weeknight dishes.

Let's take this Chicken and Broccoli Cheddar Pot Pie for example! Take a look at the filling below: tender rotisserie chicken swimming in a creamy cheesy sauce with onion, carrot, celery, garlic, broccoli, and kale. It's the epitome of January comfort food, thick and creamy, like a hug!

Once you ladle that gorgeous filling into a baking dish all you do is lay the puff pastry on top and brush it with an egg wash! It's so easy peasy. No messing with crust, no rolling out dough, no fuss at all. Throw it in the oven for 20-30 minutes and you have one absolutely delicious dish that will disappear in no time! 

 Chicken and Broccoli Cheddar Pot Pie

Adapted from How Sweet Eats

by Jessica Merchant

Serves 6-8

6 tablespoons butter

1 sweet onion, diced

1 cup chopped carrots

1 cup chopped celery

4 garlic cloves, minced

salt and pepper, to taste

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

4 cups chopped broccoli florets (chopped small)

1-1/2 cups cooked, shredded chicken*

4 cups chicken stock

2/3 cup heavy cream

8 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese, freshly grated

1 sheet puff pastry, thawed if frozen

1 large egg, plus 1 teaspoon water

Note: I chopped the fresh broccoli quite small for this dish because I wanted to be sure broccoli was cooked through. Feel free to cut it any size you like, but remember to test your filling to make sure the veggies are done and the seasoning is just right. Also, I always use a rotisserie chicken for recipes like this because I want my chicken to be tender. I would suggest cooking the broth and cream down until it is quite thick because once the filling goes into the oven for 25 minutes the veggies will leach out water into the filling making it even more liquidy. This will set up over time, but really this is a dish you want to eat right out of the oven and not necessarily leftover, so it's something to think about. I"d also like to say that I added about 1 cup chopped kale to my veggies because I had it on hand and wanted to use it up. It was a great addition!

Preheat the oven to 425F. Heat the butter in a large stock pot over medium heat. Add in the onions, carrots, celery and garlic with a big pinch of salt and pepper. Add the thyme and oregano. Cook, stirring often, until the veggies soften, about 5 to 6 minutes. 

Stir in the flour to create a roux. Stir well so it coats all the vegetables, then cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring often. It should smell fragrant and nutty.

Add in the chicken and broccoli. Slowly stream in 4 cups of the chicken stock while stirring. Doing this slowly will help the mixture thicken.

Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce it to a simmer and cook for 5 more minutes so it can thicken. Stir in the heavy cream and cook for another few minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the cheese. Stir until it melts completely.

Taste and season with more salt and pepper as needed. You may need to add a little more salt and pepper here!

Ladle the mixture into a 9x13 baking dish. Top with the sheet of puff pastry. Brush the sheet with the egg wash. Use a knife to slice a few slits into the pastry to let the steam escape.

Place the dish in the oven. Bake for 20-30 minutes (checking the puff pastry along the way). You want the puff pastry puffed up and golden brown. Remove and let cool slightly before serving. Enjoy!

 

 A Cold Winter's Night @ I Heart Cooking Clubs!