Chicken Pot Pie

In my part of the country, fall is showing itself. Cooler temperatures, the leaves are changing colors, the wind is picking up. That means one thing in my kitchen: Comfort food. Something warm, filling, and tasty.

Enter Chicken Pot Pie. :-)

Ingredients:

Cooking spray
1 1/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 leeks, bottom 4 inches only, washed well and chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 medium potatoes cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 pound green beans, trimmed and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups low-fat milk
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup frozen peas
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
3 sheets frozen phyllo dough, thawed
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 4 individual-sized baking dishes with cooking spray. (I made mine in a large casserole dish, and doubled the recipe)

Season the chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few turns of pepper. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 2 teaspoons of the oil over a medium-high heat. Add the chicken to the pan and cook for 5 minutes, turning once. Transfer the chicken to a plate. (I had a whole chicken that I'd cooked in the crock the day before, then picked the meat off)

Add 2 more teaspoons of the oil, the leeks, and the celery (I was out of celery and used carrots, instead) to the pan and cook until vegetables begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the potatoes, green beans, garlic, and remaining salt and pepper and cook for 2 more minutes.

Add the milk to the pan. Stir the flour into the chicken broth until dissolved and add to the pan. Cook, stirring, until the mixture comes to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.


(Doesn't that look yummy? I was already planning some creamy soups at this step)


Stir in the reserved chicken, peas, parsley, and thyme. Spoon the mixture into the prepared baking dishes.


Put the remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil into a small bowl. Unroll the phyllo dough and cut it into quarters. Place a quarter sheet on top of each baking dish and brush with olive oil. Repeat with remaining 3 baking dishes. Tuck the edges of the phyllo into the dish rim. Top each pie with Parmesan.

Place on a baking sheet and bake until the filling is bubbling, about 30 minutes.

I put a couple of sheets of phyllo dough on the bottom of the casserole dish and baked that for about 10 minutes prior to putting the filling.

As a matter of personal preference, the next time I make this, I'll skip the thyme. I don't know how many dishes I ruin for myself by adding thyme. I don't like the taste of it, and every time I think I must be missing something and maybe I'll like it *this* time. I never do. But that's just me.

Also, next time, I'm going to try a different crust. Though the phyllo dough was fine, it was too 'light' for my taste. It was barely noticeable, taste-wise. As a pot pie lover, I like a heavy crust.

But the filling was exceptionally yummy. Very creamy and filling and tasty.




I served it with a side salad and some bread and butter. This is definitely going into the comfort food menu rotation. :)

Recipe courtesy of Fran at Fran's Kitchen.