I'm sure everyone's had a day like this. Things start out crazy and skid downhill.
Work is insane. Freaking zombie documentation--I keep killing it, but it just comes back uglier. Trying to release three products, two of which are new, by Friday. Cannot wait for this week to end already.
Time kept passing, and I knew there was no way I could make dinner tonight. 7pm. 8pm. 9pm. I felt petulant. Screw dinner, I thought--I just want to go to bed.
Finally, as things started to get a bit fuzzy, I stopped and decided that a day like this couldn't end in desperation and a frozen burrito. Not when I had the ingredients for a chicken pot pie prepped.
I could do this. I WOULD do this. And I did. (Queue "We Are the Champions.")
Dinner may have been at 10pm, but it was worth the wait.
Verdict: Will repeat. Possibly weekly.
It was pretty easy, really. Leftover chicken from last night's dinner. Some chopped and briefly boiled root vegetables (I omited the turnip because turnip is made of gross.) A quick roux and some homemade chicken stock. Sauteed onions, garlic, herbs. Peas. Because peas MUST be in all chicken pot pies. It is the law. Salt. Peppers--black and red.
I did use some premade dough, but I can't say I feel too bad about it. Maybe I'll get some homemade pie dough into the freezer, but really, for a weeknight meal--this was great. A quick egg wash and into the oven.
The things I'd change: more sauce, I would double the butter and flour and would have reduced the sauce less. And that's about it. Outside of wanting more sauce, this was a treat for any night. But especially tonight.
Adapted from Going Solo in the Kitchen
2/3 cup diced potato (1/2 inch pieces)
2/3 cup diced carrot (1/2 inch pieces)
1/3-1/2 cup onion, diced
1/8 tsp minced sage
1/8-1/4 tsp minced thyme
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp butter
2 tsp flour
3/4 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup cubed cooked chicken
Salt/Pepper to taste
Pinch of cayenne to taste (optional)
handful of frozen peas
pie dough, cut to just a bit bigger than your baking dish
1 egg + 1 Tbsp water for egg wash (optional)
Preheat oven to 425.
Put potatoes in a small pot, cover with water, and heat until boiling. Reduce heat, boil gently for five minutes, then add carrots and take off heat. Let vegetables sit in water while doing the rest. (And basically make sure the potato isn't raw.)
In another small pot, melt butter and add onions, saute briefly. Add garlic and herbs, salt and pepper. Cook for another minute or two. Add flour, and stir, cooking for another minute or two. Add stock, stirring constantly--it should thicken, though not by a lot.
Add drained vegetables and frozen peas. Add cooked chicken. Stir and then taste the seasonings.
Pour everything into a 2-cup oven-proof dish. Cover with pie dough, cut a hole in the center and make a few slashes for ventilation. Brush with the egg wash. Place dish on a cookie sheet (to catch any spills) and bake for 25 minutes or until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbly.
Let sit for 5 minutes and try not to burn your mouth.
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