Casseroles

crowdsource Community Insights

This recipe really rewards steady seasoning and a light touch. Most people who've made it say the biggest difference was seasoning throughout cooking, salt, pepper and a mix of poultry seasoning, powdered garlic, thyme and rosemary, tasting as you go so it doesn't end up flat. Also, if you're planning a double layer of pastry, people who added potatoes usually regretted it, so either skip the potatoes or go with a single crust. Finally, some people marinated the chicken before cooking for extra flavor; that's an easy optional step if you want a deeper chicken taste.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

• Easy To Customize: Home cooks often adapt it to what they have without issue.
• Repeat Worthy: People who make this tend to come back and make it again.

grocery Ingredients

Filling

• 2 cup whole chicken
• Water
• 1 onion, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 lb (454g) Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into about 1/2 inch pieces
• 2-3 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
• 2 cup chicken stock, rich
• 5 tbsp butter
• Cremini mushrooms
• 1/2 cup cognac
• 5 tbsp flour
• 1 cup whole milk
• Salt, to taste
• Black pepper
• 1 cup peas
• 2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves, chopped
• 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley

Topping

• 2 sheets puff pastry (or pie crust)
• Egg, beaten with water

book_ribbon Instructions

1. Place the whole 3.5 pound chicken in a large stock pot and add water to cover.
2. Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the chicken reaches 165 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 1 hour.
3. Remove the chicken from the pot, take off the skin, and tear the meat into pieces about the size of the vegetables.
4. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
5. In a heavy casserole, melt 5 tablespoons of butter and sauté the peeled, 1/2-inch diced onion until beginning to soften.
6. Add the peeled, chunked carrots and the peeled Yukon Gold potatoes cut into about 1/2-inch pieces; coat with butter and cook about 10 to 12 minutes, until the potatoes and carrots are fork tender.
7. Add the cremini mushrooms and stir to combine.
8. Pour in 1/2 cup cognac to deglaze the pan and let the flavor infuse into the vegetables.
9. Sprinkle 5 tablespoons of flour evenly over the vegetables and cook to remove the raw flour taste.
10. Add 2 cups of chicken stock, then 1 cup of whole milk; add a little salt and pepper, bring to a simmer, and cook for about 2 to 3 minutes until the sauce thickens.
11. Add 1 cup of peas, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves, and 2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley; stir to combine and heat through.
12. Add the shredded chicken (about 2 cups) to the filling, taste, and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
13. Spoon the solids into six heavy-duty ramekins, topping with additional sauce as needed. Let the filled ramekins cool slightly while you prepare the pastry.
14. Lightly flour a work surface, use two puff pastry sheets to cut rounds to fit the six ramekins, trim excess, and return scraps to the refrigerator; cut a small vent hole in each pastry round.
15. Chill the pastry rounds on a parchment sheet until stiff.
16. Brush the rim of each ramekin with egg wash (egg beaten with water), place a chilled pastry round on top, and crimp the edges to seal.
17. Chill the assembled tray of pot pies until the pastry is rigid, then bake in the preheated 425-degree oven for about 25 to 30 minutes, until the pastry is puffed and centers are bubbling.
18. The assembled pot pies can be refrigerated, covered, for up to one day before baking, or wrapped well and frozen for one to two weeks before baking.