It’s Fall (or so they say), bring on the POT PIE!

Now that the Fall season is upon us, it makes me think of warm, hearty soups and stews. I have heard rumors that some places actually begin to get chilly at night and the days are cooler during this time of the year. In Florida that is only wishful thinking. I remember when I was younger, my mother was determined that it would feel and look like winter at least during Christmas. The a/c would go down and the fireplace would be lit, and of course, let’s not forget the fake snow. This dish reminds me of that time because it is a spin on something my mom used to make when I was a kid. I am not sure she would recognize it now but it comforts me just the same. This recipe will make six large portions. Perfect for a family of four that likes leftovers. My son is already looking forward to lunch tomorrow!

This is done in parts, the first of which is the vegetables (except potatoes, those are done separately). You are going to cook the veggies in the following liquid.

• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/3 cup white wine (cooking wine is fine)
• 1 Tablespoon butter

Bring the liquid to a boil and then reduce it down to Med-Low and turn off the heat after 10 minutes or the heartier vegetables are just cooked through, making sure to stir them once in a while. What are the vegetables you ask? I used the following but feel free to add or delete as you see fit:

• 2 large carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 celery ribs, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 1 large Vidalia onion, peeled and diced

While that is simmering away, peel and dice (bite size, don’t get carried away) 5 small to medium potatoes. Add them to boiling water that has 1 cup of chicken stock included. When you boil potatoes like this, in small bite size pieces, keep in mind they take very little time to cook. Remove them from the heat and drain when they are JUST getting done, they will finish cooking in the bowls later.

This is where an XL mixing bowl comes in. You will need this to mix everything together. I would suggest polish pottery, but that’s just me. Add your potatoes and vegetables as you finish cooking them and set aside.

CHICKEN

Notice I did not call this dish CHICKEN pot pie. That is because while the chicken is an important aspect, it is only a part of what makes it so good. Since the chicken is not playing a starring role, do not do anything fancy to it. Do not coat it with anything, add spices or weird flavors. I took 3 portions of boneless chicken breast and boiled them in a mixture of half water and half chicken broth. Again, I cooked them until they are just barely cooked through. Remove from the water, let cool and then cute into large cubes.

One thing I don’t like in any dish are big hunks of meat. I prefer to shred mine and once the chicken is cooked and cooled, it will shred easily if you cut it into large cubes first. Add the shredded chicken to the large mixing bowl.

GRAVY

If there is a starring role to be played in this dish it’s the gravy, or sauce that holds it all together. Here is where I take a shortcut. You need the following items:

• 2,  26oz cans of condensed cream of chicken soup
• 1/2 cup crema mexicana
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1 1/2 cup milk
• 1-2 Tsp fresh ground pepper
• 3/4 Tsp curry
• NO SALT

First let me address those of you that just mentally marked curry off the list. Don’t. It adds just a hint of something in the background and this dish won’t be the same without it. Yes, the smell of curry is strong, but ignore it. Your dish will not smell like a jar of curry, I promise. Give it a try. Also, if you don’t have experience with crema mexicana, you can substitute more sour cream instead.

Mix all of this together very well BEFORE you put it on the stove. Since it has milk in it, you do not want to put it on high, just bring it up to a simmer slowly and don’t wander away. Milk can scald and you don’t want that. You just want this to heat through and then you are going to pour it over the contents already in your mixing bowl and gently fold everything in. Because you are using chicken stock and store bought soup, you do not need to add salt.

PASTRY

I used store bought puff pastry sheets for this dish. It was easy, quick, hassle free and tasted great. I don’t know why I didn’t do this before. Cut out circles with about 3/4″ extra so you can fold them over the top. Cut out a few sections in the center to let the steam escape. If you want to do this ahead of time, just put clear wrap in between each pastry and refrigerate until you need them.

Assembly is the last step. I put enough of the filling in each bowl to almost over flow. I also added peas at this point because some like peas in our home and some don’t and it’s one of those vegetables that you are probably using either frozen or canned and neither need the extra cooking like the previous vegetables. Place each pastry piece on top, and press along the edges of the bowl to seal.  I would also suggest that you brush the pastry on top with either some butter, a very light coat of olive oil, or an egg wash (a beaten egg with a tsp of water) and it will enhance browning. Place each bowl on a cookie sheet and put in a 400 degree oven for about 20-25 minutes. It will be bubbly and hot and delicious.

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