Pretty Chicken Pot Pie | Easy Weeknight Dinner

The biggest change at home we've experienced since Emma has started Kindergarten is that she was so exhausted when she got home that she wasn't interested in helping with dinner.  For the first couple of weeks, I was okay with it - she needed quiet downtime just playing (or watching a show...).  However, our time in the kitchen together is my favorite time, so I've been thinking of more ways to get her excited about cooking again.

I know when you are 5 that new friends, learning to read, soccer, ballet, etc. all of a sudden seems much cooler and more important than helping your Mom, but I wanted to be careful that we didn't lose this special time we spend together.  So, we've been doing more fun things in the kitchen like adding mini leaf cut-outs (using the new Mini Leaf Cutters, $8 for 6 in my store) to our Chicken Pie Pies, and we've also been working on decorating cakes.  These activities have lit a new fire for her and she is eager to join me in the kitchen again.

This is my basic Chicken Pot Pie recipe, only dressed up with some cut outs on the top : ). For some shortcuts, buy a rotisserie chicken, use frozen carrots and store bought pie dough - I do these all of the time and it is just as delicious.   Our entire family loves this dinner.  I make a double batch and one goes in the freezer for an easy dinner after soccer : )

Mini Leaf Cutters, $8

Set of 6

The Mini Leaf Cutters are new to my Harvest Collection and will make so many things cute this fall : )

Chicken Pot Pie

(makes 1 pie, I usually double the recipe)

2 chicken breasts, split with bone and skin on

4 carrots, 1-inch dice

8 small red potatoes, 1-inch dice

2 tbs of olive oil

1 tsp of sea salt

1/2 tsp of pepper

4 tbs of butter

4 tbs of flour

1/2 cup of chicken stock

1/2 cup of half-and-half

1 cup of frozen peas
....

Pie Crust Recipe, here >

Pie Crust Ingredients needed (for making 2 tops) : 

18 tablespoons cold butter (2 sticks + 2 tablespoons)
3 cups all-purpose flour 
1 teaspoon salt 
2 tablespoons sugar 
6 to 8 tablespoons ice water

I made the filling, while Emma worked on the pie crust.

For the filling :

Step 1 : Roast the Chicken & Vegetables

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Start by placing the chicken breasts on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, then salt & pepper.  On another sheet pan, place the carrots and potatoes and also drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper, then toss to coat.  Roast them in the oven for 20-25 minutes.  The cooking time may vary depending on thickness of the chicken breast.

*Baking Sheets : You can find my favorite Baking Sheets in regular and small sizes here.  They work great paired with parchment paper - saves food from sticking and makes clean up so easy.

Step 2 : Make the Cream Sauce

In a saucepan, melt butter on medium-low heat stir in flour, whisking until smooth.  Let the flour and butter cook for about 1 minute.  Whisk in chicken stock and continue to whisk over low heat until smooth.

Add in the half-and-half.  Whisk until smooth.  Cook over medium-low heat for 5-10 minutes until thick and bubbly - whisk constantly, or at lease every minute to keep it from burning on the bottom.  When it is thick, turn off the heat.

Step 3 : Combine

When the vegetables and chicken have finished roasting, let them cool for 3-5 minutes.  Remove the skin and bones from the chicken and chop it up into 1-inch cubes.  Add the chicken, carrots and potatoes into the cream sauce.  Add the peas.  Pour the mixture into a pie plate or other oven proof dish.

The pie crust is made in the food processor and comes together so quickly.  Pie Crust Recipe, here >

Store Bought Dough works really great, too, especially or the cutouts.  It seems to be more sturdy.

Roll the cut out dough onto a rolling pin, being careful not letting it stretch too much and lose its shape.

 

Brush them with beaten egg to give them a really pretty shine, then bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes until golden and bubbly.

 

Here are other ways I've used the Mini Leaf Cutters :

Pecan Tart with Maple Leaf border >

I have so many ideas for these : ). Hope this makes it on your list for the week!

 Mini Leaf Cutters, $8

Set of 6

Baking Sheets

Parchment Paper

Lemon Roasted Salmon & Vegetables | Sheet Pan Suppers

Yes, this is a recipe post.  Nope, not a house post, and not a store post - a recipe post!  Feels good to be back in the saddle again.  Enjoy!  ; )

There is nothing like a new season to inspire new recipes... and a fantastic new cookbook that's right up my alley.  Just so you know, this is not a sponsored post.  I came across this book at a little book store in my hometown.  I do a lot of sheet pan cooking myself and thought it had some really great ideas for keeping dinner simple with great flavor.  With Emma becoming more involved in the kitchen and dinner prep, putting everything on a sheet pan (available here) and putting it in the oven is something she can 100% help with.  Stirring and sautéing on the stove?  Not so much.  For entertaining (remember all of the entertaining we used to do... when we had a house?!), putting everything on a sheet pan, early in the day ready to go in the oven when guests arrive, is a dream.

The cover recipe was what reeled me in, so it was the first I tried - Salmon & Roasted Vegetables.  Of course, I modified the recipe a bit, simplifying even more.  She instructs to make a gremolata (parsley, lemon zest and garlic) to sprinkle on after.  I'm sure it is great, but I just threw lemon slices, garlic and olive oil all over everything (and some butter on the salmon) before baking and it tasted delicious.  As the tomatoes roasted, they let out a little juice that blended with the olive oil, garlic and lemon juice and it made an amazing sauce in the pan that I poured over the platter after baking.  Simple!

Large & Small Essential Sheet Pans are available, here, in my store.

Sheet Pan cooking goes right with my favorite way of serving - everything on one platter.  So, everything bakes on one sheet pan, then goes onto one platter.  Mike's dishwashing duties just got very easy.

Lemon Roasted
Salmon & Vegetables
serves 4

1 1/2 pounds of Salmon, into 4 pieces
1 pound of Green Beans, trimmed
Large Cherry Tomatoes
1/2 Red Onion, into large chuncks
2 Cloves of Garlic, sliced
1 Lemon
2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons of Butter
Sea Salt
Black Pepper

On a sheet pan, scatter green beans, tomatoes, onion, lemons and sliced garlic.  Drizzle on olive oil.  Sprinkle with sea salt and toss.  Top with Salmon filets.  Put a lemon slice and bit of butter on each salmon piece, then sprinkle with sea salt.

Bake in oven at 425 for 20-25 minutes until salmon is cooked thru.  Serve on a platter with sauce from pan drizzled over or on the side.



The next recipe that caught my eye was this Roasted Mushroom and Burrata Crostini.  I need a carb (and usually melty cheese...) with every meal, so this seemed to be the perfect addition to our uber healthy roasted salmon and vegetables.

I started with prepping the vegetables.  The book called for asparagus, but Mike isn't a huge fan, so I used green beans.  I loved the crunch they added overall.  It made the entire meal seem very fresh.

Love the tiny tomatoes on a vine.  They stayed mostly intact during cooking and looked great on the platter and plate - again, perfect for entertaining.

Everything ready to go in!  Not pictured, I added a tablespoon of butter on top of each lemon piece on each salmon.  It oozed over during baking and made gave the salmon a very flavorful crust and added to the 'sauce' that accumulated in the pan.

Don't forget lots of sea salt.

Everything went in the oven and I got out the platters for serving... and waited.

After about 25 minutes everything was perfect.  Veggies and all.

Onto the platter and drizzled the sauce over.

Here is a peak at the burrata with thyme mushrooms on top.  Mike and Emma aren't mushroom people (as much as I try to convince them!), so we did half and half.  Recipe coming tomorrow (or thursday).

Large & Small Essential Sheet Pans are available, here, in my store.

Leftovers Idea : Tomato Bisque & Chicken Bacon Panini's

Ina once said, the difference between making money in the food business and losing money is the ability to transform leftovers into something fabulous.  While I no longer run a food business, I do run a household and I hate the idea of being wasteful with our time and money.  I run out of dinner making/grocery store steam mid-week, so I'd like to start incorporating an easy, no trip to the grocery store dinner.

This Leftovers Idea was actually delicious - and we plan on incorporating it into our rotation on a regular basis.  Emma loves soup, Mike loves bacon and I love melted cheese.  Everyone was happy.  I started with some tomato sauce leftover from Sunday's dinner, then added a bit of chicken stock, cream and fresh basil.  Easy. 

For the panini, I used leftover garlic bread, sliced grilled chicken from another dinner (I often throw it in the freezer when we grill out), bacon (leftover from BLTs) and a variety of cheese from the cheese drawer.  I don't have a panini press, so I used the heavy weight of a couple of pots and pans - worked great.

This is how I determined what would go on the sandwich... whatever I could find!  I sliced the baguette into thin slices to make it easier to grill. 

Adding cream to the soup - about 1/4 cup to about 4 cups of soup.

Buttered and...

Pressed.

Look how flat and panini-like.

Really satisfying and so simple. 

You can see, I made Emma mini grilled cheese dippers and chunks of chicken instead of putting it on the sandwich to make it easier to eat.  Of course, she spotted our bacon and needed some of that, too.

What are your favorite dinners that came from being creative with leftovers?