WFMW -- THE BEST Chicken Pot Pie Recipe EVER!

This is by far, the best Chicken Pot Pie I have ever tasted.  Please, please try it.  It is outstanding.  And the best part is (other than the taste, of course), is that it makes 2 or 3 pies!!  The recipe says to make individual pies in small dishes but since it was just Jeff and I with the kids, I skipped that part and made it in a pie dish.  Had I made it smaller, then I would've had 3 pies out of this one recipe, but I still think I made out pretty good.

Please don't be scared away by the steps involved.  It's really not hard.  I promise.  I made it with 2 babies under foot and a husband who tends to hover while I cook, and it still turned out perfect.  Enjoy!  

Chicken Pot Pie

Barefoot Contessa

Ingredients:

3 whole (6 split) chicken breasts, bone-in, skin-on

3 tablespoons olive oil

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

5 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade

2 chicken bouillon cubes

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter

2 cups yellow onions, chopped (2 onions)

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup heavy cream

2 cups medium-diced carrots, blanched for 2 minutes

1 (10-ounce) package frozen peas (2 cups)

1 1/2 cups frozen small whole onions

1/2 cup minced fresh parsley leaves

For The Pastry:

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon baking  powder

1/2 cup vegetable shortening

1/4 pound cold unsalted butter, diced

1/2 to 2/3 cup ice water

1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash

Flaked sea salt and cracked black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the chicken breasts on a baking sheet and rub them with olive oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, or until cooked through. Set aside until cool enough to handle, then remove the meat from the bones and discard the skin. Cut the chicken into large dice. You will have 4 to 6 cups of cubed chicken.

In a small saucepan, heat the chicken stock and dissolve the bouillon cubes in the stock. In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and saute the onions over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until translucent. Add the flour and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add the hot chicken stock to the sauce. Simmer over low heat for 1 more minute, stirring, until thick. Add 2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and heavy cream. Add the cubed chicken, carrots, peas, onions and parsley. Mix well.

For the pastry, mix the flour, salt, and baking powder in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add the shortening and butter and mix quickly with your fingers until each piece is coated with flour. Pulse 10 times, or until the fat is the size of peas. With the motor running, add the ice water; process only enough to moisten the dough and have it just come together. Dump the dough out onto a floured board and knead quickly into a ball. Wrap the dough in plastic and allow it to rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Divide the filling equally among 4 ovenproof bowls. Divide the dough into quarters and roll each piece into an 8-inch circle. Brush the outside edges of each bowl with the egg wash, then place the dough on top. Trim the circle to 1/2-inch larger than the top of the bowl. Crimp the dough to fold over the side, pressing it to make it stick. Brush the dough with egg wash and make 3 slits in the top. Sprinkle with sea salt and cracked pepper. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour, or until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling hot.

Ok, a few things...I used skinless, boneless chicken breasts because that's all I had.  I just cooked them in the oven without seasoning them like she says to.  And, because I use the Better Than Boullion that I wrote about here, I don't think I missed out on any flavor with using the boneless breasts.  I also didn't add small whole onions, but instead added diced potatoes with the peels still on them (more nutrients, people!).  I'm certain that you could add any veggie you like, and it would still taste delicious!  It's just that good!  But--don't go looking at the fat content!  ;)

WFMW: Cheesy Vegetable Chicken Chowder

I got this recipe from a friend of mine while living in MD, and finally tried it the other day.  It was delicious and works for me because it's super easy and the ingredients are ones that I usually have on hand.  I will make this again and again, it was just so yummy.  Give it a try and enjoy!

1/2 c chopped onion

2 cloves garlic

celery salt or powder to taste

3/4 c sliced carrots

2 c chopped, peeled potatoes (I didn't peel mine)

5 c chicken broth*

1 17oz can whole kernel corn, drained

1/4 c melted butter

1/4 c flour

2 c warm milk

salt & pepper

1/8 t paprika

1 2oz jar pimento

8oz cheddar cheese

2 c chopped, cooked chicken

Combine first 6 ingredients in a large stock pot.  Simmer covered, until potaotes are tender.  Stir in corn.  

Blend butter and flour in a medium sauce pan.  Stir in warm milk (warm so it won't curdle) gradually.  Stirring constantly, cook over medium heat until thickened.  Add salt, pepper, paprika, pimento, cheese and chicken.  Cook until cheese melts, stirring constantly.  Stir into vegetable mixture.

My recipe says to serve with sweet vermouth and top with fresh parsley and cayenne pepper.  I didn't have any of those and it still tasted great.  Definately serve with fresh bread, though!  It's a real winner.

*(I didn't have 5 c of chicken broth on hand, but did have some chicken base "boullion".  It's called Better Than Boullion and it's made from chicken meat with natural juices.  I saw it at Wegmans and decided to give it a try.  So glad I did because I will use it all the time and not have to worry about ever having enough broth around.  This works great and is full of flavor, so much better than salty ol' boullion.  I definately recommend it.)

(I put the large orange next to the jar for size comparisons.  It's an 8oz jar and makes 9.5 qts of broth.)

WFMW--Holiday Traditions

My edition of Works for Me Wednesday is backwards for today.  

With Thanksgiving and Christmas just around the corner, I've been thinking constantly about traditions.  Jeff and I both bring different traditions to the table, and now that we have two little ones around, we want to be able to incorporate some of those into our family, as well as some new ones, too.  I love to hear about how others celebrate in/with their families, and am hoping to glean some ideas for things that we can incorporate into our own family as our boys grow.  We are anticipating a very exciting Christmas this year with Jak turning two, and being able to understand things a *bit* better, and although he won't fully understand much of it yet, nor will he remember it, we'd like to start to try to be intentional about how we do things for various holidays.

 

Some thoughts to get you started are:

 

-New Year's Eve/Day--any special things to do with your kids; ex:  a goal jar to be opened at the end of that new year, to see if any/all goals were accomplished

 

-Valentine's Day--is this a fun holiday for you or just a "Hallmark" holiday that passes by?  If it's fun, why?

 

St. Patrick's Day

 

Easter--Resurrection Eggs? Easter Bunny? Easter Baskets?  Easter Egg Hunt?

 

Memorial Day/Veteran's Day

 

4th of July

 

Mother's Day/Father's Day/Grandparent's Day

 

1st Day of School/Fall--Apple Picking?  Pumpkin Patch?  Harvest Party?

 

Halloween--do you do it?  Why or why not?

 

Thanksgiving--Soup Kitchen?  Giving an entire meal to a needy family? 

 

Christmas--the big one:  Santa or not, and WHY or WHY NOT (this is a big one for me!)?  Advent Calendar?  Advent Wreath?  Jesse Tree?  Stockings?  Cutting your own Tree?  Open presents on Christmas Eve or not?  Cookies?  Gingerbread Houses?  Driving to look at lights?  Caroling?  Trimming the Tree?  Soup Kitchen?  Angel Tree or Operation Shoebox at church?

 

Please feel free to add any other holidays or traditions that I might have missed or don’t know about!  And if it applies, please tell me how you incorporate your Faith into the tradition.

 

I am so eager to hear your responses.  I truly look forward to reading them all, and possibly incorporating them into our bag of traditions!

WFMW

This week's tip is sure to help when you've got yucky, stuck-on food all over your microwave and you have finally made up your mind to clean it up no matter how long it takes.

Lucky for you, it'll only take a few minutes if you follow my instructions:

Fill a small to medium sized glass bowl with water and add some fresh cut lemon (a half or less will do). If you want to be sassy, you can even squeeze it into the water first, but it's not necessary. If you're out of fresh lemons, then just add some lemon juice, but it might not be as fragrant as the fresh one.

Put prepared bowl into the microwave and run it for about 5 minutes.

Once finished, carefully remove the very hot bowl and wipe down the microwave with paper towels or a washcloth to remove all the gunk. The steam softens the mess and removal is super easy! No scrubbing, scraping or screaming need be involved!

That always works for me.

WFMW #1

Today's WFMW is backwards style. Instead of me posting a tip that works for me, I want to hear from you on how to put together (and execute!) a family budget!  

Do you do weekly or monthly budgeting?  Do you balance the budget and accounts alone, does your husband do it all, or do you do it with your husband as a team?  Do you do paper or online statements?  What works for you? 

If you need some background, we are a budding family of 4:  my husband--the breadwinner, myself--the homemaker and our two little boys.  Modest house, one car (soon to be two), no pets. We try to live debt free and don't really spend a lot on outside entertainment except outings with the kids or the occasional splurge for us.

Have at it, Ladies!

WFMW #2

Here's another one:  Meal Planning.

Weekly?

Monthly?

Farmer's Market?

Small grocery stores?

Club stores like BJ's, Costo, Sam's?

All of the above or wherever the price is right?

Do you have a chart or list that you write it all on?

What works for you?

WDWFMS

I though in addition to my last WFMW post, I could add another one, except it would involve two more additions. First off, it's What Doesn't Work For Me, and secondly, it's Saturday instead of Wednesday.

Here you go:

Scott's toilet paper does NOT work for me.

During our last run to BJ's, Jeff and I decided to try out a new type of toilet paper. Well, let me rephrase that, Jeff decided to try out a new type of toilet paper. I wasn't too keen on the idea but thought that maybe it could work. Who knows, maybe I'd be pleasantly surprised!

We typically buy Charmin--the real cushy kind--but thought since the cost was almost cut in half by choosing Scott's, we'd give it a shot. Perhaps we could stop being toilet paper snobs and convert to the cheap stuff all while saving $5 bucks.

Not.gonna.happen.again. Ever.

This "stuff", I can hardly call it toilet paper without wincing, is like a type of grit that has absolutely no absorbency to it whatsoever. Not only does it feel scratchy in your hand but it doesn't feel so good down in your nether regions, either! Now, if you're a guy and don't really need it all that often, I'm sure it can be OK. But, women use this stuff every time they go, so it's imperative that the stuff work!

At this rate, if I want to save money on toilet paper, I should go out and cut some leaves, put them in a pretty little basket in the bathroom, and call it a day.

Did I mention that Scott's doesn't work for me? Does anyone need any? Because we have about 17 more rolls left...

WFMW--Continued

Well, I posted my Works For Me Wednesdays post and have gotten a lot of excited reviews about people trying my baking soda idea. I hope I don't disappoint!

I just want to clarify (because I'm afraid that if the bloggers try my tip and their laundry isn't stain free I may be kicked off of WFMW forever!!) that the baking soda tip doesn't always remove all stains. In my experience, it's removed blood, breastfed baby poop (you can't even tell the baby leaked all the way up his back kind of poop!), spit up, food stains, etc.

I have found it lightens the armpit yellow caused by the chemical reaction between the deodorant and the laundry detergent, and makes that armpit area softer, if it's been hardened. {Gross, I know.} I can deal with the armpit yellow as long as its light and isn't stiff as a board. Otherwise, the t-shirt goes into the rag bin!

As for how much to use, about a 1/2 cup will do the trick. You can use a measuring cup or just any old cup or scooper laying around. Once you do a load or two, you'll get the gist and figure out how much works for you (pun intended). I have an HE washer so I know that the water isn't always the same for each load, depending on the size. I tailor the useage to fit the load size.

And if by chance I do see that the stain I'm trying to get out is still there, even if it is lighter, then I rewash it next load around but this time, in addtion to the baking soda, I add a scoop of OxiClean. After that, it's a pretty safe bet to say that my clothes will be stain free, and still not faded!

Try it, and get back to me to let me know how it works!

p.s. Memarie Lane--I have never cut down on the detergent itself, but it's probably not a bad idea. Try it and see if you notice a difference. I also use A & H laundry detergent (I like that it's biodegradable, plus it whitens and smells good) and I find that it works just as well as regular detergent with adding the baking soda. If I've got a particularly dirty load, then I just add the soda anyways and I'm pleased with the end results.

Works For Me Wednesdays

**I just updated the original post with some answered questions, so go to my archives and look for "WFMW--Continued" to continue reading about using baking soda in your laundry.

Here in the mommy-blog world, there is a weekly event (among several) called Works For Me Wednesdays. Basically, the idea is that on Wednesday you post a little tip you've learned on any (G-rated) topic--anything that has "worked for you" in making your life easier.

Well, I am finally going to participate in this!

My WFMW topic is baking soda. We all have baking soda to satisfy various needs like baking, cleaning out drains with vinegar, neutralizing our refrigerator or freezers, etc. Well, my favorite use for baking soda, apart from the goodies that I end up with after using it to bake with, is using it in my laundry.

That's right friends, I put it in my laundry loads! With each wash, I take a scoop of baking soda from my huge $5.99 bag from BJ's and throw it into our trusty new Whirlpool Duet washer. (I really enjoy my new washer and dryer:))

Anyways, I throw it into the wash bin and let it help clean our clothes along with the regular detergent that I put into the little detergent drawer up top. I am not exactly sure how it works but all I can say is that it does wonders!

*Ever get that lovely mustard-like infant poop on clothes/towels/sheets? Sure you have! Baking soda takes it all out without so much as having to scrub it.

*Ever have that awful musty smell in your dishtowels/rags or even worse--your bath towels--that once you use said towel, you end up smelling just like that musty stink? Baking soda and hot water will neutralize that odor causing bacteria and wash it right out. Fresh towels can be enjoyed again!

*Ever have a husband around who likes to wear undershirts every day? Of course you do! And I'm sure your husband, like 99% of other husbands in the world, sweats like crazy. So, not only does the deodorant leave a nice yellow stain on the armpit of the shirt, but the sweat leaves something for you, too. Once again, baking soda in the load of whites does the trick. It helps take the stains out while making your whites brighter and your laundry smelling fresher.

Love baking soda. And, it works for me!

For more WFMW, go to Rocks In My Dryer.