Blackened Chicken Pot Pie

Blackened Chicken Pot Pie.  Because sometimes you need to step outside your comfort zone.

I offered two choices for dinner.  Would you like Pasta with Blackened Chicken or Chicken Pot Pie?  The response, Yes.  And the Blackened Chicken Pot Pie was born.

Let’s be honest here, THE motivation for every pot pie I’ve ever made was…the crust.  It’s our weakness.  Naturally then when I set out to make this  Blackened Chicken Pot Pie my focus was on the crust and how to use the box of puff pastry already in my freezer.  Visited the Pepperidge Farm website and that’s where I saw the lattice crust.

Each box of Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry has two sheets.  Cut each one into 10 – 12 strips.  Weave them as shown above into a lattice crust, then transfer to a baking sheet coated with cooking spray.  Bake for 20 – 25 minutes at 350 degrees until nice and golden brown.  Reserve.

Recipe note:  This was my first time ‘weaving’ puff pastry.  I was so proud of my perfect square until it occurred to me that it didn’t match the size of any of my pans.  Next time I will attempt a 9″x13″ finished size by cutting one sheet into strips length-wise and the other sheet width-wise.

While the crust is baking prepare your pot pie filling.

For the blackened chicken we made a dry seasoning mixture that consisted of fairly equal parts of black pepper, assorted ground chile peppers (cayenne, New Mexico, chipotle), cumin, garlic salt, coriander, smoked paprika, and celery seed.  Toss the bite-sized chicken pieces with the seasoning mixture, then pan sear all sides in butter/canola in a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, working in batches until all the chicken is blackened.  Reserve cooked chicken pieces.

Working in the same pan, reduce heat to medium, add additional butter and saute veggies.  We typically start with a mire poix of onion, carrot, and celery.  I like to add diced cooked potato as well.  Pot Pies are a chance to use up the abundant ingredients in your fridge, go ahead and throw in that cooked broccoli or sweet potato, and feel free to add sliced leeks or fennel to your saute pan.  Once the veggies are crisp tender, dust them with a couple tablespoons of flour and continue cooking for 3-4 minutes.  Then gradually whisk in broth and/or milk bringing the mixture to a boil.  Add additional liquid until the desired consistency is reached.  Add in the cooked chicken pieces and parsley.  Because we worked in the same pan as we blackened the chicken, there was no need to add additional seasoning :)  Remember, sometimes you need to step outside your comfort zone.

Pour mixture into a 9″x9″ baking dish and top with lattice crust.  Trim crust to fit or you can make the crust to fit your pan of choice (a novel idea I know).  Bake for about 20 minutes until filling is bubbly and crust is a deep golden brown.  Let stand for 5-10 minutes before serving.  I hope you enjoy this Blackened Chicken Pot Pie as much as we did and remember the moral of this story…when you give them choices be prepared to make them all.

Blackened Chicken Pot Pie

Libby with Lemony Thyme

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Course Entree

Servings 4

Ingredients

  

For the lattice crust…

• 1 pkg. Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry thawed
• 1 egg beaten with 1 Tbl. water

For the blackened chicken…

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 tsp. smoked paprika
• 1 tsp. garlic salt
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. coriander
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• 1 tsp. chipotle pepper
• 1 tsp. New Mexico or ancho chile pepper
• 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp. celery seed
• 1 Tbl. butter
• 1 Tbl. canola oil

For the pot pie filling…

• 1 Tbl. butter
• 1 medium onion diced
• 3 carrots diced
• 3 celery stalks sliced
• 2 potatoes cooked & diced
• 2 Tbl. flour
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup milk
• salt to taste
• 3 Tbl. fresh parsley chopped

Instructions

 

For the lattice crust…

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Unfold pastry sheets onto a lightly floured surface and cut each into strips about 1″ wide. Weave strips into a lattice crust. Transfer to a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Lightly brush top with beaten egg/water. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove and set aside.

For the blackened chicken…

• Mix dry seasoning and toss with chicken pieces. Heat a cast-iron skillet or dutch oven to medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon each of butter and canola oil to the pan and add chicken pieces in batches, searing on all sides. Reserve cooked chicken pieces.

For the pie filling…

• Reduce the heat to medium and add butter to the skillet. Add the carrots, onions, and celery and cook for 5 minutes or until the vegetables are tender-crisp, stirring occasionally. Add the flour and cook for 3 minutes. Gradually stir in the broth and milk and heat to a boil. Cook and stir until the mixture boils and thickens. Add additional liquid if too thick.

To assemble…

• Stir in the blackened chicken and 3 tablespoons parsley. Pour mixture into a 9″x9″ baking dish. Top with lattice crust, trim excess edges. Place the casserole onto a baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes or until the filling is hot and bubbling and the pastry is golden brown.

Other recipes you might enjoy:

Steak & Potato Soup