Tasty Tuesday: Chef Mara’s Chicken Pot Pies

WCCB Staff,

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Chef Mara is back in the Rising kitchen with a homemade favorite – chicken pot pies! She’s showing how you can make them at home.

Remember, you can sign up for a class with Mara at TheFoodieSchool.com.

Chicken Pot Pies

Ingredients

  • 1 Recipe Cream Cheese Crust
  • 2 Cups Cooked Chicken, chopped
  • 2 C. Milk
  • 1 C. Chicken Stock or Broth
  • ½ C. Sherry
  • 6 Tbsp. Butter or Margarine
  • 6 Tbsp. Flour
  • 1 Small Onion, small dice
  • 2 Potatoes, small dice
  • 1/2 Bag Frozen Peas, defrosted
  • ½  Sprig Rosemary, chopped
  • 1 Sprig Thyme, leaves removed from stem
  • 1 Small Bunch Parsley, chopped
  • 5-6 Sage leaves, chopped
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

Filling Directions

  1. Cook potatoes in salted water until just barely tender.
  2. Sweat onions in sauté pan over medium heat in butter. Add flour to make roux. Cook until flour has a slightly nutty smell. Add sherry and whisk well. Gradually add milk and stock to the roux, whisking after each addition. Stir often until liquid is thick like gravy. Keep a close eye on this mixture as it can scorch easily. Add herbs, S&P, vegetables, and chicken to thickened milk. Taste and adjust seasoning.
  3. Place this mixture into ramekins and top with crust. Flute edges and create vents. Bake at 350º until crust is flaky. If you can resist, let pie cool slightly before eating.

Cream Cheese Crust

Ingredients

  • 1 stick butter, cut into pea-size pieces
  • 1 (8-ounce) block cream cheese, cut into pieces
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for kneading
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons cold water
  • 1 egg beaten with 2 tablespoons of water, for egg wash

Directions

  1. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the butter, cream cheese, flour and salt. Pulse to combine. Pulse, pulse, pulse until the ingredients start to come together and resembles Parmesan. Add the egg yolk and 1 tablespoon of water. Pulse a couple of more times until the ingredients start to form a ball. If the mixture is exceedingly wet, add some more flour. Or conversely, if the mix is dry, dry, dry, add in a few more drops of water.
  2. When the mixture has come together into a ball, turn it out onto a floured work surface and knead it a couple of times to help it come together. Dust it with flour, form it into a disk and wrap it in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until ready to use. This can be done a day ahead. Remove from refrigerator at least 20 minutes before rolling out.