Zesty Chicken Pot Pie

This chicken pot pie recipe is one of those go-to recipes any time I am in the mood for some comfort food.  Almost every time I make this for someone, they want the recipe so I figure I will share it with everyone now.  

My sister-in-law first introduced me to this pot pie several years ago.  Ever since then, this is the only chicken pot pie I make.  I warn you, once you eat this one you will never want another kind of chicken pot pie again!

I usually get an already-cooked rotisserie chicken from my local grocery store.  The chicken has enough meat on it to make two pies (three if it is really large).  I make one to cook for supper that night and another one to freeze for later.  

You can change this recipe in order to accommodate different tastes and diets.  You could substitute turkey for the chicken.  There are also several options for the crust in order for it to be gluten-free.  Pillsbury has gluten-free dough you can find here that seems to get good reviews.  Other gluten-free pie crust suggestions can be found here.

This pie is really easy to assemble and tastes absolutely delicious.  Just don't blame me if you can never again eat grandma's chicken pot pie after this!

{Ready to mix--looks so pretty!}

Zesty Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients

1-1/2 pkg. (8 oz. each) cream cheese (12 oz.), cubed

1/2 cup chicken broth

3 cups chopped chicken

2 pkg. (10 oz. each) frozen mixed vegetables (carrots, corn, green beans,peas), thawed

1 env. (0.7 oz) Good Seasons Italian Dressing Mix

1 ready-to-use refrigerated pie crust (1/2 of 14.1-oz pkg)

Directions

Heat oven to 425°F. Cook cream cheese and broth in large saucepan on low heat until cream cheese is completely melted, stirring frequently with whisk.  Stir in chicken, vegetables, and dressing mix.

Spoon into 9-inch pie plate.  Cover with pie crust; seal and flute edge.  Cut several slits in crust to allow steam to escape.  Place pie plate on baking sheet.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Make Ahead Directions

Prepare as directed except for baking.  Wrap securely; freeze.  When ready to bake, unwrap.  Place strips of foil around edge to prevent over-browning.  Bake frozen pie in 425°F oven for 1 hour 10 minutes or until heated through.

Recipe Credit: Kraft Recipes

Blackberry Peach Pie

I had purchased some blackberries from a local farmers market nearby and finally decided a couple of days later what I was going to do with them.  It being summer, I had been craving a fruit pie for awhile, so I searched for a great recipe for a pie that used blackberries.  I found this delicious recipe for a blackberry peach pie. 

I was a bit lazy and did not feel like keeping little hands away from the mess making a pie crust entails, so I used a pre-made, store-bought pie crust dough to make my pie.  (I may eventually have to buy some more fruit so I can make the delicious-sounding Buttermilk Pie Crust!)  This was my first attempt at a lattice pie crust, so I did not have a pastry wheel. I used my pizza cutter and it worked just as well.

Just making the pie had my mouth watering!  The smell while baking was intoxicating!  So, of course, my husband comes home from work and over dinner, while the pie is still cooling, we decide to drive to my parent's house as soon as dinner was over.  They live two hours away, so that meant no freshly baked pie for me!  Also, due to our quick departure, I was unable to take any decent pictures of the pie--it tasted fantastic though!

I brought the pie with us and ended up eating a slice of it at my parents' house at 11 pm that night.  Even with the pre-made crust, it was delicious!  The flavor of the peaches and blackberries together was perfect and finally satiated my craving for a summer fruit pie!  

Blackberry-Peach Pie

Buttermilk Pie Crust
3/4 cup cold unsalted butter, divided
1 2/3 cups flour
3 Tbsp cornmeal
2 1/4 tsp sugar
3/4 tsp salt
6 Tbsp low-fat buttermilk
1-2 Tbsp vodka

Filling
4 cups peaches, peeled, pitted and sliced
2 cups blackberries
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp salt

Assembly
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1 Tbsp milk
1 Tbsp Turbinado sugar

Prepare dough: Grate 6 Tbsp butter into a small bowl; cut remaining 6 Tbsp butter into small cubes and place in a second bowl; chill bowls in freezer for 15 minutes. Whisk together flour, cornmeal, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl; place bowl in freezer to chill for 15 minutes. Chill buttermilk and vodka in freezer for 15 minutes.

Sprinkle cubed butter over chilled flour mixture and toss with a spatula to coat. Use a pastry blender to cut in butter until the biggest pieces are the size of peas; fold in grated butter. Drizzle buttermilk over flour mixture; use a spatula to gather dough together until it forms large clumps. If needed, add vodka 1 tablespoon at a time, then gently knead just until dough comes together. Gather 2/3 of dough into a ball, wrap in plastic and flatten slightly to form a disc (this will be your bottom crust). Repeat with remaining 1/3 of dough (this will be your top lattice). Chill dough in the refrigerator at least 1 hour (or up to 2 days, or place in a freezer bag and freeze 1 to 2 months).

Preheat oven to 425°F. Place larger disc of dough on a floured board and dust dough with flour. Roll out dough (roll dough in one direction, then lift up dough and rotate a quarter turn and roll, then repeat) until dough is a 12 to 13-inch circle. If dough starts to stick, use a bench scraper to lift dough from board. Transfer dough to a standard 9-inch pie dish; trim overhang to one inch. Gently gather scraps into a ball, cover in plastic, and return to refrigerator to chill. Use a pastry brush to brush bottom crust with egg white; return to refrigerator to chill.

Prepare filling: Combine peaches, blackberries, and lemon juice in a large bowl. Whisk together sugars, cornstarch, cinnamon, and salt in a small bowl; add to fruit mixture and toss just to coat. Let filling stand 15 minutes.

Place smaller disc of dough plus chilled scraps on floured board and dust dough with flour. Roll out using same procedure, until dough is a 10-inch circle. Use a pastry wheel or knife to cut dough into 9 strips, 3/4-inch wide. Remove pie dish from refrigerator and spoon in filling. Arrange dough strips in a lattice pattern (I followed this diagram and placed 5 strips vertically, 4 horizontally). If needed, trim lattice pieces to diameter of pie dish rim. Carefully fold the rim of the bottom crust over the lattice strips and crimp. Brush pie with milk and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.

Place assembled pie on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes in preheated oven. Reduce heat to 375°F and continue baking another 35 minutes, until filling is bubbling and crust is golden brown. If pie is browning too quickly, cover with foil for remaining baking time. Cool pie on a wire rack for at least 3 hours (filling thickens as it cools). Once pie is cut, store leftovers in the refrigerator.

Yield – 10 slices
Calories – 315 (per slice)
Carbs – 42

Recipe Credit: Tutti Dolci