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Thursday, October 21, 2010

Craving Ellie in My Belly: Chicken Pot Pies

Forgive the poor lighting--our dining room is dark!
The husband is pretty easy to please.  He's almost always willing to try my latest concoctions (although he refuses to try the green monster), but there are a few dishes he always gets excited about:
  1. burgers
  2. pizza
  3. pot pies
When I saw that this week's Craving Ellie In My Belly recipe was chicken pot pies, I knew I had to try it out.  I've made many pot pies in my lifetime, searching for the perfect one.  Would this be it?

Here's the rundown:
Prep time: 20 minutes (those veggies don't chop themselves, unfortunately)
Cook time: 25 minutes
Bake time: 30 minutes


Substitutions: We swapped out potatoes and green beans for broccoli and carrots. Shocking--the husband loves potatoes, but says he would prefer other veggies in his pot pie. I'm obviously not going to fight him on this one, since potatoes don't even really count as a vegetable. We love green beans, but haven't had them in a pot pie before--so thought we'd go with a safe standby--broccoli--which was also much cheaper at the store. :)





Pros:
*Rich and creamy
*1 dish meal--meat, carbs, veggies in one!
*Inexpensive/everyday ingredients
*Versatile--easy to change to your preferences
*Kid friendly
     --I wouldn't serve this to company because it isn't exciting and is kind of messy (unless you serve it in individual dishes)

Cons:
*Time consuming
*Lacked "crust"
(the husband said it didn't fully seem like a potpie without it--but he is a carb snob)

My thoughts overall?  Not the best pot pie I've ever had (Cooking Light has some good ones) but a good starting point.  I liked that it wasn't a canned soup base, but was still creamy.  I know phyllo dough is a calorie-conscious option, but the husband really prefers more of a crust (whether pie or biscuit) on the top.  I'd also add a little more seasoning to the dish.

When we need some comfort food, this recipe will be in the running.  Great choice--and thanks for hosting, Shandy of Pastry Heaven!

6 comments:

  1. Your Pot Pie looks delicious, I'm sorry it's not the best you ever had. For me it is, but that's probably because it was my first :)

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  2. Yours looks delicious! I wanted to put broccoli in ours, but the husband isn't a fan. I may try that next time though!

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  3. They sound great! I've never made a pot pie. Actually, I think I've only ever tasted one once. Maybe I should change that...

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  4. Ellie has another pot pie recipe that has a biscuit topping, and I may try that variation next time as we really enjoyed the filling in this one. You're right that it needed a bit more flavor though, and I was happy to have doctored it up a bit before baking.

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  5. I agree that there are probably better recipes out there, but this one was good for being a healthier option. I also am a big fan of Cooking Light, so thanks for the tip on their pot pies! I will have to try broccoli in mine next time as well, as we are big fans of that around here.

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  6. Your vegetables are gorgeous as is your pie. I enjoyed this one but no, it was not the best one but it was a good one.

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