Friday, March 1, 2013

Rotisserie Chicken Series: Chicken Pot Pie Crumble

I'm kicking myself because I forgot to get a picture of the whole pie!  This dish is perfect for a weekend or a dreary day or anytime you're craving comfort food.  It's not necessarily quick, but it is worth the effort.  (That's why I think it would be best on a weekend...mmmmm Sunday dinner.)                                               
I followed the recipe here pretty closely.  Her picture is way better and much more appetizing.  I just need more practice!
 
Chicken Pot Pie Crumble
 
2-3 cups chopped rotisserie chicken (you could use turkey, too)
1 (14.5 oz) can low-sodium chicken broth
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup peeled and diced carrots (about 2 large carrots)
3/4 cup diced celery (about 2 large stalks)
3/4 cup finely diced yellow onion (about 1/2 medium onion)
2/3 cup frozen peas
3 Tbsp butter
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup milk
1 tsp lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp dried parsley
1/4 tsp dried thyme
 
For the crumble:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour  (I used white whole wheat flour.)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder (use 1/2 tsp for a slightly stronger garlic flavor)
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
1/4 cup butter, cold and diced into small cubes
2 oz. finely shredded Parmesan cheese (about 1/2 cup packed)
3/4 cup + 2 Tbsp heavy cream
 
For the crumble:
Preheat oven to 450°F. In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, garlic powder and optional cayenne pepper. Using your finger tips, cut butter into mixture until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in Parmesan cheese. Pour in heavy cream and mix just until combine. Break and drop mixture into 1 - 2-inch pieces onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes until golden, longer if you like it a little more toasty like me! Remove from oven, set aside and lower oven to 400°F.
 
For the filling:
(I used 1- 14 inch cast iron pan for everything.) Heat olive oil over medium high heat. Once hot, add diced carrots, onion and celery. Saute vegetables, stirring occasionally until lightly golden and tender, about 10 minutes. Pour vegetables into a bowl and set aside. Reduce heat to medium, melt butter in saucepan, then add flour and cook, stirring constantly for about 20 seconds (it will be very thick). While stirring, slowly add in milk followed by chicken broth, lemon juice, parsley, thyme and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring mixture just to a boil, then slightly reduce heat and allow to cook about 1 minute longer until thickened, stirring constantly. Remove sauce from heat and add sauteed vegetables, frozen peas and diced chicken to sauce, then toss to evenly coat. Pour mixture into a 9-inch pie dish and sprinkle with baked crumble topping (mine fit perfectly in my pie dish but if yours is coming close to the top edge you may want to sit it on top of a cookie sheet to prevent spills in your oven). Bake until nicely golden about 12 - 14 minutes.