Serendipitous Chicken Pot Pie

We are snowed in. Yes, you are not mistaken, we, the people of Atlanta, Georgia, have been snowed in for three days now. Businesses are closed, schools are closed; parents are going crazy from sudden onslaught of parental duties; kids are going crazy because they have run out of things to do. Suddenly, six inches of snow-covered with half-inch of crusty ice doesn’t seem so fun. All the snowmen have been built and destroyed, all the neighborhood hills have been thoroughly polished by improvised sledding devices and abandoned cars. Winter Wonderland is not longer a wonder land…

Part of the “fun” of being snowed in is eating through your pantry, clearing the leftovers, and reaching the bottom of your freezer.  Magically, people whom you have known for years as career oriented corporate rats emerge as culinary wizards and domestic divas, painstakingly baking breads, whipping out spectacular dinners out of thin air, stretching every bit of the pantry supplies.  Social media sites went from posting countless snow pictures to posting pictures of epicurean wonders…

We are no exception, of course.  Today, we have arrived at the point where I had to think what to make for dinner.

I had an almost entire chicken left over from making chicken stock. It was cooked through and through, de-boned and chopped, and was waiting to be used for something homey.  Closer inspection of the freezer revealed a box of puff pastry and a bag of frozen vegetable mix. Not too shabby, though puff pastry is not exactly a pot pie material. Okay. We are in business!

Chicken Pot Pie

• 2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed according to directions on the box
• 2 tbsp cooking oil or butter (I used coconut oil)
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3/4 cup fresh celery, chopped
• 1 lbs frozen vegetable mix (I had carrots, corn, peas and green beans)
• a few sprigs of fresh thyme to make it interesting, stems removed
• 1 lbs leftover chicken meat, diced or chopped
• 3/4 cup cream
• salt, pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 375F.

Heat the oil in a deep skillet. Saute onions over medium heat, until translucent and fragrant.  Add celery. Saute for a few more minutes. Add frozen vegetables and thyme. Saute until vegetables are no longer frozen and somewhat softened.

Add chicken. Stir gently and warm through. Add cream. Season to taste and saute for a few minutes until cream evaporates a little bit and the mix is thick enough to be a stuffing for the pie.

Roll the pasty sheets out on a floured surface to fit your 2 inch deep pan. I used a ceramic oven proof casserole dish.

Line the casserole dish with the first sheet of pastry, so that the pastry overhangs the edges of the dish slightly.

Fold the filling out into the dish and even out with a spatula. Cover with the second sheet of pastry and crimp to your satisfaction. I just used a fork and pressed the edges together along the rim of the dish. Cut away any extra pastry. I used the cut offs to make several knots and baked them on a separate sheet as snacks. Pierce the pie with the fork a few times here and there.

Bake in the middle of the oven or slightly higher for about 30-35 minutes, until the upper crust is puffy and browned to your liking.