Still, I was anxious to try one of the recipes I'd found, kind of. I actually took a recipe I found online, modified it a bit, bought some pie crusts from the store and today, went to town.
Ingredients (From Betty Crocker, plus some extra seasonings)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup all purposed flower
2 cups carrots, onion and celery
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
a few shakes of Italian seasoning, oregano and a pinch or two of nutmeg
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
2/3 cup cream or milk
1 lb cooked chicken
2 packages refrigerated pie crusts
1-2 eggs, beaten
Instructions
1. Butterfly the chicken breasts and season with salt, pepper, oregano. Bake at 350 for about 40 minutes, or until done. After cooled, dice or shred chicken into small pieces.
2. Heat oven to 425. Place pie crusts on counter to allow to wam to room temperature.
3. In a saucepan or large skillet, melt butter and olive oil over medium heat. Stir in flour, veggies, salt, pepper and spices. Stir constantly until mixture is bubbly and veggies are soft.
4. Remove from heat, stir in broth and cream/milk. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Stir in chicken, remove from heat.
5. Roll pie crust on well floured counter, until thinned as much as possible without creating holes/tears. Use medium sized bowl to trace circles on the pie crust. Use a spatula to transfer circles from counter to baking pan (line baking pan with parchment paper).
6. Place about 1/4 cup of the chicken mixture into each circle. If it's very runny, wait a few minutes - as the filling cools, it will thicken. Fold the circles in half and press the edges together. Make two slits in each pie.
7. Generously brush egg wash over each pie, do this 2-3 times per pie as the egg soaks into the crust. Dust each pie with a few pinches of salt (sea salt is even better!).
8. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until pies are golden and crusty.
9. Wait a few minutes before serving, they're super hot!!
Side Note - Make lots and bake only the ones you'll eat today. The rest can be individually wrapped in foil (spray the foil with non-stick spray first) and then freeze. Heat in the oven at 400 for 25-30 minutes at some future date.
This was a LOT more involved than I expected, even with the purchased pie crusts. It took forever. But, it was SO worth it. I only purchased 1 package of pie crusts so halfway through I had to come up with some homemade pie crusts (I've never made pie crust before). Half of the pies were baked immediately. The other half were placed in the freezer to enjoy at some future date.
Why we love it
These were so crispy and warm and wonderful, what's not to love? Eli said "This is actually good. It's like chicken gnocchi soup, but with a crust." And David says it's gourmet restaurant level of cooking. So that's a resounding good review! Archer didn't eat one (he's not hungry) and Shelly's not interested in anything resembling soup. So 3 stars for now. The good news is that we have a few leftovers in the fridge to enjoy for the next couple days.
*Updated - Archer just walked up to me with a pie in his hand raving about how good it is. 4 stars!
I had some serious help from Archer and David on this one. So serious that Archer and I both ended up covered in flour by the time it was over. Kind of reminded me of last year's camping trip. Loved the bonding time with the kid who is now taller than me. Thanks gentlemen!
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