Chicken Pot Pie (with crescent roll crust)
I thought to make some chicken pot pie the other day and knew I was going to have to make everything from scratch instead of following a typical "dump" recipe. Although I'm all for convenience, I'm not comfortable with calling anything a dump ____. In this case, I wasn't feeling like making the crust so I looked in the fridge and found some crescent roll canisters. That should do the trick!
You can use whatever chicken you have on hand for this recipe. I usually end up using fresh chicken breasts but thighs will work too, or a combination. If you have leftover rotisserie chicken, chop that up and you're ready to go! A cup to a cup and a half of cooked chicken meat is enough for one pie but you can also supplement with a few little sausages. I like the Hillshire Farms Lit'l Smokies and would use up to 10 pieces in one pie. Or you can try a can of Vienna Sausage like in chicken pastel.
The vegetables are the same story. Use fresh or frozen, it all works. I've used Campbell's Cream of Chicken and Cream of Mushroom. I prefer Cream of Mushroom but you can use either one. They taste different from each other though, so that will determine what your sauce is going to be like. Alternatively, you can make your own sauce. Any basic white sauce will do and you can add other flavors in if you want.
I like to pre-cook the filling instead of dumping all in the pie plate raw. I also like potatoes in my pot pie because I only ever do a top crust. Without the bottom crust, I'm left wanting some mashed potatoes. Instead of making that separately and putting it in the pie like shepherds pie, I'll just add diced potatoes to the filling.
So if all the ingredients are ready, start by cooking the potatoes. You want them done but still firm since they will be going into the oven. When that's done, drain and add to the pot pie filling.
While the potatoes are cooking, heat up some olive oil in a pan and then add the onions. When the onions are translucent, pop in the chicken. If you're using raw chicken, you'll have to cook it through. If using cooked chicken, then just give it all a quick toss and then season if necessary. Add the frozen vegetables and then add the cream of mushroom soup and the milk, mixing everything thoroughly. Let this lot simmer gently for a couple of minutes and then add the potatoes. Give it a quick stir and then turn off the heat.
I have a 9-inch Corningware pie dish that I love to use because it's pretty and it seems to accomodate more than the clear Pyrex one. I grease that with cooking spray and pour the filling in. Make sure you have enough room for the cup of cheese that you need to mix in and the crust that goes on top. You don't want to fill it too much because when the liquid starts to boil, it may leak through the sides and overflow. I mix in a cup of the cheese once the filling is in the pie plate to create a cheesy sauce.
I try to create a pattern with the crescent roll triangles. Sometimes I leave a little slit open here and there. I let the triangles overlap in some places. Sometimes the pieces are too long so I trim it right when it comes to the center of the plate. Or I arrange them so they just mildly overlap in the center. You want that top layer to be as even as possible to avoid raw crust in the middle and overdone crust on the sides.
Then it goes into the oven, pre-heated to 375 degrees. I'd keep a close watch on it starting at 20 minutes but it tends to come out perfectly for me at 25 minutes. You could leave it in for a few more. Definitely no longer than 30 minutes, I'd say. It just depends on what brand crescent rolls you use. As long as it's a nice even layer on top, you'll be able to tell just by looking at it, if it's done. When in doubt, leave it in the oven for a little bit longer. Toasted is better than raw!
Let the pie cool for a few minutes before serving.
Instructions:
You can use whatever chicken you have on hand for this recipe. I usually end up using fresh chicken breasts but thighs will work too, or a combination. If you have leftover rotisserie chicken, chop that up and you're ready to go! A cup to a cup and a half of cooked chicken meat is enough for one pie but you can also supplement with a few little sausages. I like the Hillshire Farms Lit'l Smokies and would use up to 10 pieces in one pie. Or you can try a can of Vienna Sausage like in chicken pastel.
The vegetables are the same story. Use fresh or frozen, it all works. I've used Campbell's Cream of Chicken and Cream of Mushroom. I prefer Cream of Mushroom but you can use either one. They taste different from each other though, so that will determine what your sauce is going to be like. Alternatively, you can make your own sauce. Any basic white sauce will do and you can add other flavors in if you want.
I like to pre-cook the filling instead of dumping all in the pie plate raw. I also like potatoes in my pot pie because I only ever do a top crust. Without the bottom crust, I'm left wanting some mashed potatoes. Instead of making that separately and putting it in the pie like shepherds pie, I'll just add diced potatoes to the filling.
So if all the ingredients are ready, start by cooking the potatoes. You want them done but still firm since they will be going into the oven. When that's done, drain and add to the pot pie filling.
While the potatoes are cooking, heat up some olive oil in a pan and then add the onions. When the onions are translucent, pop in the chicken. If you're using raw chicken, you'll have to cook it through. If using cooked chicken, then just give it all a quick toss and then season if necessary. Add the frozen vegetables and then add the cream of mushroom soup and the milk, mixing everything thoroughly. Let this lot simmer gently for a couple of minutes and then add the potatoes. Give it a quick stir and then turn off the heat.
I have a 9-inch Corningware pie dish that I love to use because it's pretty and it seems to accomodate more than the clear Pyrex one. I grease that with cooking spray and pour the filling in. Make sure you have enough room for the cup of cheese that you need to mix in and the crust that goes on top. You don't want to fill it too much because when the liquid starts to boil, it may leak through the sides and overflow. I mix in a cup of the cheese once the filling is in the pie plate to create a cheesy sauce.
I try to create a pattern with the crescent roll triangles. Sometimes I leave a little slit open here and there. I let the triangles overlap in some places. Sometimes the pieces are too long so I trim it right when it comes to the center of the plate. Or I arrange them so they just mildly overlap in the center. You want that top layer to be as even as possible to avoid raw crust in the middle and overdone crust on the sides.
Then it goes into the oven, pre-heated to 375 degrees. I'd keep a close watch on it starting at 20 minutes but it tends to come out perfectly for me at 25 minutes. You could leave it in for a few more. Definitely no longer than 30 minutes, I'd say. It just depends on what brand crescent rolls you use. As long as it's a nice even layer on top, you'll be able to tell just by looking at it, if it's done. When in doubt, leave it in the oven for a little bit longer. Toasted is better than raw!
Let the pie cool for a few minutes before serving.
Chicken Pot Pie (with crescent roll crust)
Ingredients:
- 1 chicken breast, cubed (or 1 1/2 cups of diced cooked chicken)
- 1 can cream of mushroom soup (or cream of chicken)
- 2T olive oil
- 10.5 oz milk (or equivalent of one can of soup)
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 medium potatoes, diced
- 1 cup frozen peas and carrots
- 1 canister refrigerated crescent rolls
- 1 cup shredded Colby Jack cheese
Instructions:
1. Peel and dice potatoes. Boil in enough water to cover potatoes and remove from heat when potatoes are cooked but still firm.
2. Add olive oil to large pan and turn heat to medium. When oil is hot enough, add onions.
3. Add diced chicken and cook through. Season with salt and pepper (you can also add a little garlic powder), if desired. Note that some condensed soups are quite salty and will not require additional salt even after you combine it with milk.
4. Add frozen peas and carrots, then the cream of mushroom and milk. Combine thoroughly and simmer for a few minutes. Mix in potatoes.
5. Turn off heat and transfer filling into a greased 9" pie plate. Do not overfill pie plate. Extra filling can be used to make another pie.
6. Mix 1 cup of Colby Jack (or any cheese you like) into the filling and top with the crescent slices.
7. Bake for 25 minutes in a 375 degree oven. Add cooking time if your crust isn't done or if you want it to be more brown. Different brands of refrigerated crescent rolls cook at different times and temperatures. My recipe uses Wegmans brand crescent rolls.
8. Cool slightly before serving.
2. Add olive oil to large pan and turn heat to medium. When oil is hot enough, add onions.
3. Add diced chicken and cook through. Season with salt and pepper (you can also add a little garlic powder), if desired. Note that some condensed soups are quite salty and will not require additional salt even after you combine it with milk.
4. Add frozen peas and carrots, then the cream of mushroom and milk. Combine thoroughly and simmer for a few minutes. Mix in potatoes.
5. Turn off heat and transfer filling into a greased 9" pie plate. Do not overfill pie plate. Extra filling can be used to make another pie.
6. Mix 1 cup of Colby Jack (or any cheese you like) into the filling and top with the crescent slices.
7. Bake for 25 minutes in a 375 degree oven. Add cooking time if your crust isn't done or if you want it to be more brown. Different brands of refrigerated crescent rolls cook at different times and temperatures. My recipe uses Wegmans brand crescent rolls.
8. Cool slightly before serving.
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