Chicken Pot Pie

Description

This Chicken Pot Pie is a spin on a classic comfort food.  My version is still just as comforting and filling, but instead of a traditional pie crust, I’ve topped mine with buttery and flaky store bought puff pastry.  I’ve also added some extra ingredients to the filling like mushrooms and spinach to boost the amount of nutritious vegetables, but also to lend a more savory and complex flavor to this dish.  This Chicken Pot Pie uses our grocery store hero, the rotisserie chicken for the main protein to save you lots of time. Rotisserie chickens are such a great shortcut for lean protein that’s already cooked for you, and you know you’ll always get a tender and flavorful chicken.  I always try to find ways to add as many colorful veggies as possible into a dish, the first one we use here is a generous amount of spinach.  This recipe starts by sauteing 3 cups of spinach,which may sound like a lot, but in the end you will have less than a cup after it's cooked.  Once the spinach is done, you’ll begin to saute your vegetables until they are tender.  Once your veggies are done, it’s time to make a simple roux by toasting some flour along with the butter and liquid that has been released from your veggies until is is toasted and golden  After the flour is toasted, it’s time to whisk in your broth and milk, add the remaining ingredients and then add everything to your casserole dish.  One fun part about this dish is getting creative with your puff pastry topping.  I always place a full sheet of puff pastry on top of the pot pie as a base layer, then you can use the second sheet to cut into shapes and place them an inch or two apart on top of your main pastry layer.  Once your pot pie is all ready and you’ve applied your egg wash to the pastry, it’s ready to go into the oven for 40 minutes.  Not only is this Chicken Pot Pie delicious, it's a complete meal that is full of protein, veggies, and some carbs for balance so you can really feel good about what you’re eating.  Speaking of being balanced, did you know about that time I walked a tightrope across our town square?  I've always had a bit of a daredevil streak in me, so one day over lunch, my friend had dared me to tightrope across the two tallest buildings in our town during the spring carnival.  It just so happened that I had just finished taking walking lessons at the community center so I was more than happy to take on this challenge.  I’ll spare the intricate details on how we were able to get access to the rooftops and secure a safe rig so that I could perform my feat, I’ll just say that it was not easy.  After months of preparations and practice, the spring carnival finally came and it was time for my walk across the town square.  I took a deep breath and proceeded to put one foot in front of the other until I had reached the middle of the rope.  Once I had reached my halfway point, I decided to sit down on the rope and take a moment to reflect, meanwhile the crowd below me was in an absolute uproar.  After a short rest, I had decided it was time to end my stunt so I began my journey to the opposite end of my rope.  On my way back I opted to perform  a few obligatory spins and some fake out imbalances for some extra flair, the crowd went wild.  After a short while, I completed my dare and was safely back on the ground.  I was thankful for returning safely and was glad that all of my hard work paid off.  I decided that I had enough adventure for the day and it was time to return home for a balanced meal of Chicken Pot Pie with a delicious and flaky puff pastry topping.