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Monday, October 14, 2013

Chicken Pot Pie w/ Cheddar Herb Crust

Yesterday, both of my sons came over and had dinner with us. I know they don't cook for themselves during the week so I always try and make a "homestyle/comfort food meal" when they come. I decided to make my Chicken Pot Pie w/ Cheddar Herb Crust. It literally "screams" comfort food. First of all, I need to go ahead and apologize to all the grandmothers of the world...because "this isn't your Grandma's chicken pot pie"...it's BETTER!  Honestly, when I eat this meal, I forget all about being wheat free -- I truly do. It's just plain good, regardless of what you do or do not eat! It's also a great way to use up leftover cooked chicken, or even better, leftover Thanksgiving turkey (which is not that far away)! Last night I didn't have any leftover chicken to use, so I just started from scratch and cooked some boneless chicken breasts that I diced and quickly sauteed beforehand. 

When I've made this pot pie in the past, it was always a bit of a challenge to transfer the rolled-out crust onto the top of my casserole dish without breaking it (and I know others experienced that, too). This time I rolled out my crust between 2 pieces of parchment paper to the shape of my casserole dish and then placed it on a cookie sheet and popped it into the freezer to chill for about 20 minutes (until firm but not frozen). Wow...I can't tell you HOW much better that worked in transferring the crust to the top of the casserole! As many of you know, I tend to be somewhat of a perfectionist (I'm working on that)...and I have to tell you, I was so tempted to make my crust look perfect...but I stopped myself. I decided that if the edges weren't perfect that it was okay; and that there was a word for that...it's called "rustic". So, I allowed my pot pie to have a rustic somewhat raggedy edged crust...and you know what??? It still looked beautiful and tasted just as good (and I only cringed a couple of times). LOL. Even more importantly, my boys didn't even notice! We enjoyed the pot pie last night, and there was enough left to have for dinner again this evening, too. It tasted just as good reheated! I snapped a few photos as well as the recipe below. Enjoy!






Before going into the oven...
After coming out of the oven...


BOOM!

Chicken Pot Pie w/ Cheddar Herb Almond Crust
Makes approximately 6 servings

Ingredients:

Filling:

4 cups diced cooked chicken
4 cups chicken stock (plus extra to adjust thickness of sauce)
1 - 2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
1 stalk celery, finely diced
1/2 small onion, diced (about 1/2 cup)
2 - 3 carrots, thinly sliced
2 cups fresh green beans cut into 1-inch pieces (or small broccoli florets)
4 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 - 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
Salt & Pepper, to taste  
3/4 teaspoon xanthum gum (to be added gradually, 1/2 at a time), *optional (see below)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Crust:
2 cups almond flour
3 tablespoons "cold" butter, diced
1 large egg
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 to 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 - 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/2 - 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste

Directions:


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Lightly spray/grease a 3 quart casserole dish (preferably at least 3 inches deep) and set aside.  In a 6 quart stockpot, melt butter and saute celery and onion until tender; add chicken stock, carrots, green beans or broccoli; cover and simmer until vegetables are tender. Add parsley, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper to taste. Bring stock and vegetable mixture to a light boil/simmer while stirring in the xanthum gum 1/2 at a time, whisking vigorously until well blended. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 in a little at a time, whisking briskly until the broth begins to thicken.  Once it has reached the thickness you like, add the cream and stir well.  If you accidentally thicken it more than you want, thin the sauce with additional broth.  Check seasoning and make any necessary adjustments. Stir in 1 cup cheddar cheese until melted.  Add chicken to the sauce and mix well.  Simmer on low for a few minutes to just to keep hot.  

In a medium bowl, add all crust ingredients and cut in with a pastry/dough cutter until crumbly and all flour is moistened and cheese is pulverized into the mixture. Press dough together in a ball and place on a sheet of parchment paper and flatten out lightly into a circular shape (or the shape of the top of your casserole); cover with another piece of parchment paper and roll out to about 1/4 inch thickness to the size of your casserole dish.  Handle the dough minimally with your hands (you don't want to heat up or melt the butter in the dough, you want it to remain stiff).  Once dough is rolled out evenly and the size of your casserole dish, it is easier to transfer to the top of your pot pie if you place the rolled crust into the freezer for about 15-20 minutes to get firm. 


After chilling crust, pour hot filling mixture into casserole dish.  Gently and carefully lift the dough and move it on top of the filling in the casserole (it is important to choose the right size casserole so your filling will be within an inch or so of the top when filled and the crust will fit and lay nicely on top).  If it cracks a little, gently press it back together.  Use any leftover scraps of dough to build a crust around the edge of casserole dish.  Bake chicken pot pie in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes; lower oven temperature to 325 degrees and bake an additional 15-20 minutes until crust is golden brown and done (crust is firm to the touch when done).  

*Optional: If you prefer not to use xanthum gum to thicken the soup, you can substitute a few ounces of cream cheese by melting in a saucepan and stirring broth in until desired thickness.

             

45 comments:

  1. This is such a delicious recipe. I made it once before, and my husband loved it! By the way, you really deserve a commission from Costco. We just got one in our city. I signed up tonight, and they open Wednesday. I don't think I would have done it had you not shared how many wonderful, healthy foods you purchase there at such great prices. I'm excited.

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  2. Hi Kathy! Thanks -- I hope you enjoy your Costco! This is a good time of year to join because they get all kinds of stuff in for the holidays that they don't carry throughout the year. I know I easily get my money back for my membership with savings on purchases -- and I have their AmExpress card so I get a rebate every year too -- and as much as I shop there, it's easily $200 or more that I get back! So, my membership is worth it to me. I have a Sam's Club membership too and it is very close to me (closer than Costco) yet I drive further to go to Costco because I like it better. LOL though on a commission from them - I wish! :-)

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  3. Oh...P.S. -- someone commented on my blog here recently about the tri-tip roast I made -- she said she found it at her Wegman's for $9.99/lb. I checked this weekend and the Costco price is $5.99/lb. That's a big difference...so I picked up another one! LOL :-)

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  4. I just found your blog and I am in love! Everything sounds so great I don't know what to try first! Also, your pictures are awesome! Thanks for all your hard work! I look forward to going through your recipes while I lose my excess baggage ;)

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  5. Thanks so much, Misti! I hope you find some recipes you like -- it's easy to eat this way when you enjoy what you are eating and don't feel deprived! :-)

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  6. omg!! GGC!!!! I am so making this over the weekend! I'll have to have my folks up for dinner! <3

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  7. Thanks, Suzanne -- I hope you enjoy it! If you've never used xanthum gum before -- be careful and don't use too much -- a little is perfect -- a little too much is NOT! :-)
    Hope you and your family enjoy it! :-)

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  8. Thanks for that little tip about the xanthan. I don't normally use it but I just got some to fill out an online order for some other low carb/gluten free stuff I was buying and will try it out with your recipe this weekend! It is easy when you don't feel deprived, that is my thought exactly. I never eat anything I don't enjoy, and it's going so well. Who would have thought! -Anna

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  9. I just sent a picture of this to my husband saying that we are definitely making this one this weekend. We love chicken pot pie and this looks so delicious!! Do you have a list somewhere on this site with a list of your finds at Costco? We just renewed our membership yesterday. I love your site, GGC. :)

    ~Cindy

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  10. I've never been much of a fan of any kind of pot pie, but this could certainly change my opinion.

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  11. Hi Anna -- I hope you enjoy this -- I could eat it just as a creamy chicken type soup without the crust, too! I would not have been able to eat this way for over 15 months if I felt deprived or didn't enjoy what I was eating. I'm glad this way of eating is going well for you, too! :-)

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  12. Hi Cindy -- you know, while I regularly mention my weekly shopping at Costco and the different items I pick up...I have never put together some of my good finds in one place to make it helpful for others to look for. That's a great idea though. I will start keeping track of some of my regular items as well as different specials I come across. Hope you and your husband enjoy the chicken pot pie! :-)

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  13. Hi Luana! LOL -- I know I've never cared for the commercial varieties of them before. If you aren't sure, you could always make half of a recipe or even a third to test it out first. :-)

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  14. Can hardly wait to try this...Thanks so much for sharing because this is one of my favorite fall comfort dishes!

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  15. Julie Williams10/15/13, 8:07 PM

    This looks very good. I used to love it before wheat free days so this looks like a keeper. I made your spinach-feta pie yesterday and it is awesome. I don't care for feta so I used another cheese. I also replaced 1/4 of the flour in the crust with sunflower seed flour that I ground up. Yummy and it tastes good heated up again. Since my hubby doesn't care for spinach, I will be eating it all week. I plan to make it often.Thanks for the recipe.
    Julie W.

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  16. Thanks, Glenda -- it's one of my favorite fall dishes, too. I hope you enjoy it! :-)

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  17. Thanks, Julie! So glad you enjoyed it. I've never tried sunflower seed flour before -- do you like using it? I love sunflower seeds. I love making it because my hubby and I both eat it the first night and then I have the leftovers for lunch for several days -- it reheats nicely and I enjoy the convenience of having lunch made. I'm always a little sad when its finished! Glad you enjoy it! :-)

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  18. GGC.... I'm sooo thankful I came across ur site. Our family has changed our lifestyle eating and your site has enlarged our territory for sure!! Keeping our total carbs at a low daily, using almond/coconut flours the past 5 months and our motto is I eat to live...I don't live to eat! We love your recipes and again thanks for sharing!!

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  19. This is the best chicken pot pie we have ever eaten. I make a double batch and it still isn't enough!

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  20. Hi mrl -- Wow...thanks so much. I feel flattered that you feel it's the "best ever"! I like it a lot too, but I am not an impartial judge since I created it...that means a lot coming from you! Thanks so much -- I'm so glad you enjoyed it! :-)

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  21. Hi Debbie -- Thanks so much for your kind comments -- it means a lot to me. I do put a lot of time into creating the recipes and writing them up and photographing them...but it's worth it because of kind folks like you! I am so thankful I finally discovered the "secret" of wheat/grain-free eating (thanks to Dr. Davis of Wheat Belly) and want to share it with everyone -- it's my way of "paying it forward". Congratulations on your 5 months...I hope you find it as enjoyable as I have now for over 15 months! I have never felt deprived and have never been bored or felt like I didn't have enough choices. Thanks again for your kind comments! :-)

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  22. Today I had a chicken in the crockpot for dinner,so when my husband asked what we would have with it I thought about the roasted vegetables from last night in the fridge. Then, oh my gosh, your lightbulb went off in my head! Chicken pot pie! It was my first time to ever make a chicken pot pie! It was delicious. We loved it. Thank you.

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  23. LOL, Dana (on my lightbulb going off in your head) -- I am thrilled that you and your husband enjoyed the chicken pot pie and that it turned out well for you! Thanks so much for letting me know! :-)

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  24. Oh my, this has got to be the best chicken pot pie ever! Thanks for sharing this recipe, it will be on the menu for some time to come!

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  25. Hi CCG,

    I made this a couple of days ago and it was wonderful! Freezing the rolled out crust is such a neat trick. I'd rolled it a little larger than the dish and had no trouble cutting it to size or transferring it. (I used the scraps to make tasty crackers while the pie baked.) I didn't thicken the sauce quite enough with the xanthan gum, though. Having had a couple of previous mishaps with it, I used it *very* sparingly. No matter, though, it was still great and the crust was high enough above the sauce that it didn't get soggy at all.

    I also made cranberry sauce using Swerve. I followed the directions on the bag of berries except for putting in slightly less Swerve than the amount of sugar it called for. It was very good ... even my hubby said so! :-)

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  26. Hi CyberSis! Glad you enjoyed the chicken pot pie -- and freezing that crust takes the "fear factor" out of transferring the crust. I want to make individual pot pies in ramekins next time to see how that turns out -- I think it would make pretty servings having your own "casserole". I was going to give cranberry sauce a shot this year, too -- I really like it and that's the one thing I didn't try to make last Thanksgiving. Did it thicken at all as it cooled? P.S. - next time you make the pot pie filling, if you are still uncertain about thickening and don't want to add more xanthum...add a bit of cream cheese to it to make it "creamier" and less soupy. I have used 1 teaspoon and 3/4 teaspoon and both worked out great -- I may toss in a bit of cream cheese next time along with the 3/4 tsp to see how that tastes -- others have told me it works fine though. Great way to use the leftover crust making crackers, too! I've been wanting to make cheese straws (my hubby's favorite) and the dough recipe here is pretty close (except for the dash of cayenne). :-)

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  27. Hi GGC,

    I love the idea of individual pot pies! :-)

    I didn't have cream cheese on hand, so I tried a couple tablespoons of ricotta. Didn't do much to thicken the sauce, though. (I agree with your comment that this recipe would be delicious as a creamy chicken soup!) Next time I will be less "chicken" (hee hee) with the xanthan and/or try the cream cheese.

    We had the cranberry sauce hot from the stove the first day. I'd simmered it down pretty well, but there was still a little puddle of liquid. It did thicken up a bit more after sitting at room temp and especially after chilling in the fridge. The texture reminded me of how it looked when I used to make it with sugar. The flavor isn't "quite" the same as when made with sugar, but pretty darn close. Perhaps it could be tweaked with a couple of drops of stevia, although we thought it was good as is.

    I'll bet adding a little gelatin powder during cooking would take care of that little puddle. I have some Great Lakes Kosher gelatin but didn't think about it until just this minute. Next time I'll try it ... if I don't forget, that is! :-)

    BTW, I had a little poached spiced pears in the fridge(they were diced into smallish chunks) that I'd made the day before. I added a little leftover cranberry sauce plus a few pecan pieces to it a couple of days later. The combo was yummy! See how *brave* I'm getting!

    PS: Don't tell anyone, but I put a dollop of sour cream on top, too!

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  28. Hi CyberSis! LOL on being less "chicken" with the xanthum next time! I bet you are right -- some gelatin would probably thicken up the cranberry sauce -- and depending on how much you add, you could have the "jellied" kind, too! What a great idea mixing some in with pears and pecans...and said in the faintest of whisper! ;-) It sounds really good though -- and yes you are becoming brave...and that's a good thing! :-)

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  29. So excited to have found your blog... Going wheat-free was a but overwhelming, but loving all the new recipes I've found to try... Especially this one!

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  30. Thanks so much, Donna! I know how you feel about the overwhelming part -- I was determined not to ever feel deprived and to make the most out of the list of allowable foods -- 16 months and I haven't gotten bored yet! I hope you find some other things you like here too. Welcome to the wheat free world! :-)

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  31. This is a great recipe! I've made it before with chicken, yesterday I made it with leftover pheasant - yum! The only thing that would have made it better is if I had remembered to add the mushrooms I planned on putting in ;-)

    Also made your Choc. Chip Cookies with Walnuts and Ricotta - one of my favorite wheat-free treats. Thanks for so many wonderful recipes!!

    Andi

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  32. Hi Andi -- Thanks so much -- glad you enjoy the recipes. I would LOVE to put mushrooms in my chicken pot pie -- but then hubby would not eat it...I really love them and agree with you -- it would make it even better! Glad you enjoy the cookies, too! I am looking forward to making pot pie with leftover Thanksgiving turkey soon! :-)

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  33. Made this tonight with leftover Thanksgiving turkey. Had used the bones to make broth and was going to make soup from it but remembered seeing this recipe and had always loved pot pie. Of course, with my luck, I didn't have a 3 qt. casserole but I used a 4.5 qt. I had. It looked a little dumb;p But it was delish anyway - Hubby had two helpings. I used some Bell's Poultry Seasoning in the filling cuz we both love it. Thanks Gourmet Girl:)

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  34. Hi DeWitch! So glad you enjoyed the pot pie -- glad that both you and hubby enjoyed it! Two helpings is a "good sign"! ;-)

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  35. I made this wonderful recipe tonight and it was great!! We are just starting "wheat free" in hopes of a healthier lifestyle. My daughter who was just diagnosed with crohns disease is my inspiration to cook differently. I am so very glad to have found your blog.

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  36. Thanks so much, Willow Hollow! I'm so glad you enjoyed the pot pie. It's one of my favorites. I hope you find some recipes that you and your daughter can enjoy here and I pray the change diet and elimination of wheat helps your daughter tremendously...I am keeping my fingers crossed that it will. Thanks for letting me know you enjoyed it. :-)

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  37. I made this for my family last night and it is fabulous! Hubby even loved it, which always says a lot. :) Thanks again for all your fabulous recipes!!!!

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  38. I really want to thank you for this recipe. My family kept returning for second and third helpings. Very comforting and delicious!

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  39. Hi babycoconut,

    Thank you for letting me know you and your family enjoyed it so much. My family loves it too. :-)

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  40. Love these recipes but would like to know Calories, carbs, Fats etc

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  41. Hi Elaine,

    Thanks. There are many free sites you can calculate that at; here are a few:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/recipe/calculator

    http://www.caloriecount.com/cc/recipe_analysis.php

    https://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-calculator.asp

    http://nutritiondata.self.com/mynd/myrecipes/welcome?returnto=/mynd/myrecipes

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  42. Hi there, this has been on my "to make" list for a long time and I'm kicking myself for waiting so long! Made it tonight and it was easy and beyond delicious! I cheated a little by using frozen diced onions, carrots and peas (my kids love peas, I know they aren't very low carb, but I do it for the kids, ha!). My family and I just love your recipes. I know I can count on you to put only the best out here and I thank you for that!

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  43. Hi Nicole,

    Thanks so much. I am so happy you and your family enjoyed the chicken pot pie. Thanks for the kind remarks...it means a lot. :-)

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  44. Made this tonight as a beef pot pie - using ground beef and beef stock instead of chicken. SO very good and all of the grain eaters in the family (including 3 teens!) asked for this to go on the regular rotation! (I did opt to omit the Italian seasoning, since I was going with beef, and just seasoned my beef with spices instead.)

    Thank you so much!!
    ~Ellie

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  45. Hi Ellie,

    So happy you and your family enjoyed it! Great idea subbing beef for chicken, too! :-)

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