Pie Dough
Pie Dough Ahhh pie dough. It used to be my arch nemesis but now I consistently make tender, flaky pies every single time and I am going to dive into all the details so you can be set up for success. What is Pie Dough? …
Author: kimcrossin
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Chicken Pot Pie
Chicken Pot Pie
Chicken Pot Pie is one of my favorite meals to eat. It is always so comforting and it’s a meal that you know a lot of love went into, at least that’s how I make mine. From simmering the chicken along with veggies and herbs to making an extra flaky pie dough to tie it all in a bow. Chicken pot pie has become one of my favorite things to make and I can’t wait to share my version with you.
Make the pie dough
I’d recommend making the pie dough the day before to lessen the work load when you want to fill and bake the pie. Of course you can skip it and buy store bought pie dough or even puff pastry. I’ve used both before I mastered the art of extra flaky pie dough and it was equally delicious. If you do want to make your own pie dough I would highly recommend this one that I’ve been using for over a year for all of my dough needs. In the blog post I cover all of the tips and tricks to help you have success with mastering it too!
Make the filling
I like to make the filling either the day before I bake the pie or a few hours before. This allows it to cool down to room temperature and/or get cold in the refrigerator. It’s important that pie dough needs to stay cold before baking which also means that it’s important to make sure the filling is also cold if not room temperature. This ensures that the butter doesn’t melt and leak out before baking.
- Simmer the chicken – Simmer bone-in chicken breast and thighs along with some chicken broth. Enhance the flavor by adding some onions, carrots, celery and herbs to the pot.
- Use the same pot to cook the filling.
- Or save time and use a rotisserie chicken!
- Prep your ingredients – chop the onions, leeks, carrots and celery. Chop the thyme and grate the nutmeg.
- Sauté the vegetables – Over medium heat sauté the vegetables with some olive oil and butter.
- Add in the aromatics – Add the herbs and garlic until fragrant.
- Flour – Sprinkle over the flour and cook for a few minutes.
- Liquids – Pour in the wine, chicken broth and heavy cream. Bring to a simmer to thicken.
- More flavor – Add some extra flavor with better than the bouillon, chicken or chicken bouillon seasoning. Don’t forget the nutmeg!
- Peas + Chicken – Turn off the heat and stir in the peas and chicken.
Roll out the dough + Fill the pie + Crimp + Bake
Roll out the dough
Work with one dough disk at a time. Always keep the other in the refrigerator.
- Lightly flour your work surface as well as the top of the dough disk.
- Starting with the rolling pin in the center of the disk, roll upwards. Re-center and roll downwards.
- Pick up the dough and do a half turn.
- Repeat the pattern until the dough is 1 inch wider than your pie plate.
- Evenly apply pressure as you are rolling to keep it an even thickness.
- If it starts to feel sticky on the bottom or top continue to lightly flour and brush off any excess.
- Place the first dough disk in the pie plate and help it form to the sides. Lightly cover and place it in the fridge while you roll out the top crust.
- Repeat the process to roll out the second dough disk.
Fill the Pie
- Fill the pie with the room temperature or cold filling.
- Place the second rolled out dough over the top and trim the edges so there is about a 1 inch over hang.
- Tuck the top crust under the bottom crust.
- Place in the refrigerator to get cold again before crimping.
Crimp & Bake the Pie
- Crimp the pie. Watch the video for a demonstration on crimping.
- Place the pie in the freezer for 30 min while preheating the oven.
- Brush the pie with an egg wash and cut slits in the top to allow steam to escape.
- Bake the pie at 425° for 30 min. Turn the temperature down to 375° and bake for another 30 min.
- When there’s between 30-20 min left in the baking process use tin foil to tent the crust to prevent it from over-browning.
Servings: 8
Equipment
- 1 Pie Dish 9 inch
- Rolling Pin
- Medium Sized Pot
Ingredients
Chicken + Broth
- 2 lbs Bone-In Chicken Breast and Thighs
- 2-4 Cups Chicken broth
- 1 Onion Peeled and quartered
- 2 Carrots Peeled and cut into large pieces
- 1 Celery Stick Cut into large pieces
- 2 Garlic Cloves Peeled
- 1 Bunch of herbs Sage, Thyme, Rosemary and/or Parsley
Pot Pie
- 1 Cup Onion diced
- 1 Cup Leeks halved length wise and sliced
- 1 Cup Carrots diced
- 1/2 Cup Celery diced
- 1 Tbsp Garlic minced
- 1 1/2 tsp Thyme chopped
- 1 1/2 tsp Sage chopped
- 1/3 Cup Flour
- 1/3 Cup White Wine Sauvungion Blanc or Pino Grigio
- 2 Cups Chicken Broth
- 3/4 Cup Heavy Cream
- 2-3 tsp Better Than The Bouillon Chicken Base or granulated chicken bouillion
- 1/4 tsp Nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp Allspice
- 1/2 Cup Peas
- 3 Cups Chicken chopped into bite sized pieces
Instructions
Chicken
- In a medium pot or pan fitted with a lid add the chicken along with the vegetables, garlic and herbs. Fill with broth until covered.
- Bring to a simmer and simmer for about 1 hour or until the internal temperature in the chicken breast reaches 165° and the temperature in the thighs reach 175°.
- Remove the chicken to a bowl, remove the meat from the bone and chop into bite sized pieces.
- Strain the broth from the veggies.
Pot Pie
- Sauté carrot, leek, onion and celery in about a tablespoon of both olive oil and butter over medium to medium-high heat for about 6 minutes. Add in the garlic, thyme and sage. Cook for about 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
- Sprinkle over your flour and cook for another minute. Pour in the wine, chicken broth and heavy cream. Bring to a simmer, mix in the chicken bouillon seasoning, nutmeg and allspice and allow to thicken.
- Turn off the heat, stir in the peas and then fold in the chicken. The filling should be completely room temperature or cold before adding it to the pie dough
- Roll out the bottom pie crust and place it into the pie dish. Place it in the refrigerator while you roll out the top crust.
- Fill the pie with the room temperature or cold pot pie filling. Top the pie with the other pie dough and trim the edges so there is about a 1 inch overhang. Fold the top crust under the bottom crust.
- Place the whole pie in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes before crimping to keep the dough from getting too warm.
- Crimp the crust and place the whole pie in the freezer for 30 minutes before baking.
- Preheat the oven to 425°
- Brush the pie with an egg wash and cut a few slits in the top.
- Bake the pie at 425° for 30 minutes. Lower the temperature to 375° and bake for another 30 mins.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Candied Bacon
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Butternut Squash & Spinach Pin Wheel Lasagna
Butternut Squash & Spinach Pinwheel Lasagna
These Butternut Squash and Spinach Lasagna Roll-Ups are heavenly and one of my favorite things I have ever made. The pinwheels are packed with veggies and autumn flavors, and smothered with a dreamy cheese sauce. These are decadent and cozy. Perfect for Sunday dinner or even to serve on a holiday.
You could make everything from scratch and I have included the steps to do so. However, if you want to make these pinwheels without all of the fuss of making pasta and a butternut squash puree I have options to cut the prep time down!
If you do want to make your own pasta, the fillings and sauce homemade, I recommend breaking the steps up a little bit and making the pasta the night before as well as one or both fillings. The next day all you have to do is roll out the pasta, layer your fillings roll up and cut.
To Make the Fillings & Sauce - You'll Need
Mornay Sauce: A mornay sauce is similar to a béchamel except it has cheese in it. This version includes shallots and garlic adding extra flavor.
- Butter
- Shallot: 1 large shallot, chopped.
- Garlic: 3 cloves of garlic, chopped
- Flour: 1/4 cup of AP flour to make a roux to thicken the sauce.
- Milk: Whole milk is recommended to make it thick and creamy.
- Nutmeg: Because cream sauces need nutmeg.
- Parmigiano Reggiano: Parmesan works here too.
Spinach & Cheese Filling
- Spinach: 11 oz of fresh spinach or 7 oz frozen spinach. You will need about a cup of spinach when squeezed of excess water.
- Mozzarella Cheese: I always recommend buying the block and grating it yourself because it melts better compared to the pre grated kind.
- Ricotta Cheese: Whole or Part Skim works.
- Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese: We use it in the spinach and cheese mixture and mornay sauce. Parmesan works here too.
- Nutmeg: It adds that little back note that is just so good and comforting. Fresh grated is best but dried is fine.
Butternut Squash Filling:
- Butternut Squash Puree: Peel, cube and roast the squash until fork tender. Then puree in a food processor or blender.
- Mornay Sauce: We are going to use some of the creamy sauce that we made to mix into the butternut squash.
Make the Mornay Sauce
- Sweat the Shallots & Garlic: In a medium pot over medium heat, melt the butter and sweat the shallots for about 5 min. Add the garlic for 1 more minute.
- Warm the milk until it is steaming. You can either do this in the microwave in intervals, stirring between or in a pot on low heat.
- Flour: Sprinkle the flour over the butter and shallots and stir together. Cook for a few minutes.
- Milk & Nutmeg: Gradually add the milk a little at a time while continuing to whisk. Bring to a simmer over medium-low – medium heat and cook until it thickens. Add about 1/4 tsp of nutmeg as it is simmering.
- Cheese: Turn off the heat and stir in 1 cup of the cheese. As the sauce cools it will thicken a little bit more.
Make the Butternut Squash Filling
- Roast the Butternut Squash. Peel, remove seeds and cube the butternut squash. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in a 400 degree oven for about 25-30 minutes.
- Puree: Blend the roasted squash in a food processor or blender until smooth.
- Combine 1 cup of the Mornay and 1 cup of the butternut squash puree. Whisk to combine.
Make the Spinach and Cheese Mixture
- Blanch the spinach. In a pot of boiling water submerge the spinach for 1-2 minutes until it wilts and turns bright great.
- Ice Bath: Immediately put the blanched spinach into an ice bath to stop the cooking.
- Squeeze: Using a clean kitchen towel (that does not shed) squeeze as much of the excess liquid from the spinach.
- Blend: In a food processor combine the spinach, mozzarella, ricotta, parmigiano reggiano and nutmeg. Blend until smooth.
If you want to make homemade pasta and are looking for a recipe click the link above!
Assemble the Lasagna Roll Ups
- Preheat the oven to 400°
- Cook dried lasagna noodles: Boil the dried fresh lasagna noodles for 2 minutes. Remove using soft grip tongs to prevent them from ripping and lay them out flat. If using store bought, follow the directions on the box to cook to al dente.
- If using fresh soft pasta sheets there is no need to boil first. They will absorb liquid from the sauce.
- Layer:
- Spread one of the prepared fillings over a cooked lasagna noodle.
- Layer another cooked sheet of pasta on top.
- Spread the other prepared filling over top.
- Roll & Cut: Starting at a short end, roll it up into a log. Cut into 3-4 even pieces.
- Baking Dish: Arrange the spirals in a baking sheet cut side up.
- Cheese Sauce: Pour the cheese sauce evenly over the pin wheels.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 18-20 minutes. Optional to sprinkle more mozzarella and parmesean cheese on top halfway through baking.
Short Cuts
By using store bought, already prepared ingredients, we can turn this into an easy weeknight meal. The store-bought items you can substitute are:
- Lasagna Noodles: Save time making and rolling out pasta sheets and by store bought. Cook them as directed by the manufacturer until al dente.
- If using fresh soft pasta sheets there is no need to boil first. They will absorb liquid from the sauce.
- NOTES: You may only be able to cut them in 2 pieces once rolled into a log. I’m not sure the total amount you’ll need. Once I try that route I’ll update this section.
- If using fresh soft pasta sheets there is no need to boil first. They will absorb liquid from the sauce.
- Frozen Spinach: Save time blanching the spinach and buy frozen. You will have to unthaw it and still squeeze out all of the excess liquid. You’ll want about 1 cup of spinach once wrung out.
- Frozen Butternut Squash Puree: Save time prepping the butternut squash and roasting it and buy it completely done for you. Just unthaw and use 1 cup of the puree for the butternut squash filling.
- Alfredo Sauce: Save time making the cheese sauce and buy a pre-made bottle to use instead!
Servings: 4
Equipment
- 1 Food Processor Blender
- 1 Medium Pot
- 1 Sieve
- 2 Medium Bowls
- 1 Whisk
- 1 Liquid Measuring Cup
- 1 Kitchen Scale for measuring out flour & eggs to make pasta
Ingredients
For the Cheese Sauce
- 6 Tbsp Butter
- 1 Large Shallot finely chopped
- 3 Garlic Cloved chopped
- 1/4 Cup All-Purpose Flour
- 4 Cups Whole Milk warm
- 1 Cup Parmigiano Reggiano grated
- 1/8-1/4 tsp Nutmeg
- Salt & Pepper to taste
For the Fillings
- 1 Cup Butternut Squash Puree
- 1 Cup Cheese Sauce from above
Spinach Filling
- 1 Cup Frozen Spinach thawed and squeezed dry
- 3/4 Cup Ricotta Cheese
- 3/4 Cup Shredded Mozzarella
- 1/3 Cup Grated Parmigiano Reggiano
- Pinch Nutmeg
- Salt & Pepper to taste
Instructions
MAKE THE CHEESE SAUCE
- In a medium pot over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the shallot and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
- Sprinkle in the flour and stir to form a paste. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Slowly whisk in the warm milk, a little at a time, until smooth. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook until thickened. Stir in nutmeg, salt, and pepper.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the Parmigiana Reggiano. Set aside.
MAKE THE BUTTERNUT SQUASH FILLING
- In a medium bowl, whisk to combine 1 cup of the cheese sauce with 1 cup of the butternut squash puree.
MAKE THE SPINACH & CHEESE FILLING
- Squeeze as much of the excess liquid from the thawed spinach using a kitchen towel.
- Add to a food processor with the ricotta, mozzarella, Parmigiano Reggiano, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth.
ASSEMBLE THE PIN WHEELS & BAKE
- PREHEAT the Oven to 400°
- Prep the Noodles. - Fresh pasta: If soft, no need to boil.- Dried Noodles: Boil until just al dente.
- Lay out a lasagna sheet and spread a layer of the butternut squash filling. Top with another noodle, then spread the spinach filling.Starting from the short end, roll tightly and slice into pinwheels.
- Arrange pinwheels spiral-side up in a baking dish. Pour remaining cheese sauce over the top.Bake for 20 minutes, until bubbling and lightly golden.(Optional: top with extra mozzarella + Parm before baking)
- Optional: No-boil methodIf using dry noodles:- Cover with foil and bake for 25–30 minutes- Uncover and bake another 10–15 minutes until golden
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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Toddler Snacks & Lunch Ideas
Yogurt Drinks
Yogurt drinks have become extremely popular in our house. My kids would go through entire boxes in the blink of an eye, so I decided to start making them for them instead of buying them because it’s more cost effective and you can control the ingredients. Some of the brands, which always have the desirable characters on the packaging, have so much sugar in them I didn’t feel good about giving them to my kids. You can even buy reusable pouches that are fun for the kids, easy to clean and great for a snack on the go or lunches!
What You'll Need
INGREDIENTS
- Yogurt: Greek or Plain
- Fruit: Frozen or Fresh
- Maple Syrup
- Vanilla Extract
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Unthaw frozen fruit in the microwave if using.
- Blend 2 cups of fruit until smooth.
- Add 2 cups of yogurt, 2-3 Tbsp of maple syrup and 1 tsp of vanilla extract. Blend again until smooth.
- Store in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
I personally love to store the yogurt drink in a mason jar because they are glass. And my kids (and I) love their reusable squeezey pouch to serve the yogurt to them which also makes them great for on the go and lunch boxes! They are so handy and you can really put anything in them, that is a smooth puree consistency, such as homemade baby foods and applesauce. They are also really easy to clean and dishwasher safe!
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