Chicken Pot Pie

My love affair with chicken pot pie began decades ago when my childhood riding coach would take me out to dinner at KFC at the end of a freezing cold day at the barn or we would stop there on the way home from a numbingly cold indoor horse show. Flaky crust, creamy potatoes, it would warm my bones.

I haven't had one from KFC in a really long time and I am not sure it would be as good as my memory is telling me it was. I don't want to spoil it so now I make my own. I have been evolving this recipe over the years and tonight I added a bit of dijon mustard and it was a game changer. The dijon added the tang to balance out the richness and it's just perfect.

What you need:

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper

1/2 of a rotisserie chicken, chopped and deboned

1 large russet potato

1 small yellow onion

1 large carrot

1 stalk of celery

1/4 tsp each dried rosemary, parsley, thyme

3 tbsp flour

1/4 cup wine

1 cup chicken broth

1 cup milk or 1/2 and 1/2

2 tsp dijon

1 cup frozen peas

puff pastry or pie crust

First look at the package of crust if using a store bought one, bring it out to thaw if need be. (For this recipe I used Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry which needs to thaw for 30 minutes, if I'm being honest I much prefer Dufour but this is what I could find). Preheat the oven to the temperature for the crust. 400 is a safe bet.

Next prep your chicken and chop your vegetables. Chop the potato into small pieces and place in a pot with the chicken broth. Parboil the potatoes in the broth so they will finish cooking later in the pie. Meanwhile, add onion, carrot, and celery to a separate pan with olive oil, butter, salt, and pepper. Cook stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes. Add in the dried herbs and another pinch of salt and pepper and cook for another two minutes. Add 3 tbsp flour and stir to coat all the vegetables and soak up the butter and olive oil. Stir frequently for about 5 minutes. It's important to cook off the raw flour. Allowing it to brown will deepen the flavors.

Next pour in the chicken broth, potatoes, and wine and stir quickly into a smooth sauce. Allow to simmer and cook off the alcohol. Turn the heat down to low and stir in the milk and dijon, you don’t want it boiling or the milk could curdle. Wait a minute if you need to. Then you can gently increase the heat after the milk has been added and allow the sauce to bubble gently for a few minutes. The sauce should thicken up nicely. Now stir in the chicken and peas. Transfer the mixture to a casserole or pie dish and cover with the puff pastry or crust. Bake at 400 for about 20 minutes until the crust is nicely browned and cooked through. Enjoy!

Mushroom and Havarti Turkey Burgers

I love cheeseburgers for a busy weeknight dinner. They are quick to make and its a guarantee everyone in the family will eat them. In an effort to eat less red meat I’ve started rotating turkey burgers into the meal plan. Soy sauce gives these a savory rich flavor that makes them just as enjoyable as a beef cheeseburger. I mix up a quick Dijonaise to spread on the bun. You won’t even need ketchup.

What you need:

1 lb dark ground turkey

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp onion powder

2 tbsp soy sauce

8 oz chopped portobello or button mushrooms

1 small yellow onion

3 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp butter

Salt and pepper

1 tbsp soy sauce

Toppings: sliced havarti cheese, pickles, dijonaise (mix equal parts mayo and Dijon mustard), lettuce

Combine the turkey, garlic powder, onion powder, and 2 tbsp soy sauce and mix well. Using wet hands (the meat sticks to dry hands) form 4 equal sized patties. Spread out the patties so that are just shy of one inch in thickness. Set aside.

In a large skillet over medium heat, add the mushrooms, onions, butter, and olive oil. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook stirring occasionally to brown evenly for around 10 minutes. Now add a separate skillet to the stove top and place on medium heat. Once its hot, add the burgers so they can cook while you finish the mushrooms and onions. Cook the burgers for 5 minutes and then flip them. Once flipped add a small splash of water to the pan to create some steam (2-3 tbsp water) and place a lid on top. Cook for another 5 minutes. Be sure to keep stirring the mushrooms and onions occasionally. The burgers should be just about fully cooked at this point. Turn off the heat and add cheese. Cover with the lid to melt the cheese. Now add one tbsp soy sauce to the mushrooms and onions and stir coating them evenly. Check to see if they need any additional salt and pepper.

At this point the cheese should be well melted and you can serve the burgers. I like to do a little dijonaise on the top and bottom bun, followed by some dill pickles and crunchy lettuce. Enjoy!

Heirloom Tomato and Chorizo Paella

It’s officially fall but we still have local tomatoes in the grocery store and they are gorgeous. They definitely won’t be around much longer and since everyone else in the world has moved on to pumpkin spice lattes and has slammed the door on summer, they are on sale! Get ‘em while the gettins’ good.

Tomatoes are often chopped and incorporated with the rice in a paella recipe but these are so pretty arranged on top, and their juices drip down to permeate the rice while the dish finishes. Just don’t let your spouse pick all of the yummy tomatoes off of the top before everyone gets some! It’s a real show stopper but is easy enough to make for a weeknight family meal. The warm spices from the chorizo make this a nice meal for the transition into chillier nights. It’s great. I think I’ll make it again asap.

What you need:

1 lb of fresh Spanish chorizo (about 4 links…remove the casing if they are linked)

3 tbsp of olive oil

1 small yellow onion

1 red bell pepper

4 garlic cloves

About 2 tsp salt

1 tsp smoked paprika

2 tsp dried parsley

Small pinch of saffron (6-8 threads)

2 cups of bomba rice or paella rice

4 cups of chicken broth

2-3 large heirloom tomatoes, sliced

First preheat the oven to 425°. Prepare your ingredients by chopping the pepper and onion and slicing the garlic into thin slices. If you bought sausage links vs bulk sausage, the easiest way to remove the casing is by slicing the casing vertically and popping the meat out.

Now place a large oven safe skillet over medium heat on the stove top and add about 3 tbsp of olive oil. Add the onion, pepper, chorizo, and about a tsp of salt. Cook for around 10 minutes stirring occasionally and breaking up the meat. Add the smoked paprika and garlic and stir to combine. Add another pinch of salt. When the chorizo is fully cooked and the garlic smells fragrant add the rice (should just take a few minutes). Stir to get the rice coated with the oil and spices. After about 2 minutes add the parsley and chicken broth. Increase the heat and bring to a boil. Lower the heat slightly to bring it back down to a simmer. Add the saffron and stir once to ensure everything is mixed evenly. Simmer for around 10 minutes. Slice the tomatoes while the dish is simmering. At this point at least half of the broth should be absorbed. Turn off the heat and arrange the tomatoes on the top of the rice mixture. Sprinkle some salt on top of all the tomatoes and place it in the oven for about 15 more minutes. This will allow the tomatoes to bake nicely on top while also finishing the rice and hopefully getting a nice crust on the bottom of the dish. When all of the broth has been absorbed and the tomatoes are gently browned you can remove the dish. Allow it to cool for a few minutes before enjoying.