Perfect Chicken Pot Pie – Foolproof and Packed with Flavor Every Time!

• 4.50 lbs chicken pieces (combination of breast and legs and thighs; you can forgo the breast meat, but bone-in chicken legs/thighs are essential for flavour)
• 6 cups chicken stock, or more as needed (see note)
• 1 bay leaf
• ½ onion, roughly chopped
• 1 carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 celery stalk, roughly chopped
• shredded chicken meat made, made in step 1
• 4 cups flavoured stock, made in step 1
• ¼ cup cream or half and half
• 1 sheet puff pastry
• ¼ cup oil or butter
• 1 cup carrots, peeled and diced
• 1 cup celery, chopped
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• ½ cup flour
• kosher salt, to taste
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves, optional
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 egg beated with 1 tsp water for egg wash
• 1 medium potato, chopped into 1/2 inch cubes, boiled until just tender and drained

Instructions

1. 1

   Combine all of the stock ingredients in a large stock pot. The liquid should just barely cover the chicken; add a bit more stock if needed. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Simmer for 30–45 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Strain the stock into a heat-resistant container. Cool the chicken and shred it once it's cool enough to touch. Use the stock and chicken right away or store them in the fridge separately if you are planning to make your chicken pot pie at a later time. Discard the bones, bay leaf, and cooked vegetables (or snack on the boiled carrots and celery like I do!).

2. 2

   To make the chicken pot pie, heat oil or butter over medium heat. Add the celery, carrots, and onions and cook for about 10 minutes or so until they are starting to become tender and softened; do not brown them. Sprinkle the flour over the veggies—you are now making a roux. Cook the veggies and flour for 3–4 minutes, stirring constantly, to cook off the raw flour taste; it's okay to have the flour turn slightly gold, but do not let it burn or brown too much. Adjust the heat to medium-low if needed. It's important to cook the flour for at least 3 minutes, which will prevent your pot pie from having that pasty raw flour taste. Slowly add about a third of your prepared stock while stirring aggressively into a thick sauce and working out any lumps. Slowly add the remainder of the stock while stirring. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for about 3 minutes to thicken slightly. Taste and season with salt and pepper. If desired, you can always thin out the sauce with more stock.

3. 3

   Stir in the half and half or cream. Fold in the peas, shredded chicken, cooked potatoes, and fresh thyme leaves, if using. Taste again and adjust the seasoning with more salt or pepper if needed. Transfer the mixture into a 9x13 inch (23x33 cm) casserole dish. At this point, you can cool the mixture, cover it, and transfer it to the fridge. This way you can cook it later or even the next day.

4. 4

   Whisk the egg with a teaspoon (5 ml) of water. Brush the edges of the casserole pan. Roll the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface and lay it on top of your chicken casserole. Pinch the pastry to adhere to the sides of the pan. Refrigerate the casserole for 10–15 minutes while your oven is preheating (chilling improves the structure of the puff pastry). Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).

5. 5

   Brush the entire surface of the chilled puff pastry with the egg wash and place it into the preheated oven. Bake for 45–60 minutes until the filling is bubbling out and the puff pastry is a beautiful gold colour. (If you chilled the casserole in step 3, you will need the whole 60 minutes; if the mixture was warm, it will be ready in closer to 45 minutes.) Be sure to let the baked casserole cool for at least 15 minutes as the filling will be very hot. Enjoy!