Homemade Chicken Pot-Pie & Nostalgia

Preface. Comfort and warmth: the 2 things I desperately seek for on a dark, dreary, winter day and 2 words  perfect to describe one of my favorite meals to have during times like this and that's the one and only, Chicken Pot Pie! I personally have grown up eating Marie Collander's Frozen Chicken Pot Pies, which are DELICIOUS! I've tasted homemade ones in the past and they're always good, but Marie Collander has set the bar pretty high! And yeah it could very well be a sentimental thing because we all know NOTHING beats a home cooked meal from scratch...right?? The only way I can describe it is....metaphorically lol. Each spoonful of Marie's frozen version is an anecdote; a feast not only to satiate the hunger, but a journey through memory lane and into complete nostalgic bliss. Don't judge me :D

We all do this--attach our memories, like post-it notes to certain things...everyday things: a story, a situation, a song, a day of the week, an hour in a day, a season, even a dish. And every time we touch, feel, hear, see, or in my case, taste that one thing, we remember. It's as simple as that.

 
I will never be able or even attempt to duplicate my favorite FROZEN chicken pot-pie, BUT I can certainly try and make my own version of it! :)

Chicken Pot Pie EZ

Ingredients

• 1 lb chicken chopped
• 1 large or 2 medium onion chopped
• 3 cups carrots chopped
• 1 cup cilantro chopped
• 3 cups eggplant chopped
• 3 cups mushrooms
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 3 tablespoons butter
• pinch of salt to taste
• pinch of pepper to taste
• 2 cans crescent rolls chilled
• 6 cups (more or less) chicken stock

Cooking Directions

1. Make the Filling: In a large pot, very lightly coat pan with oil over high heat.
2. Add and saute chicken until no longer pink. Take out and set aside on a separate plate/container.
3. In the same pot, saute together onions and carrots until tender. Add mushrooms and eggplant. Continue cooking (add more oil if it gets too dry). Add cilantro last.
4. Make a Rue: Add flour and continue stirring until flour is no longer powdery. Add chicken stock slowly and continuously stir. Mixture will start to thicken.
5. Lower heat to a medium-high and cover pot. Allow chicken to fully cook and until desired thickness.
6. Create Pot-Pie: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
7. Take crescent rolls out of can. Take dough and line bottoms of 6 inch ramekins forming a thin crust. Bake for instructional time given (about 12 minutes) or until browned.
8. Layer filling on top of crust. Then take remaining dough and blanket on top. Bake again for 12 minutes (or a little longer for crispier crust) until browned.

Get Your Feast On!

 More photos after the jump!

Pot Pie Assemble!

Get Your Feast On!