Everyone prefers his or her chicken pot pie prepared differently. Some like puff pastries while others favor traditional pie crust. I am part of the latter community.
Not only that, I also add some non-traditional veggies to my pies. Those include broccoli, cauliflower, and corn. I also add potatoes, peas, carrots, and celery, some of the more usual or somewhat common ingredients.
My favorite recipe comes from the website below:
allrecipes(dot)com
Their specific pie is called “Chicken Pot Pie IX”
If you go to the site, you will find the ingredients and directions. However, here, I will discuss why I make my chicken pot pie with pie crust, unique vegetables, and some lessons that I have learned.
Why pie crust and not puff pastry?
Puff pastry is fluffy and not very sweet. I don’t normally mind that, but something about the pie crust makes chicken pot pie taste better.
Perhaps, the buttery flavor plays a part since pie crust calls for butter, and it has to be cold. I likely also favor a crispy exterior and a slightly sweeter taste.
Why non-conventional veggies?
I like to experiment when it comes to cooking. Also, I enjoy adding a variety of different vegetables or fruits.
That is why I feel that something is missing when I just do the chicken, carrots, peas, and celery. While the recipe does not include corn, potatoes, broccoli, or cauliflower, I still put them in. Hey – it doesn’t hurt.
Well… my family doesn’t really care for cauliflower or broccoli in my chicken pot pie. While I love it, unfortunately, I have to leave the cauliflower and broccoli out if I prepare the pie for my family.
Oh, well, maybe they will change later. *fingers crossed*
Lessons learned
1: Watch how much you put into the pie
Otherwise, you could end up with overflow, and that leads to a mess. Who loves cleaning up messes, especially in an oven? Not me.
2: If you make the pie crust from scratch, use COLD butter
This applies to any pie, not just chicken pot pie. It helps add flakiness and prevents hard cracker-like textures.
Unlike the overflowing, I never made an error with using warm or soft butter rather than cold. And I am sure glad about that.
Conclusion
Regardless of my preferences, chicken pot pie comes in all shapes, sizes, preparations, and variations. What I love, you might avoid.