Just Chicken Pie

 

So, I’m about to share my Chicken Pie with you.  Not Chicken Pot Pie.  Just chicken pie.  Any carrots?  Nope.  Any celery?  Nope.  Any vegetables at all?  No, it not like that.  It’s a simple Chicken Pie without all the veggies.  Just chicken.  Loads of chicken and a thick, rich, creamy sauce you may want to drink from a straw!  And a pie crust so buttery that it melts in your mouth.  A double layer of pie crust. OMG this is so good. 

 

Just Chicken Pie

1 rotisserie chicken

1 package (2) refrigerated pie dough

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoons pepper

1 cup chicken broth or stock

1 cup half and half or whole milk

1 beaten egg

 

You will want to use mostly chicken breast for this recipe, although you can throw in some dark meat if you want.  No need to worry about the chicken being dry, this is the moistest chicken you’ll ever eat.

 

 

 

 

 

Melt the butter in a large skillet and sprinkle in the flour. Stir and allow to cook for at least 3 minutes while stirring. Keep the heat at medium high and continue to stir so the mixture doesn’t get too brown.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add in the chicken stock and begin to whisk to incorporate the butter and flour mixture.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add in the whole milk or half and half and continue to whisk until everything is completely combined.  Add salt and pepper and turn heat to low simmer just to keep warm.  I like a lot of pepper but you can add to taste. Stir occasionally as you prepare the rest of the dish.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tear the chicken breast into pieces and add to the sauce.  I like bigger size pieces instead of bite sized and I prefer not to shred the chicken or it gets stringy.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stir the chicken in the sauce until well coated. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spray the bottom of your baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. You can use a pie pan or a 9 x 9 baking dish. Pour half the chicken mixture into the baking dish.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unroll one of the pie crusts and lay flat.  Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut dough into strips. You can make them as wide or narrow as you want. This will be an internal crust so no need to be perfect.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lay the strips across the pie filling and dot the dough with butter.  Bake in a 400-degree oven for about 25 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove from oven.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next, pour the remaining chicken mixture over the baked pie strips and smooth out so that is fairly flat on top.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Take the other pie crust and cut it into strips as you did before.  You will need all the pie crust as you are going to do a lattice top.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lay the strips across the pie filling allowing it to hang over the edge.  Once the first strips are laid down, fold back every other strip.  Now lay the remaining pie strips down pulling the strips back on top of the filling.  You will get a basket design.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trim or tuck the edges all around the pie pan and pinch so that they stay in place.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brush the entire pie with beaten egg and place on a baking sheet to catch any spills while baking.  Bake at 400 degrees for another 30 minutes or until pie crust is crisp and golden brown.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes so that it will set and be easy to slice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NOTES

Use white or dark meat for this recipe, but most prefer the white meat.  

To reheat, just place foil wrapped pie in the oven at 350 for 30-45 minutes until heated through.

This pie could just as easily be a Turkey Pie if that is what you have left over after Thanksgiving

The egg wash gives the top of the chicken pie crust that beautiful golden shiny look. It’s not completely essential to the recipe, but it sure will make your pie look irresistible!  You could also brush with melted butter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's important to allow this pie to cool for at least 10-15 minutes after you remove it from the oven, so everything has a chance to set nicely. 

 

Photography is the property of and copyrighted to Welcome Home.

Garlic Parmesan Puffy Rolls

 

I love these rolls and when I saw how easy they were to make, I started making them often.  Big delightful puffy rolls with lots of butter and Parmesan cheese and garlic.  Oh this is a keeper my friends.  But I warn you....they are addicting!

Garlic Parmesan Puffy Rolls

1 bag frozen Rhodes brand dinner rolls 
1/2 cup mayonnaise 
3 Tbls. butter, melted
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated 
sprinkling of garlic powder
sprinkling of dried parsley

Place mayo, cheese, and butter in separate bowls. Generously grease your muffin tins.

Dip the top half of your frozen dough into the mayo.  Just the top part. This gets a little messy but they are so worth it! 

Next dip the frozen mayo topped dough into the melted butter. Again just the top.

Now dip the top of  frozen dough into the freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Place the dough ball cheese-side-up in muffin tin.

Then sprinkle the tops of each dough ball with garlic powder and dried parsley. Then place the dough some place warm so the dough will rise.  I put mine on top of my stove under the overhead warming light.

Let the dough rise according to Rhodes directions. Depending on how warm they get, they can take about 3-5 hours.   
Once your rolls have risen well over the tops of your muffin tins, you are ready to bake them in a 350 degree oven for about 8-10 minutes.

Photographs are the property of and copyrighted to ©Welcome Home.

Toasted Almond Cake

 

This is one of the most delicious cakes you’ll ever eat!  My Mom made it often and I can tell  you now that it is one of those cakes you won’t ever forget. and I always loved it. The cake is so moist and tender and each layer is filled with a rich and creamy custard with just a hint of that wonderful almond flavor.  Then the whole cake is frosted with a fluffy buttercream frosting and topped with crunchy toasted candied almonds.  What can I say?  Oh my goodness this cake is out of this world good!

Toasted Almond Cake

Cake

1 box white cake mix for two 9 inch cakes, 

plus ingredients to make it

Line two 9 inch cake rounds with parchment paper and spray with non-stick spray.  Bake cake as directed and set aside to cool for at least 15 minutes.  Then invert on cooling rack and allow to completely cool for at least an hour.

Toasted Candied Almonds

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened

2 cups sliced almonds

3 tablespoons sugar

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a 12 inch non-stick skillet over medium heat.  Add almonds and cook until light brown for about five minutes, stirring frequently.  Add the sugar and continue to cook until sugar has caramelized and almonds are a deep golden brown, about 3 minutes longer. Transfer to the baking sheet and spread in an even layer.  Allow to cool completely.

Frosting

1 cup pastry cream, room temperature (see recipe below)

1 cup (2 sticks of butter, softened)

Add 1 cup of pastry cream to a small bowl and set aside to allow it to come to room temperature. 

Using a stand mixer beat softened butter on medium speed until smooth and light, about 3 minutes. Add room temperature pastry cream in three additions, beating for about 30 seconds after each one. Add amaretto and continue to beat until light and fluffy, about five more minutes.  Set aside.

Filling

½ cup of heavy cream, whipped into soft peaks

2 tablespoons Amaretto (or use ¼ teaspoon almond extract)

2 remaining cups pastry cream (see recipe below)

Whip your heavy cream until you get soft peaks. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the whipped cream and almond extract into the remaining two cups of pastry cream.  Set aside.

Pastry Cream

2 cups half-and-half

¹⁄₂ cup sugar

1 pinch salt

5 large egg yolks

3 tablespoons cornstarch

4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces

1 ¹⁄₂ teaspoons vanilla extract

Heat half-and-half, 6 tablespoons  sugar, and the salt in medium heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat until simmering, stirring occasionally to dissolve sugar.  Whisk yolks in medium bowl until thoroughly combined. Add remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and whisk until sugar begins to dissolve and mixture is creamy. Whisk in cornstarch until combined and mixture is pale yellow and nice and thick.  

When half-and-half mixture reaches full simmer, gradually whisk half-and-half mixture into yolk mixture to temper. Return mixture to pan, scraping bowl with rubber spatula.  Return to simmer over medium heat, whisking constantly, until a few bubbles burst on the surface and the mixture is thickened and glossy. This takes about a minute.

Remove from heat and whisk in butter and vanilla extract. Strain the pastry cream through a fine-mesh sieve set over medium bowl. This will remove any curdled bits that might have formed during the cooking process.  Press plastic wrap directly on surface of pastry cream to prevent skim and refrigerate for one hour. Then remove and allow to sit at room temperature before adding to cake.

Assembly

Cut each cake round in half horizontally.  Spread each bottom half with 1 cup of filling and replace the top.  Place one filled cake on cake plate and top with remaining 1 cup of filling and place second cake on top.  Spread frosting in even layer over top and sides of cake.  Gently press the candied almonds into frosting all over the cake.

Photography is the property of and copyrighted to ©Welcome Home.