Chicken-Vegetable Pie with Puff Pastry Crust

Serves 4 to 6

This chicken pot pie recipe is a great way to use leftover chicken. It is easy, relatively quick, and delicious. It is also very versatile. You can use leftover turkey or leftover vegetables. If you are really in a pinch for time, omit the potatoes, add another cup of mixed vegetables and substitute frozen onions for the fresh. Puff pastry is extra buttery and flaky, but regular pie dough can be used. This is a one pot dish, requiring only a green salad on the side for a complete meal.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 medium potato, diced (about 1 cup)
• 8 ounces frozen mixed vegetables
• 8 ounces frozen corn kernels
• 1 cup leftover chicken gravy (see notes below)
• 1 cup homemade or canned low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 1 teaspoon dried marjoram leaves
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cups cooked diced chicken
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon butter, preferably unsalted, softened
• 2 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and sliced (optional)
• 1 frozen puff pastry sheet (about 9 ounces), thawed (see notes below)
• 1 beaten egg

Heat a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, then the onions. Sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the potatoes and sauté another 5 minutes. Add the frozen vegetables, gravy, broth, salt, pepper, thyme and marjoram. Reduce to medium-low. Cover and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Add the chicken. Knead the flour with the butter until well combined. Bring the chicken and vegetables back to a boil. Whisk in the butter and flour mixture until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and let cool.

Preheat oven to 400° F. Place the cooled chicken mixture into a lightly greased 8x8-inch baking dish. Top with the egg slices. Roll out the pastry sheet as needed to fit the pan. Place over the filling, sealing around the edges of the pan. Make several slits in crust for air to escape. Brush all over with the beaten egg. Bake for 40 minutes, or until bubbly and the crust is deep golden brown. Remove from oven and let set about 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

Notes: If you do not have leftover gravy, you can use store-bought, but I think they are too salty and do not have much flavor. Instead, I would add another cup of broth and double the amounts of the flour and butter to thicken. The hard-cooked eggs are not necessary, but add another dimension of texture and flavor. Most puff pastry in grocery stores comes in 17-ounce packages or boxes containing two sheets. You only need one of the sheets for this recipe. The other can be kept frozen for another use. I have made this with a bottom crust, using the other pastry sheet to line the pan. Roll it out just enough to come over the rim of the ungreased pan. If you do not have leftovers, use a store-bought rotisserie chicken or, if you have the time, roast some bone-in chicken pieces.