Sunday, May 10, 2020

Crockpot Chicken Pot Pie

It appears that spring is not quite ready to make an appearance, so this comforting meal is perfect for these cooler days. I recently found this recipe and only wish I had found it sooner. If you are a fan of chicken pot pie, then this is the dish for you. This filling can quickly be put together and placed in the crockpot in the morning, and dinner should be ready by the end of the day. This recipe calls for canned biscuits, but I thought it would be really nice to try baking up some packaged puff pastry, cut into squares, and there you have your top crust. This was made where I work, and everyone loved it. The first time I made this, the gravy was somewhat thin, so I thickened the gravy with a slurry of flour and half milk/half water, which gave the gravy an extra richness. The second time I made this, it was not necessary to do so. You may also add some heavy whipping cream for a creamier gravy. See recipe below for directions.

The original recipe can be found at https://pipandebby.com/pip-ebby/the-best-slow-cooker-chicken-pot-pie/ I made a few changes, which I'll spell out in the recipe below.






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4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
yellow or sweet onion (Vidalia onion), chopped (The original recipe calls for a whole onion, but I only had half an onion, plus, I normally cut back on the amount of onion called for in most recipes.)
1 1/2 cups chopped carrots
1 1/2 cups sliced celery
1/4 cup flat leaf parsley (I used 1 tbsp dried parsley)
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp salt (I used 1/2 tsp)
1 tsp black pepper (I found this to be too peppery, and I love pepper, so I cut down to 1/2 tsp the 2nd time I made this.)
8 ounces low sodium chicken broth
2 (10.5-ounce) cans cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 cups frozen peas (Canned peas can be used if that is all you have on hand.)
1 1/2 cups frozen corn (I did not add the corn.)
16.3 ounce can of refrigerated biscuits (As noted in the notes above, you can bake up some puffed pastry, but the biscuits are good, too.)

OPTIONAL:
For a creamy version, you may add 1/2 to 1 cup of heavy whipping cream


1.  Place the cut chicken breasts and sprinkle with the parsley, paprika, oregano, salt and pepper in the liner of the crockpot. in the liner of a crockpot. Add onion, carrots, and celery. In a large bowl or saucepan, combine the chicken broth and cream of chicken soup and pour over the chicken. Give it a stir and cover. Set crockpot to LOW and cook for 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high.

2.  Thirty minutes before the end of cooking time, add the peas and corn, mix well. If you want to make a creamy version of this, this is the time to add it. Cook, covered, for another 30 minutes. (I have not added the whipping cream when I've made this.)

3.  Bake the biscuits or puffed pastry and serve over the pot pie filling.
























Pizza Sliders

I made these tasty and easy sandwiches for work. Everyone loved them. You can easily make whatever sort of adjustments to the recipe that you'd like. I added some chopped ham over the pepperoni that needed to be used up. You can add or substitute browned Italian sausage, and drained pineapple bits, for a Hawaiian flair, or for more variety, add chopped onion, green pepper and sliced mushrooms.Though not necessary to line the pan with foil, if you do, just be sure to either use Easy Release foil, or spray it with cooking spray, because the sandwiches will stick.  I found the original recipe here at Rachel Cooks.






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1 package (12-count) King's Hawaiian buns
1/2 cup (or more) pizza sauce
1 1/2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese
sliced pepperoni

1/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp parsley flakes
1/2 tsp dried oregano leaves, or Italian seasoning
1/2 cup grated or shredded Parmesan cheese

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.  Spray a glass (11 x 8 inch)n pan with cooking spray. Cut entire sheet of rolls in half widthwise, separating the tops from the bottoms, being careful to keep the rolls connected. Place the bottom half of the rolls in the baking dish.

3.  Spread the pizza sauce over the rolls and layer on the pepperoni over the sauce. Sprinkle on the Mozzarella cheese and place the top half of the rolls over the pepperoni.

4.  In a small bowl, combine the melted butter, garlic powder, parsley flakes, dried oregano leaves, and Parmesan cheese and mix well. Pour evenly over the sandwiches. Spray a piece of foil with cooking spray to prevent sticking and cover the dish.

5.  Bake the sandwiches covered, at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

6. Uncover and bake for another 5-10 minutes until the Parmesan cheese is melted and lightly browned.

7.  Cut and separate the sandwiches and serve.