Chicken Pot Pie Fancy!

This is the Chicken Pot Pie that Susan and I made for my pie party. Neither one of us had ever made a chicken pot pie before, we have probably combined eaten thousands of them and love them, but make one, never. We know what we like in a chicken pot pie : Chicken, Mushrooms, onions, peas. But you can add carrots, garlic, potatoes, anything that makes your heart sing! We made a large pie, since we were inviting 15 women to the party and I wanted to make a savory pie just in case everyone was hungry for an early supper. There were so many oohs and aaahs and there was a tiny little sliver of a pie left for hubs supper. What a hit! The great thing is you can use turkey, beef, pork, goose, venison, moose, any meat that you have on hand for this recipe. I also wanted to try something pretty and tasty, drop biscuits, so that you could see what the pie looks like inside, great idea, beautiful presentation. Also you can do any crust or use puff pastry, as individual servings, it makes quite a statement when serving!

Diced Chicken and Portabella mushrooms.

Saute onions and carrots in EVOO.

Cut shortening with flour.

Making gravy, melt butter, add flour.

Add chicken broth and heavy cream.

Of course, we used a small container of heavy cream. MM M.

Shred chicken, add carrots and onion. Place in pie dish.

Add Thyme to gravy.

Pour gravy over chicken mixture.

Place 1 cup of frozen peas in glass measuring cup, heat for 30 seconds- 1 minute until defrosted. pour over chicken and gravy.

Drop biscuits over pie mixture.

Bake pie until biscuits are golden brown and pie is bubbly.

Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients

•     6 tbs butter
•     6 tbs flour
•     2 cups chicken broth
•     1 cup heavy cream
•     4 cups diced, cooked chicken
•     2 large carrots, diced and cooked
• 1/2 cup diced Portabella Mushrooms
•     1 onion chopped
•     1 cup peas
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
•     Drop Biscuits ( Baking Powder Biscuits)
•     salt and pepper, to taste

Method

1.     Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2.     Melt butter in a large saucepan. Add flour gradually and cook for 2 minutes.
3.     Gradually add chicken broth and milk or cream. Stir until thickened, about 5 minutes.
4.     Add chicken, carrots and peas to chicken broth mixture. Combine thoroughly.
5.     Pour mixture into a deep-dish pie plate or casserole. Place drop biscuits over top of chicken mixture.
6.     Bake pie for 25-30 minutes, until top is crusty and brown.

Drop Biscuits
yield: 16 Biscuits

Ingredients

•     2 cups flour
•     ½ teaspoon salt
•     4 teaspoons baking powder
•     1 tablespoon sugar
•     ½ cup vegetable shortening
•     1 cup milk

1. Put the flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar in a bowl. 
2. Cut the shortening into the flour with two knives or a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse meal. 
3. Add the milk all at once and stir just until the dough forms a ball around the fork. 
4. Using two teaspoons, place a heaping spoonful on the chicken and vegetable mixture, use other spoon to scrape off dough. 
5. Leave a bit of space between biscuits.  

Recipe adapted from The Fannie Farmer Cookbook.

Sweet Potato Pie And My Pie Party!!

When my BFF ( best friends forever, as the kids like to say!) surprised us all with a visit all the way from LA- LA- Land!! I was jumping for joy and planning all kinds of fun and festive things for us to do while she was here! First there was Guys and Dolls show for two nights and a PIE PARTY in her honor....yes, I do not know anyone who loves pie more than my BFF and my son...but sorry buddy, this is a GDO ( girls day out) party. For this party you can bring a pie or bring a bottle of something yummy to share and then bring slices of pie home! I didn't know what any of my gal pals were bringing, but what I did know was how all of my pals are wonderful bakers, even though they won't admit it, I was so excited to see what everyone would bring! I made Sweet Potato Pie.  My favorite chef and writer is Ruth Reichl- Chief Editor for Gourmet mag and more. Having read all of her books ---thank you BFF for giving them to me! Having read the first book Comfort Me With Apples, I remember she made her ex a Sweet Potato Pie- I have never made one and thought it would be fun and tasty! Well I made two because my son ate 4 pieces and didn't leave one for hubs---it is my new fave!

Bake sweet potatoes.

When potatoes have cooled a bit, Remove skins and mash.

Melt butter add sugar.

Add sugar mixture to mashed sweet potatoes.

Add eggs.

Whisk well.

Add milk.

Add vanilla. Look at those gorgeous hands, manicured from LA LA land.

Vanilla

Add cinnamon.

Add  flour. Mix well.

Pour pumpkin mixture into a prepared pie crust.

Smooth batter in baking dish.

Bake pie.

Pies are starting to arrive!!

This has been one of my favorite days this year! I am always so stuffed to enjoy dessert after Thanksgiving and now I can have my pie and eat it too!! Have a pie party, your friends will love it!! Sweet Potato Pie


    2 large sweet potatoes, boiled and mashed
    3/4 cups sugar
    3 eggs, beaten
    1/2 stick butter, melted
    3/4 cup milk
    1 teaspoon vanilla
    1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
    1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
    1 tablespoon flour
    chopped nuts, (optional)
    1 tablespoon rum (optional)
    Pastry for a 1-crust pie

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Roll out the dough and fit into a 9 inch pie pan; crimp the edges. Put into the freezer for 15 minutes.

Remove pie shell from freezer, prick the bottom and sides all over with a fork, line with aluminum foil and fill with pie weights or beans. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove foil and weights and bake 10  minutes more. Remove from oven and turn heat up to 400 degrees.

In a bowl beat the sugar into the mashed sweet potatoes. Beat in the eggs, then the butter. Add remaining ingredients and pour into the pie shell (it will be quite liquid).

Bake about 3/4 hour.

The Gourmet Cookbook This post has been shared at these wonderful blogs:

Cloudy Day Blueberry and Apple Pie

It feels like it has been raining for days and when it rains, I bake. It feels like the right thing to do. The creative juices start flowing and the sweets appear. I have been watching the clouds noticing what the shapes look like, a dragon, a cat, a ship, a pie....

Wild Maine Blueberries are tender, small and sweet. Blueberries are one of the most healthiest of foods, full of antioxidants. The leaves and the stems have even more antioxidants, so no need to pull them out. I have been storing away blueberries since August knowing that the season will end.

Use fresh or frozen blueberries for your pie. If you are using frozen, it is not necessary to defrost them completely.

Use 2 cups of blueberries.

2 cups of your favorite tart apples. I like Cortland and McIntosh.

Basic Pastry dough for a 9 inch two - crust pie. Four ingredients, flour, salt, shortening and water.

Cut the shortening in the flour with two knives.

Add flour and sugar to apples and blueberries. Gently toss.

Pile in the blueberry and apple mixture into a lined pie pan.

Dot with butter. Large dots for me!

Cloudy Day pie deserves clouds on top. Beat an egg and brush the top, and bottom of the clouds so that they stay on the pie, brush the egg on to the whole pie.

Bake until pie is bubbling and crust is golden brown, about 60-70 minutes. Cover with foil if pie starts to get too brown.

These clouds look like bunnies or cats or clouds. They taste flaky and yummy.

A slice of Cloudy Day Blueberry and Apple Pie. A slice of life!

This recipe was featured at Joy of Desserts! www.joyofdesserts.blogspot.com

Ingredients:

• Basic pastry dough for 9 inch 2 crust Pie
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup shortening
• 6-7 tablespoons water

Method

1. Mix flour and salt. 
2. Cut in shortening with a a pastry blender or two knives. 
3. Combine lightly only until the mixture resembles very tiny peas. 
4. Sprinkle water over the flour mixture one tablespoon at a time. 
5. Mix lightly with a fork, using only enough water so that the pastry will hold together when pressed gently into a ball. 
6. Roll out on a floured board and floured rolling pin. Makes two crusts.
   

Cloudy Day Blueberry Apple Pie:

2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
3 Tablespoons flour
1 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon butter

Method
Preheat Oven to 425 degrees. Line the pie pan with half the pastry dough. Wash and pick over blueberries if you are using fresh ones; if you are using frozen berries, it is not necessary to defrost them completely. Mix the flour, sugar, salt in a large bowl. Add the blueberries, sliced apples and lemon juice and toss well. Pile the mixture into the lined pie pan and dot with the butter. Roll out the top crust and drape it over the pie. Crimp the edges and cut several vents in the top.  Using a cookie cutter make shapes for the top of pie. Beat an egg and brush over top crust, brush bottom and top of shapes. Place on top of cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, then lower heat to 350 degrees and bake for 40-50 minutes or until top is browned. Cover with a sheet of foil if crust gets too brown. Pie will be bubbly and brown when done. Let cool before slicing. Serves 8-10. Recipe adapted from The Fannie Farmer Cookbook.

I'm sharing this post at these fabulous blogs!:

Monday: Mingle Monday (Add a Pinch), Joy of Desserts. Tuesday: 2 Maids a Baking (2 Maids a Milking), Tea Party Tuesdays (Sweetology), Mushki Loves My Stuff (Mushki Loves), Totally Tasty Tuesdays (Mandy's Recipe Box). Wednesday: Cast Party Wednesday, Made It On Monday (Lark's Country Heart), This Chick Cooks.  Thursday: Sweet Treats Thursday (Something Swanky), Chic-and-Crafty (Frugal Girls), Turning the Table Thursdays (Around My Family Table), Tasty Thursday (The How-To Mommy). Friday: Sweet Tooth Friday (Alli-n-son), I'm Lovin' it Fridays (TidyMom), Friday Favorites (Simply Sweet Home). Saturday: Sweets for a Saturday (Sweet as Sugar Cookies), Seasonal Inspiration (Crumbs and Chaos). Sundays (Everyday Sisters) A Well Seasoned Life

  

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