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Best Chicken Pot Pie recipe on the planet!
***This Chicken Pot Pie recipe is insanely delicious! AND I have the full recipe for you at the end of this post!***
Are chicken pot pies healthy? No they are NOT if you are buying them frozen in a store!
If you make your own chicken pot pie recipe and you use good quality ingredients and don’t eat the entire pie in one sitting, then YES they pass the Eat Smart Age Smart test!
I haven’t eaten a store bought chicken pot pie in so many years I’ve lost track.
When I was 17-18, I worked for a doctor and my job was to retype nutritional food value of foods on his MAC computer. I remember typing mindlessly until I hit the salt content in a typical frozen chicken pot pie and I remember being so shocked that when I got home that night after work, I declared that I would NEVER eat chicken pot pie that came from the frozen section of a supermarket ever again … and I haven’t.
Along the years, I’ve prepared chicken pot pie a few times, but since it’s a fairly labour intensive dish, I’ve kept is as something I prepare during the holidays. I have a few key dishes like meat balls, stuffed savoury crepes, pommes de terre au gratin et champignons by Daniel Boulud (potato gratin forrestier) and more labour intensive dishes that I keep solely for the Holiday season.
When Angela contacted me to become one of her food testers for her fantastic Podcast show called Kick Back and Kook where internationally renowned chef chat for one hour with Angela and a food tester, I was thrilled.
My first recipe testing was not scheduled before December 28th (you’ll want to mark your calendar), but one of her testers caught the flu and Angela asked me to step in to test and review Chef Alex Hitz’s of The Berverly Hills Kitchen Chicken Pot Pie recipe.
Last week was a busy week for me so when I looked at the recipe, I knew I’d have to cut corners for time’s sake and I knew the crust would have to be store bought (I bought a frozen puff pastry made with butter).
On Saturday morning, I woke up excited at the idea that by dinner time I would have discovered a whole new recipe!
After doing my grocery shopping and buying all of my ingredients, I went into my small kitchen to conquer Chef Hitz’s Chicken Pot Pie recipe!
On Sunday, I was nervous for most of the afternoon knowing that we were going to record the podcast show and I’d be debating over Chef Hitz’s recipe.
The Kick Back Kook podcast show lasts for one hour and you’ll see that it’s a fun fast pace hour where food lovers talk about … well … food!
>>>> You can listen to the podcast where and you’ll find out if I liked Chef Hitz’s Chicken Pot Pie recipe or not! Click here: Best Chicken Pot Pie recipe on the planet!
Mr. Hitz attended Le Cordon Bleu Paris and Peter Kumps Cooking School, currently known as the Institute of Culinary Education (ICE). Future entrees in The Beverly Hills Kitchen line will be introduced in fourth quarter 2009 to include lobster Thermidor, low country shrimp and grits, sirloin and potato gratin, and New Orleans style bread pudding.
Photo: The photo features Billy Norwich, designer Carolina Herrera and Chef Alex Hitz.
More about Chef Alex Hitz of The Berverly Hills Kitchen
>>> During the podcast you’ll hear Chef Hitz eludes to the fact that he has a Southern recipe Oscar party each year in Los Angeles!
I’d happily depart with one organ to get an invitation to that dinner, but in the meantime, I was able to get my hands on the illustrious Southern dish menu:
Here’s the menu Chef Alex Hitz prepares for his guests during his Oscar party: Fried chicken, pulled pork with Carolina bbq sauce, shrimp and grits, corn pudding, stewed tomatoes, cole slaw, ham biscuits, caramel cake, coconut cake, sweet potato bars and pecan shortbread cookies.
OMG!!!!!!!!! Friend chicken to start and coconut cake to finish? YUM!!!!!!!!!!!!
Chef Hitz, can I get an invitation?
>>> More about Kick Back and Kook and Angela McKeller
Angela McKeller has been having a love affair with the kitchen as long as she can remember. Fortunately, this is an affair that most would DREAM of falling victim to! Angela awoke one morning and made the choice that she was no longer going to try to love her work, but instead, figure out how to make a living by doing what she loves!
Angela’s earliest memory of cooking was with her Great-Grandmother, Mom Buck, at age 3. Every Thursday, Mom Buck would come over and it was the highlight of Angela’s week for 18 years! Mom Buck survived the Great Depression and would teach Angela shortcuts for simplifying the cooking process, how to build a meal with ONLY the ingredients in her pantry, cooking on a budget and WITHOUT a recipe! Mom Buck taught Angela that the kitchen is a safe place to escape the stress of the outside world and that it was also a great way to unleash her creativity!
Angela still calls Mom Buck for cooking advice today!
A few things you might now know about Angela:
• In 2004, Angela was flown by executive producers of Hell’s Kitchen to Los Angeles for the final round of interviews to audition for the first season of their reality cooking show. While she was very thankful for the opportunity, Angela decided that there was a better way to showcase her talent.
• On February 8, 2008, Angela made an appearance on Paula Deen’s show, “Paula’s Party!”, demonstrating how to prepare her Chocolate Hazelnut Lava Cake and the response from her fans was overwhelming!
• Angela continues to interview some of the best chefs and cookbook authors on her popular podcast, “Kick Back and Kook!”, profiling some of their best recipes and having recipe testers try them out and give their feedback on their “kooking” experience. Subscribe on iTunes today!
>>> You’ll want to visit Angela’s Blog: Kick Back and Kook
>>> Chef Alex Hitz’s of The Berverly Hills Kitchen Chicken Pot Pie recipe (Notice how cleverly this recipe is arranged … it makes it so much easier to follow)
CHICKEN POT PIE by Chef Alex Hitz of The Beverly Hills Kitchen
(serves 8-10, or 2 pies – you can cut the recipe in half if you wish or make extra and freeze it up to 3 months!)
1. 3 CUPS WATER (16 OZ)
3/4 CUP WHITE WINE (4OZ)
¾ TBS organic chicken base
1 ½ TBS DRIED TARRAGON
1 1/2 TSP SALT
PREHEAT OVEN TO 450. BRING ABOVE MIXTURE TO A BOIL IN A LARGE POT AND ADD
2. 2 LBS BONELESS SKINLESS CHICKEN BREASTS
AND slowly simmer (just below full boil) for exactly 4 minutes. remove from liquid and reserve. let chicken rest for a minute or two and cut into large chunks, approximately 1.5 inches each. add
3. 1/4 TEASPOON salt
dash ground black pepper
toss and reserve, covered.
TO BOILING LIQUID ADD
4. 2 MEDIUM CARROTS (APPROXIMATELY 1.5 LBS) SLICED ON THE DIAGONAL
8 oz FROZEN PEARL ONIONS
and blanch for 2 minutes exactly. strain and reserve poaching liquid. in a large saucepan, melt over high heat
5. 2 TBS BUTTER (2 0Z)
add carrots and onions from above and saute for 2 minutes exactly. add
6. 1.5 LBS BUTTON MUSHROOMS SLICED APPROXIMATELY ½ INCH THICK
1 ½ TSP SALT (COULD NOT GET MEASUREMENT)
and saute for exactly 2 minutes. in another very large skillet melt
7. 4 TBS BUTTER
5 1/4 TBS + 1 1/2 TSP flour
until you have a slightly cooked (golden brown but cooked through) roux. then add
8. 3/8 cup heavy cream
4 1/2 TBS GOLDEN SHERRY
4 1/2 TBS LEMON JUICE
3/4 TSP NUTMEG
1 1/2 TSP GROUND BLACK PEPPER
3/4 TSP TARRAGON
1 1/2 TBS FINELY CUT CHIVES
3 TBS CHOPPED PARSLEY
add to roux until blended, and then add
9. ALL POACHING LIQUID FROM ABOVE
and bring to a boil until just thickened and stir constantly to avoid lumps (consider ball whisk). add all vegetables and chicken and cook over medium heat for approximately 5 minutes. off heat, add
10. 10 ounces FROZEN BABY PEAS
and assemble in large baking dish with biscuit dough (to follow below) with 2 tbs finely cut chives and 2 tbs chopped parsley in dough, and an egg wash on top.
bring contents of baking dish to first bubble stage over high heat on stove and cook at 450 in home oven for 20-22 minutes or 12 minutes in a commercial oven.
>>>BISCUIT crust for Chicken Pot pie (2 PIES)<<<
7 TABLESPOONS COLD SALTED BUTTER (CUT IN QUARTERS)
2 CUPS ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR
½ TEASPOON SUGAR
1 1/4 TEASPOONS SALT
1 TABLESPOON BAKING POWDER (MAKE SURE IT’S NEW!)
¾ CUP COLD MILK
2 TABLESPOONS CHOPPED PARSLEY (NOT DRIED)
2 TABLESPOONS FRESH SNIPPED CHIVES
EGG WASH: 1 BEATEN EGG PLUS ONE TABLESPOON HEAVY CREAM
IN BOWL OF FOOD PROCESSOR COMBINE FLOUR, SUGAR, SALT, AND BAKING POWDER AND PULSE TWICE.
ADD COLD BUTTER AND PULSE UNTIL MIXTURE RESEMBLES COARSE CRUMBS (8-10 TIMES).
POUR MILK IN TOP SLEEVE SLOWLY WHILE PULSING, APPROXIMATELY 20-25 TIMES. PEA SIZED CRUMBS WILL FORM. DO NOT PULSE UNTIL DOUGH PULLS AWAY FROM SIDES OR BISCUITS WILL BE TOUGH.
POUR CRUMBS ON FLOURED SURFACE.
ADD FRESH HERBS.
KNEAD 2-3 TIMES UNTIL DOUGH JUST COMES TOGETHER. PAT DOWN to APPROXIMATELY ½ INCH THICKNESS or slightly more. ONE quantity OF THIS RECIPE SHOULD MAKE TWO CRUSTS AFTER SHAPED IN OVAL FROM PATTERN, PLUS ASTERISK ON TOP.
ASSEMBLE OVAL ONTO CHICKEN MIXTURE, AND PAINT EGG WASH GENEROUSLY ON TOP. FREEZE IMMEDIATELY.
>>> A few photos of my chicken pot pie experience!
> Here are some of the groceries I used to created the BEST Chicken Pot Pie recipe on the planet!
> The BEST Chicken Pot Pie just out of the oven!
> My first serving of the BEST Chicken Pot Pie recipe … I had two servings 
Top photo by Richard Faulder
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November 11th, 2009 at 16:04
I just hopped over here from ProBlogger and was not expecting such a warm welcome! Ohhh, Chicken pot pie is my favorite. Reminds me of the best of childhood.
If ever you want an assist on making another, I’m your woman!
November 11th, 2009 at 22:45
Lydia,
I always believe in welcoming my guests with a delicious meal!
I just had another piece of the chicken pot pie and it’s now officially called “left-overs” and it’s still incredible.
I encourage you to try it at home because it’s quite healthy.
Also, this recipe can be made with turkey.
If you have leftover turkey and you don’t know what to do with it, why not try turkey pot pie!
If you try the recipe and like it, do come back and leave me a comment!
Thanks for dropping by and thanks for your comment!
November 12th, 2009 at 12:34
Hi Krizia!!! Thank you for the recipe. This looks and sounds “crazy” delicious!!!! I might even try this for Thanksgiving!!!
November 12th, 2009 at 16:40
Vanessa,
Be prepared to go back for seconds.
The magic is that combo of tarragon and lemon.
I have to tell you that Chef Hitz nailed this chicken pot pie recipe so well.
I actually have it on the menu to try at Christmas with turkey.
If you try it on American Thanksgiving, PLEASE come back and let me know and if you take pictures and send me feedback, I’ll have it up on the site!
Krizia
November 18th, 2009 at 14:03
Hi Krizia,
I subscibe to a blogging newsletter and spotted your photo and then saw the name of your blog or (website). I must say they both look very appealing. Just looking around for some ideas to take my blog to the next level.
Keep up the good work.
Take Care,
James G.
November 18th, 2009 at 14:09
James,
Stop it. I’m blushing!
Well let me know when you have your blog set-up and maybe we can have you as a guest blogger!
If you have ideas on healthy eating we can explore that if not I can do a grocery shopping makeover with you and feature that on the site.
I’m quite humbled that you’d take time to come over and leave a comment!
Thanks.