Every year we go on a beach trip with Mr. Dubs family. This isn't any beach trip. It's a family beach trip on steroids. There are typically 20-25 people all in one ocean front house. It is so much fun! To help organize the food situation, each family takes a night to prepare dinner. You cook what you want. This can mean your order in pizza or actually cook. Now for a mom who typically cooks for 4 people each night, that can be a little intimidating. I refuse to order pizza because...well...I know I can do better than that. I wanted something basic enough that most everyone would eat it, yummy enough to have a wow factor, and easy to multiply. Did I mention I was cooking for 25??
After much searching and contemplating, I decided on Chicken Pot Pie, but I needed to find a good recipe. I didn't want canned cream soup, short cut chicken pot pie. As I said, I needed a little bit of a wow factor. During my search, I stumbled upon Ina Gartens Chicken Pot Pie. How could I
go wrong with the Barefoot Contessa in my corner, right? :-)
So I set out to test this chicken pie recipe. Now anyone who knows me knows that I am incapable of following a recipe word for word. Maybe that's why I cook but don't bake? First things first, I immediately removed the peas and baby onions from the ingredient list. Those aren't really my thing and I was sure KDub wouldn't touch it with those items present. I did add celery to the list because in my world, all good things begin with a mirepoix (how do you like that little french word??) ...celery, carrot and onion.
Next, cooking for 25, there's no way I was making individual pies. I had to make straight-up, bulk size, 9x13 casseroles. Easy enough. Lastly, while I wanted to wow the Dub people, I was not coming in off the beloved beach to make homemade pie crust. Honestly, they just aren't the type of people to appreciate minor details such as that. Since I needed easy, I decided to go with a biscuity (is that a word?) Bisquick topping.
This is the point at which I should give you the recipe for said topping but...I never wrote it down. I made this chicken pie for dinner tonight in a effort to remember the topping recipe and I thought I had it but it wasn't right. So...I will keep trying and when I get the ingredients and quantities right, I will update and share. I really think it was a mysterious combo of butter, egg, bisquick and milk or water. If you have made this topping before and can help me, please comment and share. I know it is uber simple but like everything else in life, the details are kind of important.
Other than the topping, and the quick ingredient change, I pretty much followed Ina's recipe (shocker for me!!). I sauteed all my veggies in the stock pot that I made the creamy, yummy gravy in rather than blanching my carrots. It just seemed easier plus it made for less cleanup. It takes a little longer than quickie chicken pot pie but it is so worth it!!
This pot pie is comfort food at it's best. Is is so creamy and yummy (did I say that already?) and with the biscuit topping...WOW. Perfect for a cold night (or dinner for 25 at the beach) and so easy to tweak to suit your family. Sometimes I add diced boiled potatoes. I would love to try adding mushrooms (if my sweet KDub would eat them). Really, you can customize as needed as long as you stick with the basic recipe. This is one of the meals that is staying in our rotation and is actually missed if it goes away.
go wrong with the Barefoot Contessa in my corner, right? :-)
So I set out to test this chicken pie recipe. Now anyone who knows me knows that I am incapable of following a recipe word for word. Maybe that's why I cook but don't bake? First things first, I immediately removed the peas and baby onions from the ingredient list. Those aren't really my thing and I was sure KDub wouldn't touch it with those items present. I did add celery to the list because in my world, all good things begin with a mirepoix (how do you like that little french word??) ...celery, carrot and onion.
Next, cooking for 25, there's no way I was making individual pies. I had to make straight-up, bulk size, 9x13 casseroles. Easy enough. Lastly, while I wanted to wow the Dub people, I was not coming in off the beloved beach to make homemade pie crust. Honestly, they just aren't the type of people to appreciate minor details such as that. Since I needed easy, I decided to go with a biscuity (is that a word?) Bisquick topping.
This is the point at which I should give you the recipe for said topping but...I never wrote it down. I made this chicken pie for dinner tonight in a effort to remember the topping recipe and I thought I had it but it wasn't right. So...I will keep trying and when I get the ingredients and quantities right, I will update and share. I really think it was a mysterious combo of butter, egg, bisquick and milk or water. If you have made this topping before and can help me, please comment and share. I know it is uber simple but like everything else in life, the details are kind of important.
Other than the topping, and the quick ingredient change, I pretty much followed Ina's recipe (shocker for me!!). I sauteed all my veggies in the stock pot that I made the creamy, yummy gravy in rather than blanching my carrots. It just seemed easier plus it made for less cleanup. It takes a little longer than quickie chicken pot pie but it is so worth it!!
This pot pie is comfort food at it's best. Is is so creamy and yummy (did I say that already?) and with the biscuit topping...WOW. Perfect for a cold night (or dinner for 25 at the beach) and so easy to tweak to suit your family. Sometimes I add diced boiled potatoes. I would love to try adding mushrooms (if my sweet KDub would eat them). Really, you can customize as needed as long as you stick with the basic recipe. This is one of the meals that is staying in our rotation and is actually missed if it goes away.
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