Classic Chicken Pot Pie (Kopie)

*****

Pot pie for dinner is possible even if you’re busy. Just pick up refrigerated pie crusts instead of making them yourself. You’ll cut your preparation time in half.

Prep 40 min; Total 1 hr 15 min; 6 servings

1/³ cup butter
1/³cup all-purpose flour
1/³ cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
13/4 cups chicken broth (for homemade broth, see page 528)
2/³ cup milk
21/2 to 3 cups cut-up cooked chicken or turkey
1 box (10 oz) frozen peas and carrots*
Two-Crust Pastry (page 159)

1. In 2-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in flour, onion, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixtureis bubbly; remove from heat. Stir in broth and milk. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Stir in chicken and peas and carrots; remove from heat.

2. Heat oven to 425°F. Roll two-thirds of pastry into 13-inch square. Ease into ungreased 9-inch (2-quart) glass baking dish. Pour chicken mixture into pastry-lined dish.

3. Roll remaining pastry into 11-inch square. Cut out designs with 1-inch cookie cutter. Place square over chicken mixture. Arrange cutouts on pastry. Turn edges of pastry under and flute (see Decorative Crust Ideas, page 161). Bake about 35 minutes or until golden brown.

*About 11/2 cups of any frozen vegetable combination can be substituted. (Smaller vegetable pieces will be distributed more evenly throughout the filling.)

1 Serving: Calories 670; Total Fat 43g (Saturated Fat 14g; Trans Fat 5g); Cholesterol 80mg; Sodium 1050mg; Total Carbohydrate 44g (Dietary Fiber 3g); Protein 25g exchanges: 3 Starch, 21/2 Lean Meat, 61/2 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 3

Lighter Directions
For 22 grams of fatand 425 calories per serving, decrease butter to 2 tablespoons, increase flour to 1/2 cup, decrease broth to 11/2 cups and use fat-free (skim) milk. After melting butter in Step 1, stir in milk, onion, salt and pepper; stir in flour. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is bubbly; remove from heat. Stir in broth. Continue as directed—except use One-Crust Pastry for top crust in Step 3. Spray 9-inch square baking dish or pan with cooking spray. Pour chicken mixture into dish (not pastry-lined). Bake 25 to 35 minutes or until golden brown.

Tuna Pot Pie
Substitute 1 can (12 oz) tuna in water, drained, for the chicken.

Chicken Divan Pot Pie
Substitute 1 box (9 oz) broccoli cuts for the frozen sweet peas and carrots. Stir 1 teaspoon curry powder and a few drops hot pepper sauce into flour mixture before cooking. Continue as directed.

Portabella Chicken Pot Pie
Add 11/2 cups sliced baby portabella mushrooms to flour mixture before cooking in Step 1. Spoon cranberry sauce into small bowl; stir well. Continue as directed

New Twist: Individual Chicken Pot Pies

This twist on pot pie is easy to make and easy to serve. It’s also lower in calories, so it’s easy on the diet, too.

Prep 35 min.; Total 1 hr 15 min; 8 servings

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup diced unpeeled red potatoes
1 medium carrot, thinly sliced (1/2 cup)
1 medium stalk celery, thinly sliced (1/2 cup)
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 cans (103/4 oz each) condensed 98% fat-free cream of chicken soup with 45% less sodium
1 cup fat-free or regular half-and-half
1/2 cup dry sherry, nonalcoholic wine or chicken broth
3/4 cup water
11/2 teaspoons parsley flakes
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
2 cups cubed cooked chicken breast
1 cup frozen sweet peas, thawed
1 package (17.3 oz) frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed

1. Heat oven to 400°F. Lightly spray 8 ( z) individual baking dishes (ramekins) with cooking spray.

2. In 3-quart saucepan, heat oil. Cook potatoes, carrot, celery, onion and garlic over medium heat about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender. Stir in soup, half-and-half, sherry, water, 1 teaspoon of the parsley, the poultry seasoning, chicken and peas; heat to boiling. Remove from heat.

3. Cut 8 (4-inch) squares from puff pastry.

4. Place ramekins on cookie sheet. Divide chicken mixture evenly among ramekins. Top each ramekin with puff pastry square. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 teaspoon parsley.

5. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until pastry is puffed and golden brown. Cool 5 minutes before serving.

1 Serving: Calories 540; Total Fat 29g (Saturated Fat 7g, Trans Fat 6g); Cholesterol 35mg; Sodium 530mg; Total Carbohydrate 48g (Dietary Fiber 2g); Protein 18g Exchanges: 3 Starch, 1/2 Vegetable, 1 Very Lean Meat, 51/2 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 3