Chicken and Asparagus Pot Pie. A cosy, family-friendly meal that's simple to make, full of vegetables, and really delicious! Think gorgeously golden flaky buttery pastry melding into a super tasty saucy chicken and vegetable filling. Yum.
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| Chicken and Asparagus Pot Pie |
Hello! New recipe for you today - a comforting chicken and asparagus pot pie. I love a chicken pot pie - the little cubes of chicken and veggies bound together by a savoury sauce? Topped with flaky pastry soaking up that delicious sauce? Yes please! I obviously made this in a single large pie dish, and not individual pots, so I'm not sure if it's technically a "pot" pie, but for me, the sauce with the cubes of chicken and veggies is the very essence of pot pie, even more so than the pot itself. And there's nothing stopping you from making it in individual pie dishes or ramekins if you prefer!
It's quite simple to make, even if there are a lot of ingredients. Basically, you chop all the filling ingredients and add them to the pot one after the other, cooking them with butter, then adding flour, flavourings and liquid to make a tasty sauce. Top it with pastry, and bake. Boom! Cosy deliciousness is all yours!
The last time I made this, it was with a very energetic toddler (not a baby any more, sunrise sunset and all that) running around my feet and getting into all the drawers and the pantry and climbing up onto the bench. All the while I was trying to give her fun and safe things to play with, whilst keeping her AWAY from the knives and raw chicken, and also trying to explain and show what I was doing so that she felt involved in the process and hopefully enjoyed the time with me, and develops a love for cooking and food. Phew! So basically what I'm saying is that the pie is totally doable, and it's a very forgiving recipe.
I am deep in stay-at-home mum life now, and I don't always cook a fancy meal for lunch (freezer food, ham and cheese toasties, and takeaways are definitely regulars in the rotation). However, whenever I have enough energy and focus to put something special together, it always brings me a lot of satisfaction, even if the process can sometimes have moments of stress throughout it.
The idea for this pie basically came around because I had all the ingredients on hand, and this was the most delicious way I could think to put them together. Nothing deeper or more exciting than that!
I really wanted to make sure the vegetable content was high, so I added many different types - onions, carrots, celery, peas, asparagus, mushrooms, baby spinach - but you could always use fewer varieties of vegetables if that makes your life easier.
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| Pie filling |
I also suggest making the pie all at once - making the filling, topping it with pastry while still hot and baking straight away - so that you get your pie faster! But if it makes your life easier to make it ahead, then you'll need to let the filling cool completely before topping it with the pastry so it doesn't melt. Keep it in the fridge until you're ready to bake, and add a little extra baking time to make sure the filling is piping hot before serving.
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| Pastry topped, ready to bake |
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| Chicken and Asparagus Pot Pie |
No fancy crimping this time, but I can assure you it tasted awesome! If you are more energetic than I, feel free to decorate the pie as your heart desires.
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| Chicken and Asparagus Pot Pie |
You could eat the pie as a meal in itself, although I think a carbohydrate side is most welcome (we had rice; mashed potato would be excellent too), and would make the pie stretch further.
That's it! I hope you enjoy this pie as much as I did! Enjoy.
Chicken and Asparagus Pot PieA recipe by Sarah CooksIngredients2 tablespoons (30 grams) butter1 onion, finely chopped1 carrot, chopped into small cubes1 stick of celery, chopped into small cubes1 clove of garlic, crushed1 cup sliced mushrooms500 grams chicken breast, cut into small cubes1 bunch asparagus, woody ends snapped off and the remainder cut into 2cm lengths1 cup frozen peas2 handfuls baby spinach leaves2 tablespoons flour1 cup chicken stock1/4 teaspoon dried tarragon1/2 teaspoon dried thyme2 tablespoons milk or cream1 egg1 sheet shortcrust or puff pastry (1/2 a sheet of Carême brand sour cream shortcrust, or a single sheet of Pampas or other supermarket brand)MethodPreheat the oven to 200C.Melt the butter in a heavy-based saucepan. Add the onion, carrot and celery, as well as some salt and pepper, and cook for 5 minutes or until softened.Add the garlic and cook until fragrant.Add the mushrooms and cook until they have cooked down and most of the liquid has evaporated.Add the chicken pieces, turn the heat up and cook until they have lost all pink colour.Stir in the asparagus pieces, peas and baby spinach leaves, followed by the flour. Stir the flour in so it's combined evenly with the liquid in the pan, and cook for a few minutes to remove any raw taste.Add in the stock, tarragon and thyme. Bring to the boil, turn down to a simmer and cook until the liquid is thickened and the chicken pieces are cooked through. (Approx. 5-10 minutes).Stir through the milk or cream and turn off the heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.Tip the hot mixture into a pie dish (mine is a 24x16x9cm oblong enamel dish), or into individual ramekins for the echt Pot Pie experience.Brush the rim(s) of the pie dish(es) with beaten egg, and cover with pastry, pressing along the edges to seal and trimming off any excess. Brush the tops with beaten egg, cut a few slits for air venting purposes, and put straight into the oven. (If the filling is hot, the pastry will start to melt so you'll need to move quickly). If you want to assemble the pie in advance - let the filling cool completely before topping with the pastry, and keep it in the fridge until you want to bake it.Bake the assembled pies for 30-45 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown and the filling is piping hot.Allow to stand for 5 minutes before serving.Makes 1 large or 4 small pies, feeds 4
Have you made this recipe? Leave a comment below! Tag me on Instagram @sarahcooksblog and hashtag #sarahcooksblog
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