In the time since I wrote the Berkshire Eagle column below, we visited the kids in Grand Rapids where I made two more chicken pot pies for my son and daughter-in-law. I had such fun with my two-and-a-half-year-old granddaughter who helped roll out the puff pastry and brush the beaten egg on top before wrapping them for the freezer!

COZY COMFORT

by Elizabeth Baer

When I went to Michigan in January to meet our newest grandchild, I didn’t bring a single package of homemade food with me for the happy, tired parents, and I was beside myself about it! I am always the one to bring food when we go to visit the children (or send them home with food when they come to visit us) and I was especially upset to arrive empty-handed.

Two years ago, we had planned to be in Grand Rapids for Thanksgiving because my son and daughter-in-law didn’t want to fly here with their first child (who is now two and a half) before she had had her six-month vaccines. For this occasion my daughter-in-law hatched an ingenious plan. She got all our kids to chip in for a large Yeti cooler as an early Chanukah present, so I could make everything except the turkey here, and bring it, frozen, to them. I’ve told this story to many people, and several – some close friends even – have remarked, “That doesn’t seem like such a nice gift.” In response to which I look quizzically and ask, “Do you even know me?!”

When that first Grand Rapids grandchild was born in 2023, before the Yeti, I also didn’t bring much with me, because it was the middle of the summer and we weren’t sure we could keep everything cold for the entire drive. But once we got there I set to work and made meatballs and stuffed shells for the freezer. This time in January, though, the freezer compartment of the extra fridge in the basement had just died, and they didn’t have enough space for me to leave them with extra meals. They had ordered a new fridge, but no delivery date had been set.

Practically as I set foot in the house, they got a call from the store scheduling delivery for the day I was set to leave. Greta, not wanting to impose, gingerly asked, since they would soon have extra space, would I please make the chicken pot pie she likes for the freezer.

You don’t have to ask me twice! I went to the store and got disposable foil pans and the necessary ingredients and left them with two small, well-wrapped chicken pot pies in the freezer.

And for the second trip to see the new grandchild and play with his two-and-a-half-year-old sister, I have meatballs, stuffed shells, and Indian chicken ready to pack in the Yeti, and, once there, I will also make two more small chicken pot pies since the second piece of puff pastry in the package I bought the last time is surely still in their freezer.

CHICKEN POT PIE

Serves 4-6

INGREDIENTS:

2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
⅛ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
12 ounces carrots, peeled and diced
12 ounces parsnips, peeled and diced
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided, plus more as needed
1 sheet frozen or refrigerated puff pastry
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon dried herbs, such as thyme, sage, herbes de Provence, etc., preferably a combination
32 ounces hard cider or low-sodium chicken broth or a combination
¾ cup frozen peas
1 egg, beaten

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Place the chicken breasts in a metal pan. (Do not use glass, or you will not be able to make the gravy on the stovetop.) Sprinkle ½ teaspoon salt and the pepper over all sides and drizzle with about 1 tablespoon olive oil. Turn skin side up.

In a medium bowl, combine the carrots, parsnips, remaining ½ teaspoon salt, and olive oil and mix to coat the vegetables. Tip out onto a foil- or parchment-lined half sheet pan.

Place both the chicken and the vegetables in the oven to roast. Check the vegetables after 30 minutes and every 10 minutes thereafter. Remove from the oven when tender and just beginning to brown. Roast chicken for 1 hour.

When you take the chicken out of the oven, it is usually the right time to take the puff pastry sheet from the freezer or refrigerator, and bring to room temperature but check package instructions to confirm. (One brand of frozen puff pastry contains two sheets per package, but you can take the one you don’t use and place it in a plastic zipper bag to use another time.)

Remove chicken from the pan and place on a cutting board to cool. Place the metal roasting pan on a large burner, taking care to use a potholder or glove as it will be hot having come right out of the oven. Add the flour and herbs, and whisk to combine with the drippings. If the drippings are sparse, add a tablespoon or so of olive oil. Pour the cider or broth into the flour mixture and whisk to combine. Bring to a simmer and continue to whisk and cook until the gravy thickens, about 8-10 minutes. Let sit while you proceed.

Once the chicken has cooled slightly, remove and discard the skin. Cut the meat into ¾-inch cubes, discarding the bones. If the roasting pan with the gravy is a good size for the finished dish, add the chicken pieces, roasted vegetables, and peas into the gravy and stir to combine. Otherwise, place the chicken pieces, roasted vegetables, and peas into a large bowl. Add the gravy into the bowl and stir everything together, then pour the mixture into a 9”x13” baking pan. Alternatively, you can divide the mixture evenly between 2 smaller foil pans to freeze and cook later. (I don’t like to use glass pans to go from freezer to oven because I worry about breakage.)

Once the puff pastry sheet has become supple enough to manipulate without tearing, use a rolling pin to reach the desired size as needed to cover the pan(s) that you are using. Place over the chicken and vegetable mixture and tuck in the sides and corners. Brush the top with egg and cut three vents in the top of the puff pastry. If freezing for later, cover tightly with foil and place in a zippered freezer bag or wrap with a double layer of plastic wrap.

If the chicken mixture reaches close to the top of the pan, or if using disposable foil pan(s), place the pan(s) on a foil-lined half sheet pan. Place the assembled pot pie in the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes until the filling is bubbling and the top is golden brown.

To cook from frozen, in an oven preheated to 350°F, it may take up to a full hour until the filling is bubbling and the top is golden brown.

Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes before serving.

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