Our home is finally clean after all the holiday festivities. I'm finally feeling better after a week long cold. So it's time for me to get back in the kitchen and make some sweets. Uh oh...I'm still out of flour...I ran completely out on Christmas eve when I was making our Cinnamon Rolls for Christmas morning. I used two sheets of wax paper to help me roll out the dough and had my Mom holding one side of the paper and my daughter holding the other end. We looked like the 3 stooges.
I organized my bookmarked recipes into categories yesterday on my laptop so I can easily find what I'm looking for. I finally got smart and now print recipes right before I plan to make them. Otherwise, they get lost in my kitchen drawer. Seriously, my printed recipes are a good 2 inches thick now! I've only made a small portion of them. So many recipes and not enough time.
I easily found this bookmarked recipe from Brown Eyed Baker for Peanut Butter Cup Rice Krispie Treats under my desserts. It does not require flour and we had all the ingredients in the pantry and fridge. This little treat is a layered bar with the crunchy marshmallow rice krispie treat topped with creamy peanut butter and mini Reese's peanut butter cup pieces, then drizzled with milk chocolate. I also topped mine with more milk chocolate chips to make them look pretty and help me portion the treats. My girls and I loved them! They are almost as good as the Marshmallow Peanut Butter Crunch Brownies I also made from Brown Eyed Baker. She has so many peanut butter and chocolate recipes to choose from, and I plan on making ALL of them! Thank you Michelle for being such an inspiration to me!
Ingredients:
6 cups Rice Krispies
1 bag (10.5 oz) mini marshmallows
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 jar (16 oz) peanut butter
1 bag (12 oz) miniature Reese's peanut butter cups, quartered
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1 tsp shortening
1/4 cup milk chocolate chips (for garnish)
Butter a 9x13 pan and set aside.
Add the Rice Krispies to a large bowl. In a medium saucepan over medium low heat, melt the butter and marshmallows. Stir occasionally and be careful not to burn. Add the marshmallow mixture to the cereal and stir well to coat. Immediately pour into prepared pan. Use a piece of was paper and the bottom of a metal measuring cup to help you press into the pan in an even layer.
In a microwave safe bowl, heat the peanut butter for 1 minute. Set aside and let cool for a few minutes. Meanwhile, unwrap the mini peanut butter cups and cut them into quarters. Add the peanut butter cups to the thinned peanut butter and gently stir. Pour on top of the rice krispies layer and use a spatula to spread evenly.
In a microwave safe measuring cup, melt the milk chocolate chips. Stir in the shortening. Drizzle over the peanut butter layer. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours until set before cutting into bars. Store in an airtight container and serve at room temperature. Enjoy!
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My hubby saw Guy Fieri make some Philly Cheesesteak egg rolls on Guy's Big Bite one day and has been asking me when I'm going to make them ever since. My hubby told me how I should make them and I went from there to figure out the rest. These were served with some spicy mayonnaise dipping sauce and were so good. I forgot to take pics of the inside of the egg rolls, but it looked just like a cheesesteak sandwich.
Ingredients:
1 package egg roll wrappers (refrigerated section in produce area)
1 T butter
1 large white onion, cut into thin strips
4 oz. mushrooms, sliced
kosher salt
black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 thick slices deli roast beef, diced
6 slices provolone, diced
egg and water (for egg wash)
garlic powder
Mayonnaise Dipping Sauce:
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 T milk (to thin sauce)
hot pepper sauce, to taste
pinch paprika
kosher salt
black pepper
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil.
In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter, then add the onions, mushrooms, salt, and pepper. Cook until mushrooms and tender and onions are slightly browned. Add the garlic and cook another minute. Add the roast beef and cook for 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool. After it has cooled to room temperature, add the provolone cheese and stir.
Beat an egg with 1 T water to make an egg wash. Take an egg roll wrapper and place it on a work surface on the diagonal. Brush all 4 edges with egg wash. Use about 2 Tablespoons of meat mixture and place it in the center of egg roll wrapper. Roll up the lower corner around the meat, fold in the left side, fold in the right side, and roll it over to the top corner. Lay them seam side down on prepared baking sheet. Brush the tops with egg wash and sprinkle with garlic powder.
Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until lightly golden brown. Place on a paper towel to drain excess grease.
In a small bowl, whisk together all mayonnaise dipping sauce ingredients. Serve with warm Philly Cheesesteak Egg Rolls. Enjoy!
This is my Mom's favorite appetizer. She requests that I make it for every special occasion. I used the store bought phyllo cups this time since I was short on time, and they tasted great. If you want to see how to make the phyllo cups homemade, you can check out Paula Deen's recipe. The shrimp salad can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge until ready to serve.
Shrimp Salad Ingredients:
1 lb shrimp, cooked and diced into 1/4 inch chunks
1 stalk celery, finely diced
1 green onion, finely diced
1 cup lite mayonnaise
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
hot pepper sauce, to taste
1 lemon, juiced
2 T chopped parsley
Phyllo Cups:
1 T butter, melted
garlic powder
pepper
grated parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange phyllo cups on a baking sheet. Brush insides with melted butter. Sprinkle with garlic powder, pepper, and grated cheese. Bake for 4 minutes. Remove and let cool.
In a large bowl, add all shrimp salad ingredients and stir well to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings. When ready to serve, spoon shrimp salad into phyllo cups and sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese. Garnish with parsley leaves. Enjoy!
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Tailgating Time at The Tiny Skillet
Mimi gave my girls personalized chef's hats to go with their aprons. I can't wait to get back in the kitchen with my girls when I get over this cold. Don't they just look too cute? Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas with your families!
What are your plans for Christmas Eve and Christmas day? We are starting a new tradition this year that includes our entire family. We draw names on Thanksgiving for an ornament exchange that takes place on Christmas Eve during our appetizer and dessert party. Our girls have always opened one gift each, which just happens to be pajamas. They always look so cute Christmas morning tearing into their presents all dressed up in new pj's.
We are keeping the menu simple so I can enjoy time with my family:
Jalapeno Poppers In A Blanket
Spinach Dip and Tortilla Chips - Mom's Recipe
Shrimp Salad Phyllo Cups - Paula Deen Recipe "kicked up" by ME
Philly Cheesesteak Egg Rolls - Hubby's Idea and recipe creation
Iced Sugar Cookies - Adapted From Created by Diane (Link to her blog is not allowed)
Red Velvet Cake Truffles
I will add the remaining recipes after Christmas. Have a wonderful Holiday weekend with your family! Merry Christmas! See you back here next week.
My husband has a bake-off every year at work and asked for me to make two desserts to enter in the contest. I sent him an email with several recipes and asked for him and his sales guys to choose which ones I should make. The votes were for my Red Velvet Cake Truffles and these Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars I found on Brown Eyed Baker.
These bars have 3 layers with different flavors and textures that create the best little cheesecake bite you've ever tasted. My favorite cookies are chocolate chip, so I was more than happy to make these since I had already bookmarked them. I obviously had to taste them before sending them off to be judged, and they are so good and rich!
Crust:
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
5 Tbsp butter, melted
2/3 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
Cookie Dough:
5 Tbsp butter, room temperature
1/3 cup brown sugar
3 Tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup flour
1/4 cup Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup Ghirardelli milk chocolate chips
Cheesecake Filling:
10 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Prepare a 9x9 baking pan by lining it with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on all 4 sides. This will help you lift it out easily so you can cut into bars.
For Crust:
Crush graham crackers into crumbs to make 1 1/2 cups. In a small bowl, stir together the graham cracker crumbs and melted butter until moistened. Stir in chocolate chips. Press crust mixture evenly into bottom of pan. Bake for 6 minutes. Set pan on wire rack to cool.
For Cookie Dough:
In a large stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix butter, brown sugar, sugar, salt, and vanilla extract at medium speed until smooth. Add the flour and mix on low speed just until incorporated. Remove bowl and stir in the chocolate chips. Set aside in a bowl.
For Cheesecake:
In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat together the softened cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add the egg and vanilla extract, beating just until blended. Pour the batter into cooled, baked crust. Drop cookie dough by teaspoonfuls over the top of the filling.
Bake about 30 minutes, or until set. Place in the refrigerator to chill for 4 hours. When cheesecake is cooled and completely set, lift entire cheesecake out of pan using the parchment paper overhang. Cut into small bars and serve cold. Refrigerate any leftovers in an airtight container. Enjoy!
Here's our family's entries for the bake-off.
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Tuesday Night Supper Club at Fudge Ripple
Coconut macaroons remind me of growing up in Dallas. My mom would buy them from this little bakery every time we drove by it. She couldn't pass by without stopping. They were that good! These cookies are so easy to make and the chocolate drizzled over the top satisfies my sweet chocolate tooth. My mom would prefer them without the chocolate, but I love chocolate.
This recipe comes from Ina Garten on The Food Network.
Ingredients:
14 oz sweetened shredded coconut
14 oz sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 egg whites, at room temperature
pinch of salt
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, add the coconut, sweetened condensed milk, and vanilla extract. Stir well to combine.
Using either a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat the egg whites and salt until a stiff peak forms.
Carefully fold egg whites into coconut mixture. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto prepared baking sheet. Immediately bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes. Place on wire rack to cool completely. Drizzle some melted semi-sweet chocolate over top. Enjoy!
Our favorite two breakfast muffins are banana and blueberry. I thought it would be great to combine the two using very ripe bananas and fresh blueberries. They were topped with a cinnamon crumb streusel that took them over the top. My girls actually ate them for dinner right out of the oven with some butter. They had them again for breakfast the next morning. They were that good!
I found this recipe on Cooks.com. I will be making these again.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
3 large ripe bananas, mashed
1/4 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup fresh blueberries (for batter)
1/4 cup fresh blueberries (for top)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin tin with baking cups. This recipe makes 15 muffins.
In a large stand mixer, beat together the butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Add bananas, milk, vanilla, and eggs. Mix another minute. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and mix just until combined. Remove bowl from mixer and gently fold 1 cup of the blueberries into the batter. Pour into muffin cups 3/4 of the way full. Press the remaining blueberries into the tops so you can still see them. This makes them full of blueberries and looks really pretty.
To make the streusel topping:
3 T flour
3 T light brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
2 T butter
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Use a pastry blender or fork and work until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle over muffins.
Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in muffin tin for 3 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!
We were having some friends over to watch the Cowboy game on Sunday, so I wanted to throw together a quick appetizer. I came across this recipe over at Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Recipes. I figured these would go well with the Rotel dip I was already making. I served them with some Ranch dip, and some spicy wing sauce sour cream. They were good!
Ingredients:
1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
1/2 block cream cheese (4 oz)
1/2 cup finely shredded cheddar jack cheese
1/2 tsp cumin
salt
pepper
3 cloves roasted garlic, mashed
4 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
6 jalapeno peppers, cut in half lengthwise, membrane and seeds removed
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil.
Roll out the puff pastry to a 9x12 rectangle. Cut into 12 equal squares. Prepare the filling by mixing all ingredients together in a bowl. Stuff each jalapeno half with filling and place filling side down diagonally across puff pastry square. Roll pastry around jalapeno and pinch the seams together. Place the jalapenos seam side down on baking sheet. Spray with cooking spray and bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
Serve with your favorite jalapeno popper dipping sauces. Sour cream and wing sauce mixed together is really good with these. Ranch is another great dip for these. Enjoy!
Linked up at: Tailgating Time at The Tiny Skillet
We also took our kids to the park to visit Santa. Aren't they just so cute! I love my girls so much!!!
I made these chocolate covered pretzel rods for my daughter's teachers at school. You can get creative with these. Have you ever seen how much these gourmet pretzels sell for? Well let me just tell you, they are about $35 for half a dozen. That's right, you only get 6 pretzels. Crazy! You can use a good quality chocolate or just use chocolate bark, which is readily available in the grocery stores this time of year.
All you need to make these are:
1 package pretzel rods
chocolate bark
various toppings - I used crushed candy canes, crushed Heath bars, Christmas sprinkles
Other good toppings are mini M&M's, mini chocolate chips (any flavor), drizzle of chocolate in contrasting color, crushed salted peanuts.
Melt the chocolate and let it cool for a few minutes so it will stick to the pretzel better. Work in small batches of chocolate as it dries quickly. You can either put your coatings on parchment paper and roll the chocolate pretzel in it, or you can sprinkle it onto the pretzel. Lay the pretzels on a parchment lined cookie sheet until chocolate is set. Package them up pretty and share them with your family and friends. Enjoy!
At first glance, these look like the Christmas Oreo Truffles I recently made, but the inside is filled with moist red velvet cake and cream cheese frosting.
I found this recipe over at Bakerella while searching for some treats to make for some very special people at my daughters' school. Lots of people love red velvet cake, and the red is so festive for this time of year. These are so easy to make, but are a bit time consuming, so be prepared to spend some time in the kitchen. Grab all your helpers in the house to roll the cake into balls. This makes about 50 truffles, so there's plenty to share with the special people in your life.
Ingredients:
1 Box Duncan Hines Red Velvet Cake Mix
1 1/4 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 tub cream cheese frosting
1 package white chocolate bark
1 package milk chocolate bark
sprinkles
chocolate chips for decorating
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray and line a 13x9 cake pan with parchment paper.
In a stand mixer, add the cake mix, water, vegetable oil, and eggs and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour into the cake pan and bake for 35-38 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely. It will cool even faster if you invert it over onto a large cutting board and break it apart with your hands after it's cool enough to handle.
When the cake has cooled completely, add it to a large bowl and break up into small pieces. Add the cream cheese frosting and stir well to combine. Put it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Roll cake mixture into quarter size balls and lay on cookie sheet. Continue on...and on...and on...until all the cake has been rolled. Put them into the freezer for 1 hour to chill well.
Remove one of the cookie sheets from the freezer. Leave the other one in there for now. Melt half of the chocolate bark at a time in a microwave proof glass bowl and work in small batches. Use a spoon to help you dunk it in the chocolate and tap off the excess. Lay back on the cookie sheet, using a toothpick to help you push it off the spoon. Decorate immediately with sprinkles (if using) because the chocolate coating dries very quickly. Continue on until they have all been coated and decorated. You can also melt some chocolate chips and use a plastic baggie with the tip cut to drizzle on some pretty chocolate decorations.
Have fun and enjoy!
Do you remember how my camera ate my memory card and I ended up losing all of my recent pictures? I had already written this post but didn't have a picture to put with it. I found a picture on my blackberry phone that I had sent to my hubby at work, so now I can share it with you. I also made some regular Homemade Oreo Cookies using this fudge cake mix. They were delicious! If you're asking if I'm obsessed with Oreo cookies, the answer is YES. I love them!
This was written on December 4th. Today we are decorating our Christmas tree and home to get ready for the holiday season. My 3 girls also have a Christmas tree to light up their bedrooms, so that's 4 trees to decorate in one afternoon. I'm already tired just thinking about it. Some of these cookies and multiple cups of coffee should help get me through the day! I lost all the pictures of my girls decorating their Christmas trees...this makes me so sad.
These cookies are simply the best of both worlds. Rich buttery cookie dough using semi-sweet chocolate chips is nestled between two chewy fudge cookies topped with milk chocolate chips. The fudge cookies were easy to make using a boxed cake mix. The cookie dough is homemade and does not contain any raw eggs, just in case you were worried. Now onto the cookies!
Cookie Ingredients:
1 box Fudge Cake Mix
2 eggs
1/2 cup oil
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, add all the ingredients and stir well. Form into walnut sized balls and place on non-stick baking sheet. Use a round glass to slightly flatten the dough balls. Press some milk chocolate chips into the top of half of the cookies (these will be the top cookies). Bake cookies for 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit on the hot baking sheet for another 5 minutes. Place cookies on a wire rack to cool completely.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup all purpose flour
pinch of salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2-4 T water
In a large stand mixer, cream together the the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla extract and mix. Add the flour and salt and mix until incorporated, then add the chocolate chips. Add the water, starting with 2 Tablespoons. Add more water as needed until thick cookie dough forms. Refrigerate cookie dough for about 30 minutes.
To assemble the cookies, match up your cookie tops and bottoms. Take some cookie dough and roll into a ball. Flatten slightly with your hand and put in the middle of two cookies. Place some semi-sweet chocolate chips around the outside of the dough to make it look pretty. They are ready to eat with a big glass of milk or a strong cup of coffee. Enjoy!
These granola bars are great for breakfast with some yogurt. They are also great for an afternoon snack to keep you going strong until dinner time. This is the combination that I came up with using ingredients my girls like. You can add any dried fruits you like.
Ingredients:
2 cups old fashioned oats
3/4 cup salted peanuts, crushed
4 whole sheets honey graham crackers, crumbled
5 oz. dried cherries, chopped
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup light brown sugar
3 T unsalted butter
2 tsp vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Add the oats and crushed peanuts to a large sheet pan. Bake for 10 minutes.
In a small sauce pan, add the honey, brown sugar, and butter. Bring to a boil, stirring for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
Add the toasted oats and peanuts to a large bowl. Add the crumbled graham crackers, dried cherries, and honey mixture. Stir well to coat.
Line an 8x12 baking dish with parchment paper or foil, leaving an overhang on the sides. Spray with non-stick cooking spray. Pour the granola mixture into the dish and use a spatula to press down and pack tight. Leave on the counter for 2-3 hours. Cut into granola bars or squares. Enjoy!
Tip: If you want crunchy granola bars, bake in a 300 degree oven for 25-30 minutes.
I found these Peppermint Oreos in the store the other day when I was shopping. I just had to buy a package and had some ideas on how to use them as special Holiday treats. You can also make Homemade Peppermint Oreos if you have the time.
These cookies are so good and you can't eat just one. This is an easy way to make them look fancy and taste even better. We delivered some to our neighbors and ate the rest!
Ingredients:
1 package Peppermint Oreos
1 package vanilla flavor white chocolate bark
Crushed up candy canes or peppermints
Sprinkles
This is so simple! Just melt the white chocolate, dip in the oreos, and sprinkle with your toppings of choice. We used crushed up peppermint candy canes and Christmas sprinkles.
You can fully dip the Oreos (my favorite), dip only half of the Oreo, or just drizzle the chocolate over top.
I forgot to take pictures of them before packing them up for delivery. These are the ones we had left for our cookie jar. Enjoy!
On Thanksgiving afternoon, our neighbors brought over a red glittery box full of white and milk chocolate covered goodies. My daughters immediately wanted to dive into the white chocolate ones and I went for the milk chocolate. So you probably guessed by now that one of them were Oreo Truffles...white chocolate. The others were Peanut Butter Truffles, which I plan on making next week. They were both delicious!
After doing some research, I found these truffles everywhere on the internet. It's always the same recipe, so it must be tried and true. Sure enough, it tastes just like the ones our neighbors made. They are so good and addictive! I actually ended up making some milk chocolate covered Oreo truffles too since my FIL will be here tomorrow and he prefers milk chocolate. I just had to try one and they were really tasty!
Did you know that Nabisco makes Holiday Oreos. Seriously, they really do! They have cute little wintery pictures and red creme filling. See...
Ingredients:
1 package Oreo cookies
1 8 oz package cream cheese, softened
1 package white chocolate bark
Christmas sprinkles or other decorations
Put all the Oreos in a food processor and grind into a fine powder. Transfer to a mixing bowl and add the cream cheese. Mix thoroughly. Shape into 1 inch balls. We were able to make 30. Place on a wax paper lined baking sheet. Place in the freezer for 1 hour to firm up.
Melt the chocolate according to the instructions. I used the microwave and heated it for 45 seconds, stirred, then 15 second intervals until melted.
Dip each Oreo ball into the melted chocolate. Use a spoon to roll it around on all sides. Remove from the bowl using a fork and tap the fork on the edge of the bowl to let the extra chocolate drip back into the bowl. Place back on the wax paper lined baking sheet and decorate with sprinkles, as the chocolate dries quickly. You can also wait until the white chocolate dries and drizzle some milk chocolate over the tops. These were my favorite!
Refrigerate until ready to serve since they have cream cheese in them. Now go share some with your neighbors and friends. Enjoy!
Tex-Mex is my all time favorite food, especially when it's cold outside. These enchiladas are very easy to prepare and taste great.
Ingredients:
1 T olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T flour
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 can (10 oz) mild green chili enchilada sauce
1 tsp cumin
kosher salt
black pepper
8 corn tortillas
Rotisserie chicken breast and thigh, cut or shred into bite size pieces
1 1/2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese, divided
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray.
In a sauce pan over medium high heat, heat olive oil. Add onion and cook until translucent. Add the garlic and cook another minute. Add the flour and cook for another minute while stirring. Add the chicken stock, chicken enchilada sauce, and seasonings. Stir well and simmer over medium heat while you assemble the enchiladas. The sauce will thicken and reduce slightly.
Wrap the corn tortillas in damp paper towels. Microwave on high for 45 seconds. Assemble the enchiladas by placing chicken and shredded cheese down the middle of the corn tortilla, then roll up. Set stuffed enchilada in the casserole dish seam side down and tuck them in tight next to each other side by side.
Pour the enchilada sauce over top the stuffed enchiladas and top with remaining shredded cheese. Bake for 25 minutes. Serve immediately with your favorite toppings. We always use sour cream and salsa. Enjoy!
This one is for my favorite Mom #2. She said that she would like to see me make a homemade Chicken Pot Pie. Well, here is my first attempt and it turned out great! My kids ate every bite on their plate. Chicken and vegetables in a creamy sauce rucked inside a buttery crust has to be good. I read some various recipes and this is what I came up with to please my family. Now that I've used my kids and hubby as guinea pigs for this dish, I can make it for my MIL next time she has dinner with us.
Ingredients:
2 pastry crusts (homemade or store bought)
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
2 T olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 T unsalted butter
1/2 cup flour
3-4 cups chicken stock
1 cup broccoli florets, partially steamed
1 cup diced baby carrots, partially steamed
1 can (15 oz) sweet peas
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
kosher salt
black pepper
egg (for egg wash)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Season chicken with kosher salt and pepper. In a large deep skillet over medium high heat, add 1 T olive oil. Add the chicken and cook completely, about 8 minutes. Remove to a bowl and set aside. Add 1 T olive oil to skillet and cook the onions until translucent. Add the garlic and cook another minute. Add the 2 T butter and melt. Sprinkle in the flour and cook for 2 minutes while stirring. Add the chicken stock and cook for 5 minutes until mixture thickens.
Let me teach you a cool way to steam vegetables in the microwave instead of dirtying up your steamer. Place your raw vegetables in a microwave safe bowl with 3 T water and cover with a dinner plate. Microwave on high for 4-5 minutes, or until tender. I only cooked mine for 3 minutes so they were still slightly crisp. The vegetables will cook more in the oven.
Add the cooked chicken and vegetables to the sauce and stir well. Turn off the heat and add the heavy cream and parsley. Taste and season with kosher salt and pepper as needed.
This makes quite a bit of filling, so you will either need a large and deep round casserole dish or deep pie dish. I used an oven proof serving bowl. Another option is to use oven proof bowls (like you use for french onion soup) and just top with the pastry crust. This way, everybody could have their own little chicken pot pie. I need to buy some of these!
Line your casserole or pie dish with a pastry crust. Pour in the filling. Place the other pastry crust on top, and seal and crimp the edges. Make a slit in the middle of the crust to allow the steam to escape. I used a big and small snowflake cookie cutter to make it look cute. Brush the top with egg wash and sprinkle with kosher salt and black pepper.
Bake for 45 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbling. Let cool for 15 minutes before trying to cut. Enjoy!
