Chicken Pot Pie with Cheddar Crust

It’s hard to improve upon our favorite classic comfort foods, like chicken pot pie, but we have to give ourselves a little pat on the back for making it even better with the addition of our Cheddar cheese baked right into the crust. This Chicken Pot Pie with Cheddar Crust is going to be a new family tradition.

Prep: 55 min | Bake: 1 hr | Yield: about 6 servings

Ingredients

Cheddar Crust

• 3/4 cup King Arthur White Whole-Wheat Flour
• 1/3 cup King Arthur All-Purpose Flour, + more for dusting
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons cold Cabot Unsalted Butter, cut into chunks
• 6 ounces shredded Cabot Farmhouse Reserve or New York Extra Sharp Cheddar, divided (about 3/4 cup)
• 4 to 7 tablespoons ice water
• 1 egg, beaten
• Pinch each coarse salt and pepper (optional)

Filling

• 2 large chicken breasts
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 medium onion diced, about 1 3/4 cups
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 3/4 cup chopped celery
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 cup King Arthur All-Purpose Flour
• 2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 tablespoon chopped mixed fresh herbs, such as sage and thyme

Instructions

Cheddar Crust

1. Pulse whole-wheat flour, 1/3 cup all-purpose flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a food processor.
2. Add butter and 4 ounces cheese, and pulse several times to cut the butter and cheese into the flour. Process until the mixture resembles coarse meal, 8 to 15 seconds.
3. Open lid and drizzle in 4 tablespoons ice water spreading drops evenly around the crumbly mixture. Process until the crumbs are evenly moist.
4. Remove lid and test if the dough will hold together by squeezing it. If it doesn’t come together drizzle on 1 to 2 more tablespoons ice water and process and test again.
5. Flatten dough into a disk, wrap with plastic and refrigerate for 45 minutes or overnight.

Filling

1. Place chicken breast in a medium saucepan and cover completely with cold tap water. Place over high heat and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook, turning in the poaching liquid occasionally until the chicken is no longer pink in the center and cooked through, 12 to 16 minutes, depending on thickness of the meat.
2. Remove the chicken and let cool.
3. Cut chicken into cubes.
4. Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a deep dish pie pan with cooking spray. Set on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet.
5. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, celery, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are softened and starting to brown, 10 to 12 minutes.
6. Sprinkle 1/4 cup all-purpose flour over the vegetable mixture and stir to coat.
7. Add broth and bring to a simmer, stirring. Stir in chicken, peas and herbs and return to a simmer, stirring often.
8. Transfer the chicken mixture to the prepared pie pan.
9. If crust has chilled longer than 1 hour, remove the crust dough from the refrigerator to let soften, about 10 minutes.
10. Roll dough out with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface to about 12-inches. Working quickly, drape the crust over the chicken mixture and tuck under along the edges and press into the pie dish edges.
11. Immediately brush the egg over the crust with a pastry brush (you will have extra.) Cut six 1-inch vent holes in the crust with a pairing knife. Sprinkle with coarse salt and pepper if desired. Transfer the baking sheet with the pot pie into the center of the oven, and bake until the top is golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes.
12. Sprinkle on the remaining 2 ounces cheese and return to the oven for 5 minutes to melt.
13. Let cool for 15 to 20 minutes before serving.
14. Cut crust with a sharp knife and scoop out with a spoon to serve.

Attribution

Recipe and photo used with permission from: Cabot Creamery.
Recipe and photo courtesy of Katie Webster.