I’m not gonna lie…this recipe does NOT fit into my usual “easy, busy-mom approved” recipes. When my kids got home from school yesterday, I thought I would “whip up” this dish and get a whole bunch of other Christmas baking done in the meantime (snort).
It’s the only baking that got done.
On the upside, my arms and hands got a great work-out trying to chop up that squash. Maybe I need to use something besides my soup ladle and a knife? Probably a story for another time.
There are, however, some things that are worth all the trouble they create. To date, it’s my favorite chicken pot pie. Somehow the flavors of the squash and bacon; chicken broth and cream, all come together perfectly. Adapted from Jen’s recipe @ Savory Simple.
I promise you’ll love it.
Chicken Pot Pie with Butternut Squash and Bacon
Crust:
1 cup all-purpose flour, unbleached
1 teaspoon salt
7 ounces salted butter (no substitutes)
1/3 cup very cold water
In a food processor, chop up flour, salt, and butter until it resembles small crumbs. Add water and mix until just blended. Scrape out into plastic wrap, cover, and place in the fridge.
Filling:
1 butternut squash, diced into small cubes
6-8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
3 tablespoon canola oil
1 large onion, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups broccoli florets, chopped small (can substitute cut green beans)
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, boiled and shredded
Throw the chicken into a pot with water (should cover everything). Add some chicken bouillon, and bring to a boil. Throw the cubed butternut squash into another large pot; boil until tender (approximately 10 minutes). While the chicken and squash are cooking, add the canola oil to another saucepan or dutch oven. Saute the onion and garlic until they are tender and start to brown. Then add broccoli, cook until slightly softened (leave a little bit of a crunch). If the pan starts to brown too much, add a little water and keep stirring and scraping up the bits. Remove from heat; add the cooked, shredded chicken and cubed squash (retain 3 cups of the chicken stock). Add crumbled bacon. Set aside.
Sauce:
4 Tablespoons flour
4 ounces butter
3 cups chicken broth
1 1/4 cup half and half or heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in flour with a whisk, making a roux. Stir in chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add cream and salt, bringing to a low boil again. Stir consistently until the sauce is thickened.
Pour over the cooked vegetables and meat. Stir together; place into a pie dish (should fill 2, 9 inch pans). Remove the dough from the fridge. Unwrap and separate the dough into two balls. Roll out on a floured surface. Place over the filling. Cook @ 400 degrees for around 25 minutes.
I think I could devote an entire blog to bacon.