Ellie's Chicken Pot Pie with Phyllo Crust
By Ellie Krieger, MS, RD
Image: Courtesy of Christopher Hirsheimer
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My life is full of wonderul chicken pot-pie moments. I even have fond memories of the frozen TV-dinner pies my mom would heat for me after she worked all day. Embarrassingly, my sister and I composed a silly chicken-pot-pie song long ago -- a kind of ode to our favorite dinner -- that we will still croon today if you get us going.
This version of the dish satisfies my most intense pot-pie yearnings in a way that's a step up from the familiar food of my childhood. I make it a bit more sophisticated, skipping the lunch-room vegetable mix in favor of keeping it all green and white inside with aromatic leeks, crisp green beans, fresh herbs, and chunks of chicken and potato smothered in a creamy sauce, topped with a flaky blanket of phyllo.
Ingredients
- 1-1⁄4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 1⁄2-inch chunks
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1⁄2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 leeks, bottom 4 inches only, trimmed, washed well, and chopped
- 2 stalks celery, chopped (about 1⁄2 cup)
- 2 medium white potatoes, left unpeeled and cut into 1⁄2-inch pieces
- 1⁄2 pound fresh green beans, trimmed and chopped into 1⁄2-inch pieces
- 2 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons)
- 1-1⁄2 cups nonfat milk
- 1⁄3 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup peas, thawed if frozen
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- 3 sheets frozen phyllo dough, thawed
- 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Cooking Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat 4 individual-size baking dishes with cooking spray.
- Season the chicken with 1⁄4 teaspoon of the salt and 1⁄4 teaspoon of the pepper. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 2 teaspoons of the oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and brown, about 2-1⁄2 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
- Add 2 more teaspoons of oil, the leeks, and celery to the pan and cook, stirring a few times, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the potatoes, green beans, garlic, and the remaining 3⁄4 teaspoon salt and 1⁄4 teaspoon pepper and cook for 2 minutes more, stirring to combine everything. Add the milk. Stir the flour into the broth until dissolved and add to the pan. Cook, stirring, until the mixture comes to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Stir in the chicken, peas, parsley, and thyme. Spoon the mixture into the baking dishes.
- Put the remaining 1-2⁄3 tablespoons oil in a small bowl. Unroll the phyllo dough and cut it into quarters. Place a quarter-sheet on top of each baking dish and brush with the oil. Repeat layering with all three layers. Tuck the edges of the phyllo into the dish rim. Sprinkle the top of each pie with the Parmesan.
- Place on a baking sheet and bake until the filling is bubbling, about 30 minutes. Serve hot.
Recipe provided courtesy of Ellie Krieger. © 2008-2009 In Balance, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
To learn more about Ellie Krieger, MS, RD -- New York Times bestselling author and host of Food Network’s Healthy Appetite -- go to www.elliekrieger.com.
This content originally appeared in The Food You Crave: Luscious Recipes for a Healthy Life by Ellie Krieger (The Taunton Press, 2008).
For more of Ellie Krieger's recipes, eat-smart advice, and tips, check out her Kaboose column, Great Food, Healthy Family.
Nutrition Facts
Servings per Recipe:
4 pot pies
Calories: 585
Total fat: 13g
Mono: 7g
Poly: 1.5g
Sat: 3g
Protein: 50g
Carb: 70g
Fiber: 8g
Chol: 88mg
Sodium: 960mg
4 pot pies
This dish is an excellent source of calcium, copper, fiber, folate, iron, magnesium, manganese, niacin, pantothenic acid, phosphorus, potassium, protein, riboflavin, selenium, thiamin, and vitamins A, B6, C, and K. It's also a good source of zinc and vitamins B12 and D.
