Idaho Potato Chicken Pot Pie

Idaho Potato Chicken Pot Pie is the third installment in my quest for total potato domination. Believe it or not, that’s my number one mission in life. There’s actually a double dose of tater action in this recipe with the crust stealing the entire show, in my humble opinion. What do I know, though? I only run this blog. Don’t take my word for it. Try it for yourself and then decide. I’ll be here waiting to say, “I told you so,” but in a totally nice way I promise. Anyhow, I’m calling it a Baked Potato Crust which I predict will take the world by storm, and it’ll be the only way we eat pie crust from now on (as it should be). Shredded Idaho potatoes, crispy bacon, sharp cheddar cheese, and chives are folded into a bowl of flour, sugar, salt, butter, shortening and ice water, creating a flaky pie dough that I’d be willing to bake off in large batches and eat by itself. Someone might have to come over here and stop me. That’s the only way the madness will end. *Insert evil laugh here.* 

When I was coming up with this recipe I developed the crust first—no surprise since it’s the most important part to any pie—and I tried to end the recipe brainstorming right then and there. Somehow the little voice in my head convinced me otherwise, making me aware that not everyone is like me and will want just a pie dough recipe all by itself, with no filling. That’s crazy talk talking. What kind of pie is that Jonathan? So I figured why not make a savory pie with it? And then chicken pot pie popped into my head immediately. The only logical thing to do next was to make sure I added even more potatoes to the recipe, so I decided a boatload of diced potatoes would accidentally find its way into the creamy pot pie filling as well. Oops. 

Just in case you haven’t been keeping up (shame on you) there has been two other partnership Idaho Potato recipes this month. The first one was a slider to end all sliders, Baked Idaho Potato Sliders. Last week I debuted the incredible Idaho Potato Carne Asada Fries. Think nachos but on fries. Like whoa. But listen to me going on and on about the past, right now, the only thing that matters is this CHICKEN POT PIE! I’m yelling because I’m excited, and because I accidentally hit the caps lock button. Anyhow, it’s still winter so let’s get our comfort food on y’all. 

As with any pie on this site, the crust is the most important part. Therefore, we’re going to start by making the crust first. Once we get that done, all of the stress will be lifted. Everything else will come easier. This isn’t just a regular pie crust though. It wouldn’t be Candid Appetite recipe if that were the case. This happens to be a Baked Idaho Potato Pie Crust. What’s a baked potato pie crust you ask? You’ll find out soon enough. 

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar and salt. 

Now, here is where the baked potato part comes in. We’re going to add, right into the dry ingredients, shredded cheese, potatoes, bacon and chives. All things found in baked potatoes right?!

**Note: You need to cook the potatoes before adding them to the crust. I nuked them in the microwave but if you don’t have one because you’re scared of them like Julian is, then you can boil them in water or bake them in the oven. The goal is to cook them until just fork tender. Maybe even a tiny bit before that. You want them to be somewhat soft, but not too soft.**

Allow the potatoes to cool off completely before peeling and grating with a box grater. 

Toss to evenly combine and to coat completely in the flour. Add in the vegetable shortening and super cold butter cubes. 

**Tip: Cube the butter and then place it in the freezer for a few minutes before crumbling into the ingredients. Cold butter is crucial for flaky crust!**

Break down the butter and shortening with your finger tips until coarse crumbs form. Then add in the ice cold water, a tablespoon at a time, and mix until it comes together and forms a ball. 

Wrap well with plastic wrap and allow to chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour or overnight. 

Let’s turn our attention to the filling now. It’s a traditional pot pie filling, as they come. 

Brown the chicken pieces in a hot pot with a little bit of oil. Season with salt and pepper. 

**Note: We’re looking to brown and crisp the chicken, not necessarily cook it all the way. It’ll continue to cook later on with the sauce and in the oven, once the pies bake.**

Transfer the chicken to a plate or platter and set aside. Return the pot to the stove and add in the butter and onions, garlic, carrots, and celery. Cook until soft and tender. 

Stir in the sliced leeks. 

**Tip: To clean the leeks, slice and then place in a bowl filled with cold water. Swish it around with your fingers. The leeks will float up and all of the sand, dirt and grit lodged in between the layers, will go to the bottom of the bowl!**

And because this post is sponsored by Idaho Potato, we of course, need to add in the potatoes. Sure, there’s already a bunch of shredded potatoes in the crust, but I can never get enough of these yummy taters so I’m adding them into the filling as well! 

Give everything a great big mix and stir to evenly combine it all. Then stir in the flour.

**Note: The flour will help thicken the pot pie filling, making it almost like a gravy.**

Add the chicken stock, milk, peas and season with salt, pepper, and fresh thyme. 

Allow the sauce to thicken and the potatoes to cook for a bit until almost tender. They’ll continue to cook later on in the oven. 

Remove from the heat and set aside. Then get ready to roll out the crust. Place the chilled dough on a lightly floured work surface.

**Note: These pot pies are going to be baked in individual ramekins, but you can totally make it in one large baking dish. Just pour the filling into a 9×13 baking dish and top with the rolled dough.**

Roll out the dough into a large rectangle about a half of an inch thick. Cut out large circles (a little large than the size of the ramekins you’re using). 

Divide the filling among the ramekins and place a crust round on top of each, making sure it extends to the edges and covers the top completely. 

Place the pot pies on a baking sheet to catch any drips while baking. You don’t want the liquid to hit the hot oven because then smoke will billow out of the oven and the fire alarm will start to ring and you’ll be forced to wave a kitchen towel around in front of the fire alarm cursing and yelling for it all to stop. Wait. Is that just me?!

Brush the tops liberally with an egg wash (egg and a splash of water whisked together) to create that golden brown crust on top!

Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown and crusty on top.

I like to serve this pot pie with a simple green salad on the side. Ooh, you could also do a couscous or quinoa salad if you’re feeling extra healthy!

Don’t skimp out on making this crust, it’s really what makes the recipe so great! I mean, there are a million pot pie recipes out there BUT none of them have a baked potato crust on top. You can’t beat that. It’ll change your life completely. Let’s be potato addicts together. You know you want to. 

If you’re looking for a vegetarian pot pie recipe, you can just omit the chicken and bacon in this recipe or give this Roasted Autumn Vegetable Pot Pie a try from the vault. Just make this crust (minus the bacon) to go along with it, because this crust is EVERYTHING! I’m never going to stop talking about this crust. Get used to it. 

Don’t forget to check back for the final Idaho Potato partnership recipe next week! It’s a whopper of a recipe involving lots of cheese and of course POTATOES!

Idaho Potato Chicken Pot Pie

Idaho Potato Chicken Pot Pie is the third installment in my quest for potato domination! A baked potato pie crust filled with a classic pot pie filling!

Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 55 minutes mins

Ingredients

For the crust

• 2 small Idaho® potatoes
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
• pinch of kosher salt
• 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter cubed
• 4 tablespoons vegetable shortening
• 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese shredded
• 1/2 cup cooked bacon crumbled
• 2 tablespoons chives chopped
• 5 to 6 tablespoons ice water

For the filling

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 pound chicken breast cutlets diced
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 yellow onion diced
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 2 medium carrots diced
• 2 celery stalks diced
• 2 leeks sliced and cleaned
• 2 medium Idaho® potatoes peeled and diced
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme chopped
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 tablespoons flour
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 2 cups frozen peas
• 1/2 cup half and half
• 1 egg whisked with splash of water

Instructions

• To make the crust, cook the potatoes in the oven, or on the stove top in boiling water, or in the microwave until almost fork tender (not all the way). Allow to cool completely. Carefully peel the potatoes with a knife and shred with a box grater. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar and salt. Cut in the butter and shortening with a pastry blender, a potato masher, two knives or your hands, until it resembles coarse crumbs the size of peas. Fold in the grated potatoes, shredded cheese, crumbled bacon and chives. Add the ice water, a tablespoon at a time, mixing with a rubber spatula by hand until the dough comes together. It should be moist, but not too wet. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and allow to chill in the fridge for about 1 hour or overnight.
• To make the filling, preheat oven to 350° F. Set a large pot over medium-high heat and add in the olive oil. Once hot, add the diced chicken to the skillet. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper and cook until browned and crispy, about 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate and set aside.
• Add the onions and garlic and cook for about 3 minutes until soft and translucent. Add in the diced carrots, celery, leeks, potatoes, pinch of salt and pepper, and the chopped fresh thyme. Stir to evenly combine and allow to cook for another 5 minutes to soften. Make a well in the center of the pot and add in the butter, allow to melt completely. Stir in the flour and cook for about 30 seconds. Slowly stream in the chicken stock while stirring. Lower the heat slightly and bring to a boil. Season with remaining salt and pepper, and cook until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in the peas and half and half. Set aside.
• On a lightly floured work surface roll out the baked potato dough until half of an inch thick. Pour the chicken pot pie filling into a large 9x13 inch baking dish or into 6 individual ramekins. If using ramekins, cut the dough into rounds to cover each individually. If using 9x13-inch baking dish, just place the entire rolled dough over the filling. Brush with egg wash and place on baking sheet to catch any drips.
• Bake for about 30 to 35 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbly. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

yields: 4 to 6 servings

Author: The Candid Appetite