So, about a month ago, I mentioned the Curry Chicken Pot Pies that I had at a party.  I wanted to give them a whirl, but of course, I couldn’t stick with Alton’s original recipe… (Sorry, Alton!!  But I’m sure you understand.)

It’s still not perfect by any means, so this is round one – but they are still pretty tasty!  I skipped the curry – my brother isn’t a fan (bad childhood experiences) which was fine, I’ve been looking for a decent “plain” chicken pot pie filling recipe to start with, and this looked like a good base.

First, I wanted to do some sort of bite sized version like my friend did.  I couldn’t find puff pastry (I am sure my market has it and I was just looking in the wrong places) so I went with fridge biscuits and used about 1/3 to 1/4 of a biscuit for each section in a mini muffin tin.

I added some garlic (because everything needs garlic) to the onions & celery, and used sweet onion since the white onions around here have been insanely strong this year.

Cut the 4 cups of veggies to 2 cups and added 2 cups of diced white potatoes.  (I also microwaved them for a few minutes, as I had no faith that they would cook through just sitting in the oven with the veggies – I would have boiled them if I had thought of it soon enough.)

Finally, rather than letting the sauce thicken and then folding in the veggies & chicken, I just went ahead and added it all at the same time and letting the chicken simmer in the sauce & seasonings.  Added them to the biscuit cups and popped them in the oven for 10 minutes at 350 (the temp called for on the biscuit package.)

And the results:

I put some of the leftovers in the fridge – 5 minutes at 400 degrees in the toaster oven is just right for reheating without burning the biscuit part.  The rest are in the freezer, we’ll see how well they can be thawed and reheated for snacks.

Now, the changes I need to make for next time…

– Cut it in half.  The original recipe says 6-8 servings.  That is 6-8 servings for people who really, REALLY like chicken pot pie!  (Seems most 4 serving recipes will feed myself and my brother, and then I have a small serving left for lunch the next day.)
– More potatoes, less veggies. :)
– A little bit of bacon.  Cause everything is better with bacon, and I think it would give it a little something.
– Find where the grocery store is hiding the puff pastry.

They were SO GOOD – I HIGHLY recommend this recipe.  The curry is not at all overwhelming, it just gives it a little bit of a kick.

I am definitely going to have to give these a whirl at some point.

Dijon Popcorn Chicken

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into nugget size of your choice
~ 2 cups Italian Style Breadcrumbs
~ 1 cup Grated Parmesean Cheese
~ 3 T Mayonnaise
~ 3 T Country Dijon Mustard

Combine Mayo & Mayonnaise in one bowl. Breadcrumbs & Parmesan Cheese in another bowl. (I usually add a few more spices – a bit of oregano, basil & garlic powder.)

Dredge the chicken pieces in the mayo/mustard, then in the breadcrumbs. Bake at 400 degrees F for 10-20 minutes. (Depends on the size of the chicken pieces, how accurate your oven is, etc. The good news is that it is really hard to overcook these.)

I usually bake them on a wire rack to prevent stickage.

Yield: 36 nuggets/pound for me.

Per Nuggets: 33 Calories; 1g Fat (36.2% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 2g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 9mg Cholesterol; 94mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 0 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

The original is over at Allrecipes.com, and below is my version. It’s more of a thick soup consistency to me, and great in the winter. Though I normally eat it “naked”, I’m betting it’s one of those soups that would be good with a dollop of sour cream on top. There is a nice heat to it, but not to the extent that you won’t be able to taste anything else for the rest of the evening. The jalepeno cornbread I snagged at the market worked well with it, but I think plain cornbread would be perfect for the next time.

Also, if chopping onions and garlic while standing next to open containers of crushed red pepper and cumin doesn’t clear your sinuses – you need to see a doctor.

It really hit the spot, and will be making a repeat appearance tomorrow evening. (It’s just as good, if not a touch better the next day!) A small container has been stashed in the freezer for future colds. ;)

Full recipe and another pic after the jump.

1.5-2 T butter or oil for browning
1.5# chicken breasts, cubed
1/2 c. chopped onion
1-1.5 c. chicken broth (divided, need 1 c. minimum)
1 4oz can chopped green chiles*
1-3 15oz cans Great Northern Beans (depends on how much you like beans – I start w/1 can and add if needed)
1-2 small white potatoes, diced (optional – if you don’t like potatoes, then go with more beans)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1.5 t ground cumin
1.5 t dried oregano
1 t cilantro
1/2 t crushed red pepper

Brown chicken in melted butter over medium heat. Add onions and garlic, cook over medium low heat until onions are translucent/tender. Transfer to colander and let drain.

Add 1 c. of the chicken broth & the chiles to the pot, bring to a boil.

Stir in the spices, 1 of the cans of beans (with the liquid), the potatoes and the chicken/onion/garlic. Bring to a boil again and let boil for 3-5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and let simmer 30 minutes.

Check it at about the 15 minute point, if too thick, add some of the remaining chicken stock, if too thin, add some of the remaining beans. If after 30 minutes it’s too thick/thin, you can still add the beans or broth then and just let it go another 15 minutes or so. Thick/thin is totally your call – just get to the consistency you like. If you think it’s too spicy, add more of the beans.

Tonight when it hit the 15 minute point, I decided it needed more liquid, but also wanted it a touch thicker – but it had plenty of beans in it already. So, I defrosted some frozen stock I had in a small saucepan, added more spicing to it, and whisked in some cornstarch and added all that to the main pot. Result: more liquid and just the right thickness.

Any leftover chicken broth can be frozen and used later.

*Whole green chiles are fine, just make sure you realize you’re getting whole ones so you’re not doing a mad dash slice & dice when you open the can and realize they’re not already chopped. :)

Bubbling goodness:

But, the chicken was very low quality, the potatoes tasted like they hadn’t been washed, there were big clumps of flour in it, and it had apparently been stored near some holiday pies as it had some weird underlying cinnamon thing going on.

To me, the filling for a CCP should basically be a really thick cream of chicken soup concoction. I’m thinking from a simplicity standpoint, make that, fill some ramekins and then puff pastry on top. Granted, it wouldn’t be a true CCP, but a hell of a lot better than what I got from Boston Market…

I’ve got a good baked potato soup recipe, I bet I could modify that – just a matter of figuring out the best way to cook the chicken. Will report back when I’ve had a chance to make it happen.

I’ve been in the mood for something Tex-Mex-ish lately, and this popped into my head when I saw the challenge was chicken.

Not a difficult dish at all, but hit the spot tonight. Poached chicken breasts in 1:2 water/broth, shredded them and let them marinate in enchilada sauce overnight. Fried up the tortillas, put down some cheddar & monterey jack cheese, then the chicken and more cheese. Pop under the broiler just long enough to get the cheese melty. When I make these again, I need to figure out something else to put on top to give it a little more kick and color.

My very favorite way to have this chicken salad is on criossants, but I couldn’t get hold of any today, but little flour tortillas did the trick. It’s ridculously easy.

Toss some boneless, skinless chicken breasts into a deep skillet, cover w/water, put on med to high heat. Bring to a boil (~10 mins), cover, cook 10 minutes, turn over, cover, cook 10 more minutes.

Put chicken in fridge to chill (just makes it easier to cut up. If you prefer shredded, then go at it)

Dice chicken, slather in sauce, chill, eat. It’s carb friendly to boot.

Sauce:
~2 parts mayonnaise
~1 part Country Dijon Mustard (the kind w/the seeds)

Mix to taste, mix with chicken until it looks like you’ve put a little too much on it – as the chicken sits, it will soak up some of the sauce.

Things you can add that are good:
- chopped celery
- chopped walnuts
- chopped apples
- finely diced onion

Since you can’t see the filling when it’s all wrapped up…

Dinner!