Artichoke Chicken Pot Pie

Chicken pot pie. Three short words that have me drooling back to my childhood days. Frozen from the grocery store or “fresh” from KFC, chicken pot pie was something I ate all the time as a kid and although oh so satisfying it was always far from being able to be considered a healthy meal. But with this rendition, that’s no longer the case! This recipe actually stemmed from my desire to work with a particular ingredient: artichoke hearts (specifically canned artichoke hearts for their convenience). Not enthused by the idea of the usual spinach artichoke dip, I racked my brain for a better idea and that’s when a look in the fridge at a Costco rotisserie chicken inspired me.

Packed with antioxidants and a great source of folate, dietary fiber, and vitamins C and K, artichoke and I are now glad to be more than just distant acquaintances. And although considerably light on the butter and oil, there’s no taste of skimping in this dish; the filling is rich and the the pastry is flaky, just like a pot pie should be. To make things even better, this pot pie is super quick to put together as the pie crust uses oil rather than the traditional solid fat-food processor method. But even when I come up with a dish I end up really loving, it’s not often I make it again simply because I’m always thinking about what new thing I want to try next. But everyone needs a trusty pot pie recipe in their culinary arsenal and this one is mine.

Artichoke Chicken Pot Pie

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

For the sauce

2 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 an onion, diced
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups low sodium chicken broth
2/3 cup reduced fat milk
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper

For the filling

1/2 pound cooked rotisserie chicken breast, shredded
14 oz canned artichoke hearts, drained and sliced
1 large carrot, thinly sliced
1/2 cup sliced white mushrooms

For the pie crust

150 g (1 1/4 cup) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp reduced fat milk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 F.
To make the sauce, cook the onions in the butter over medium heat until soft and translucent. Stir in the flour and cook for ~1 minute stirring constantly. Gradually stir in the chicken broth and milk. Season with salt and pepper and continue to cook the sauce until thickened. Set aside.
To assemble the filling in a 9.5″ circular glass baking dish, layer in the chicken, artichoke hearts, carrots, and mushrooms. Pour the sauce over the chicken-vegetable mixture.
To make the pie crust, stir together all the ingredients. Press the mixture into a disc and roll it out on a well-floured surface. Using your rolling pin as an aid, cover the filling with the dough.
Cut a cross in the center to let the steam escape and bake for 35 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown. Let cool for 15 minutes before serving.