My husband and kids like Chicken Pot Pie. Awesome, right? Veggies, chicken - great go-to for an evening meal. However, as a working mom, I do not like the whole dough, filling and chopping that seemed to go along with it.
So, I rejoiced when I found a recipe that gave the homemade likeness without the work. Here's what I do.
1) Take frozen chicken and put it in a crock pot before leaving for work. Usually about 4-6 chicken breasts. Put a little water in the bottom (about 1.5 cups) so they do not dry out or stick to the bottom. Cook on low.
2) When I arrive home, I pull out the puff pastry and put those in the oven. Here is a photo. Beware that there are sheets and cups. These are the cups and when you bake them, they puff up like a little up and you can just pull off the top when done to fill them. I say "beware" because my husband went to pick them up once and came home with sheets of pastry. Those ended up not working as well and a lot messier.
3) As the pastry shells are baking, I take the chicken out of the crock and shred it. A friend of mine says she shreds hers in a blender but I just use a fork. Whatever works for ya - this is all about the ease. :)
4) Then, put the chicken in a microwave safe bowl and add to it: one bag mixed vegetables (we like the corn, beans and carrots), one can of cream of chicken soup and one cup milk. Stir it all together and microwave it for 3 minutes. Stir again and repeat until the mixture is heated fully.
Once the pastries are cooked, take them out and pop off the little circle on top. You are left with a pastry "bowl" that you can fill with the chicken goodness. Then, enjoy.
When I made this the first time, my family looked at the chicken mixture and said, "ugghh". But, then, they tried it and now they request it.
And me, I feel like hero mom because it is semi-homemade and they love it!
