Chicken potpie is very easy to make without a recipe and easily adaptable to what you have on hand. You just need pie pastry (homemade or store bought), cooked chicken (or leftover turkey), vegetables of your choice (I like onions, peas, and carrots), and things you can find in your pantry (chicken broth, butter, flour, salt & pepper).

Here are some easy to follow instructions that you can change to fit your recipe:

1. Start by melting some butter in a large saucepan or dutch oven, if using onions sauté them now, if not throw in an equal amount of flour.
2. Proceed by streaming in chicken broth while continuously stirring until the consistency of gravy.
3. Add chicken and vegetables (frozen peas, blanched carrots, parboiled potato cubes, frozen pearl onions), stir and heat through.
4. Fit the bottom pie crust into a pie pan, fill with chicken and vegetable mix, add a top crust, cut slits to vent and voila! Chicken pot pie!

Now you can proceed two different ways: wrap in plastic wrap and then with foil or brush with an egg wash and bake in a 375 degree oven until hot, bubbly, and brown!

If you need a little extra kick of savory flavor, add some poultry seasoning.

Related posts:

1. Spicing Things Up in the Artic
2. The Claus Family Thanksgiving Menu

Usually I just stuff the chicken with a variety of herbs, lemons, and garlic, rub it with a bit of butter and finish it off with salt and fresh cracked pepper. Last week though, I was feeling a little spicy. Cajun seasoning was just the ticket!

What’s great about this rub is that you can make it depending on how spicy you like it! We like it with a touch of bite, but by all means make it mild!

Cajun Roast Chicken

4-5lb whole chicken
4 tablespoons of butter – room temperature
1 head of garlic
Cajun Seasoning
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon of smoked paprika
1 heaping teaspoon of cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon whole dried thyme leaves
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon Lawry’s seasoned salt

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Combine spices in a small bowl. Set aside.

Rinse chicken with cold water, then pat dry. Rub 3 tablespoons the butter underneath the skin over the breast meat. Liberally salt and pepper the chicken cavity. Cut the garlic head in half horizontally, put inside. Rub the remaining tablespoon of butter all over the outside of the chicken. Sprinkle Cajun seasoning all over the chicken, then rub all over the chicken trying to evenly distribute the spices.

Tie together chicken legs and tuck under the wings. Place in roasting pan.

Roast chicken for 1 ½ hours, or until the chicken reaches 165 degrees. Baste the chicken every 20 minutes. Allow to rest for 10 minutes. Cut and serve!

(I like a little gravy to pour over the chicken, or anything else on my plate! If you feel up to waiting another 5 minutes, I would recommend making this gravy. It has a delicious hint of spice from the rub!)

To make a simple gravy, pour off pan drippings into a liquid measuring cup allowing the fat to rise to the top. Place the roasting pan onto a burner on medium heat (if it isn’t safe on the stove top, just use a skillet) Pour about 3 tablespoons of fat back in, and add in an equal amount of flour, whisk together. The consistency shouldn’t be gluey, if it is too thick and dry looking just add a little more fat in. After a minute, pour in a cup and a half of chicken broth while whisking smooth. (Store bought chicken stock works great!) Bring to a bubble add salt and pepper, check for seasoning. Serve!

Related posts:

1. Mrs Claus Chicken Pot Pie (or Turkey)
2. Tres Leches Cake
3. The Claus Family Thanksgiving Menu