Screw guilt. It doesn’t get much better than chicken pot pie. Except when you use light & flaky phyllo pastry. If you’ve not used phyllo pastry for a pie topping, the time has come. You’ll want to make these Easy Springtime chicken Pot Pies. Why? Because they’re lighter than your average chicken pot pie & all kinds of wonderful.
There are few foods better than pastry. Sad truth is, too much pastry isn’t great when a girl is trying to lose weight.. That would be ME! I’m not denying myself to never eat it. No. But in the case of chicken pot pie, using phyllo pastry instead of homemade pastry, phyllo or one of the other store-bought pastries means much less fat & calories. And baked to a dark golden brown, phyllo pastry is wafery light & crisp. Making it perfect for a springtime pie.
The fuss-free filling is a handful of ingredients – leeks, carrots, garlic, chicken, wine, broth & rosemary, braised & spooned into pie dishes. Then you layer phyllo pastry with just a light brushing of melted butter. Cut the pastry into squares, scrunch it up & pop it on top of the chicken filling. No rolling pastry. See, easy.
About 25 minutes later, you’re rewarded with a burnished gold crusted pie. *gasp*. I can never wait.
I show little restraint as I dig into the molten-hot filling. Apparently I’m a slow learner because I recently burned my bottom lip quite badly on a Feta Herb Mini Tart, an injury I’m still sporting.
I’m working on the guilt that comes hand-in-hand with trying to lose weight. Guilt is exhausting & achieves nothing. Actually, it makes me feel worse. You get it right? Well damn it, I was going to enjoy some pot pie. I love this variation using phyllo pastry. No guilt here, just raptures. Lol. Until next time,
- 2 leeks
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into strips
- pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 tablespoons all purpose (plain) flour
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 4 carrots, peeled & chopped
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary or thyme
- 1/2 cup frozen peas
- 8 sheets phyllo pastry*
- 3 tablespoons butter, melted
- Trim & discard the root end & tough top from leeks, reserving the white & tender green parts. Thinly slice the leeks & place in a fine metal sieve. Rinse under cold water to remove any dirt & give the sieve a good shake to get rid of any excess water; set aside.
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken. Sprinkle with salt & pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes or until browned; remove chicken from pan & set aside.
- Carefully add leek to the same pot (if there’s residual water it will splatter). Cook, stirring, about 5 minutes, or until leek is softened. Add the garlic & cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Add flour & cook, stirring, for 30 seconds to cook the flour.
- Add the wine & give the pot a stir, scraping any bits off the bottom of the pot.
- Add chicken, broth, carrot & rosemary. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium low. Cook, covered, for 20 minutes. Uncover & increase heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked & the sauce is thickened. Remove from the heat. Add the peas & stir to combine. Spoon into two rectangle, 8-inch (22cm) pie tins or a small baking dishes.
- While the chicken is cooking, preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Place a sheet of phyllo pastry on a cutting board. Brush with a little melted butter. Continue with 3 more sheets, brushing each sheet with butter. Cut it into 6 or 8 squares/rectangles. Scrunch each square & arrange on top of filling in one pie tin. Repeat with the remaining pastry & butter. Then arrange on top of the other pie filling. Place both pie tins on a baking sheet.
- Bake in preheated oven for about 25 minutes or until the pastry is golden & filling is bubbling. Makes 2.