Texan Chicken Potpie Recipe
Football games, back-to-school schedules, and homework mean fall is here and time is short, but no worries. Here’s a recipe for an easy dinner that can feed the whole family. Bonus: This Texas-style twist on classic chicken potpie can easily be made ahead. Makes 4 servings.
Ingredients
For the crust:
1 cup and 2 tablespoons flour
⅛ teaspoon sea salt
½ cup (1 stick) butter, cut into cubes and frozen for one hour
¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese
¼ cup ice water
For the filling:
1 medium sweet potato (to yield 2 cups cubed)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, diced
½ medium red bell pepper, chopped
4 cups cooked chicken, shredded (about 1 medium-size rotisserie chicken)
1 teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon cayenne
¼ teaspoon salt
1 14.5-ounce can of corn, rinsed and drained
1 14.5-ounce can of black beans, rinsed and drained
1 egg yolk
Method
To make the dough, put the flour and salt in a food processor and pulse once or twice to combine. Add the frozen cubes of butter and pulse three or four times, until the butter becomes the size of small pebbles. If it does not, pulse a time or two more. Add the cheese and ice water, and keep pulsing. When the dough starts to come together, but is still quite shaggy, it’s done. Turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and gently pull it together into a disc. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.
Peel and chop the sweet potato into ¼-inch cubes. Add them to a pot of salted water over high heat. When it boils, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook the potatoes at a simmer until they’re no longer firm, but still hold their shape, about 5 to 10 minutes. Drain them and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. You may do steps one and two in advance and refrigerate overnight.
Remove the pie dough from the fridge, and use a rolling pin to roll it out until it’s pliable. With a knife, cut four rounds of dough about 1½-inches larger than the circumference of the 1-cup ovenproof ramekins you plan to use. Place the rounds on a sheet pan and refrigerate while you make the filling.
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Put the olive oil, onion, and garlic in a large skillet over medium heat and cook until the onion is translucent, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add the red bell pepper and cook until slightly softened, another 3 or 4 minutes. Add the chicken, cumin, cayenne, and salt and mix well. Let this cook until warmed through. Add the corn, black beans, and sweet potato cubes and gently toss. Turn off the heat and let cool completely before proceeding to the next step.
Put the four ramekins on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and divide the filling among them. Place a round of dough on top of each ramekin, gently pressing the dough against the sides of the dish. Use a knife to make one or two small slits in the top. Whisk together the egg yolk with a teaspoon of water, adding the water a few drops at a time and stopping once the mixture is smooth, and lightly brush over the tops of the pies. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until the crust is light brown. Serve hot.
© 2015 Texas Farm Bureau Insurance
