Pumpkin Chicken Pot Pie

As I am the primary dish washer around here, I like anything that requires the fewest number of dishes to prepare. And I think I have always had a thing for one pot meals.
It’s all about efficiency for me. Plus, I think I just like the idea that I can get an entire meal in one dish. No having to worry about side veggies for me, throw them all in one pot and get on with it. That’s why I love a good chicken pot pie.
We were out and about the other day doing a little grocery shopping, and decided to pick up a couple of pot pies from our local grocer. Of course they were tasty and filling, but at the same time, I thought I could make it better.
So, I did. And since there are pumpkins galore at the farmers market this time of year, I decided to replace the usual potatoes in a pot pie with pumpkin. I think you may like the switch.

Pumpkins are in season

Pumpkin Chicken Pot Pie:

Prep:

This one may take a little planning, as the chicken will be easier to deal with if it has already been cooked.
I used puff pastry for the top crust on this one, and didn’t bother with the bottom crust, as I used our Lodge cast iron dutch oven. I sure like that thing.
This may have been the most challenging part.
For the puff pastry, pull it out of the freezer and thaw it in the fridge for an hour and a half to two hours.
Throw some flour down and roll out the puff pastry to about 3/16 of an inch. Or just eyeball it. Really, you just want it thin enough it wont take forever to cook.
Put it on a baking sheet, wrap it tightly, and put it back in the fridge for an hour.
After an hour, pull the puff pastry out and cut it to the size you want for your pot pie.
Wrap it back up, and throw it into the fridge. You might even want to do this the day before.

All the good stuff that goes inside.

Ingredients:

If you do your meal prep once a week, like we do, you have all kinds of cooked vegetables ready to go.
If you don’t, it’s no big deal, you can still have a tasty dinner in a short amount of time.

Olive oil
1 Onion – chopped
2 – 3 cloves Garlic – minced
1 small sugar pumpkin – cleaned peeled and cubed.
Any leftover cooked veggies. I used carrots, cauliflower, and celery
About a quarter to a half a cup of each.
3 – 4 cups of chopped cooked chicken. I used the rest of the roasted chicken Lydia made the other day.
About a cup or so of broth, chicken preferably. Water will work just fine too. I used the rest of this pan sauce.
Fresh sage
Fresh Thyme
Salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
About a tablespoon of cornstarch, flour or tapioca starch to thicken the gravy a touch. I used tapioca.

One egg

Method:

I did this all in the cast iron dutch oven. If you don’t have a dutch oven, cook everything in a large saute pan, and then transfer it to a casserole dish or something similar you can throw in the oven.

Pan sauce from earlier this week, makes this extra tasty

Preheat your oven to 425.
Heat some oil in the pan, and saute the onion until translucent.
Add the garlic and saute a few minutes longer. Don’t burn the garlic.
Add the pumpkin, cooked veggies and chicken.
Add the sage and thyme and the pan sauce or broth, and let simmer for a few minutes for all the flavors to mingle.

Here, transfer your pie filling to its final cooking device.
Or if using a dutch oven you can let it cool for just a minute or two before putting the puff pastry on.
In the meantime, crack that egg into a small dish and add the tablespoon of water and mix it all up.
Remove the puff pastry from the fridge and shape it to your pot or dutch oven. And brush it with the egg wash.
Put the whole thing in the oven.
Since all your ingredients are mostly cooked, except the pumpkin, which is well on its way, we are really just cooking the puff pastry at this point.
Cook it uncovered for ten minutes to brown the top. At the ten minute mark, pull the whole thing out and tent it lightly with aluminum foil, and cook for another 25 minutes. I checked mine at 15 and pulled it out at 25. Your oven might differ.
You want the puff pastry to be light, crispy, and flaky. If it is still a little soggy, keep it in the oven for a little longer.