Weekly meal schedules are meant to be broken. I love having an idea of what’s on the menu for the week. However, I also love being able to rearrange. As long as I get all my ingredients at the beginning of the week, our nightly dinner is up for negotiation. Last night was bu-sy! I had CPR training after work and then went on a kitty rescue mission (more on that later). I didn’t get home until 7 and I was feeling a bit under the whether. The aches tell me it’s the flu, but boy I hope I’m wrong!!! Anyway, chopping, sautéing, and simmering were not on my to do list so the chicken pot pie was put on hold. Dippy eggs with toast, getting kitty settled, and bed were so much more appealing!
The ol’ switcher-o left chicken pot pie tonight. Despite still not feeling the greatest, I had much more time to make this dinner a leisurely and relaxing experience. And I knew it was bound to make me feel better too! Perfect timing!
So depending on where you are from, you might be asking your self, “Is she nuts? That’s not a pie!”
In Pennsylvania Dutch country, this is chicken pot pie. It still has dough, just in noodle form instead of a crust. You can’t beat home-made noodles. Trust me.
I started with the aromatic gang. Did you know that this mix is technically supposed to be two parts onion to one part carrots and celery? I had no idea! However, I’m always for cooking with your personal taste buds in mind. This mix is also known as a mirepoix or matignon. Mirepoix if you strain the stock from the veggies and a matignon if you leave the veggies in. Veggies (read: fiber, nutrients, and chew) almost always stay in while I’m cooking.
After the aromatics cook in some olive oil until soft, add your stock and bring to a boil then reduce to a nice simmer. Next into the pot, taters. They simmer until softened, but not not til they’re mush. Chicken can go in whenever. I pre-cooked mine so I just chopped it and tossed it in.
Then comes the fun part! You get to get your hands dirty! Noodles! All it takes is 1 egg to one cup flour. I doubled the batch and used one cup whole wheat flour and 1 cup all purpose flour. You know, fiber could save your life! In my opinion it also brings more depth of flavor and texture to whatever you’re making. Win-win!
Just drop your noodles into the big pot and simmer. When the noodles float, it’s done! Season with salt and pepper to taste.
In case you need more concrete directions…
Chicken Pot Pie
- 3/4 large onion, chopped
- 2 medium carrots, chopped
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
*Sauté veggies in olive oil until soft.
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 3 potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 3 cups chicken, cooked and chopped
*Add chicken stock to the pot and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Add potatoes and chicken. Simmer while you work on the next step.
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
*Pour flour onto counter and make a well. Crack eggs into the well. Mix with your hands until a dough forms. Roll on a floured surface and cut into squares. Drop squares into the pot. When they float, they’re done.
- Salt
- Pepper
- Enjoy!
