Momma Told Me: Sometimes less is more.
Growing up my childhood dinner plate was always filled with hearty, comforting, simple meals my mother would make with, typically, just a handful of fresh ingredients. For me the food always tasted especially delicious because I often had a hand in their preparation from start to finish. Whether it was the week's meal planning, picking out the perfect onion, or watching the kitchen timer while Momma simmered a sauce, I felt invested in each meal. Through the years the lessons learned in Momma's kitchen have stuck with me as I plan and cook for my own family. Two remain especially poignant; 1.) The best meals aren't always the most complicated ones, and 2.) Food always tastes better when you have a hand in preparing it yourself. That's why I'm pleased Foster Farms has challenged me to create and share one of my family's newest comfort food recipes.
The first lesson might be a no-brainer, but the second one, I've found applies to many things in life. You see, when you put a little bit of yourself into something you not only invest extra, you often go the extra mile because your name's going into it. Foster Farms knows a little something about that, they've been raising my family's favorite ingredient, chicken, since 1939. That's over 75 years of raising chicken for countless West Coast comfort food meals.
And, much like your favorite 5 ingredient recipe, Faster Farms is constantly looking to offer more with less. Their new Foster Farms Simply Raised chicken is chicken, at its purest. Chicken sourced from birds fed a 100% vegetarian diet, with no antibiotics or steroids ever, and American Humane Certified. My Foster Farms Simply Raised chicken selections even come locally, from my own state! You spend plenty of time reading labels and trying to pronounce ingredients when worrying what to feed your family, so why should you have to worry about how the chicken you're preparing was fed and raised?
When you spend less time fussing over mystery ingredients, and break your recipes down to real, fresh, food- something delicious happens. That's precisely what new comfort food is. Rich and hearty recipes full of real ingredients you can see and taste. Today I'm going to share one of my favorite new comfort food recipes, just in time for Fall; Chicken Pot Pie Potatoes, made with Foster Farms Simply Raised Chicken.
You'll find the complete ingredients list, and instructions in printable format at the bottom of this post. For now, let's go over the simple steps to this delicious heart and belly warming meal.
Start by washing and preparing your potatoes- I find that medium sized Russet potatoes seem to cook fastest and offer a nice flat surface to core and use as your 'potato skin' pie vessels. Stab each potato a few times with a fork then set them aside. Tear off a square of foil, approximately 12" x 15" for each potato you wish to prepare. Using a stick of butter generously rub the foil to coat approximately 2" from each edge. Using a salt and pepper grinder generously cost the butter layer in salt and pepper.
While you can cook your potatoes however you prefer for this step, I find the foil method allows for just enough time to cut and prepare your other ingredients and the pie filling, while offering a lovely 'crust' like potato skin. Wrap your potatoes in the foil and cook in a 415F pre-heated oven for 40-50 minutes. Your potatoes should be soft in the center when a fork is inserted, when done, and should cool, unwrapped for at least 10 minutes prior to handling again.
While your potatoes cook you'll want to prepare your pot pie filling vegetables. For me a hearty pot pie has at least 4 veggies, but the more the merrier. My family loves mushrooms, carrots, diced onions and peas. With the Fall approaching we will probably also add kernel corn into the mix. I also find that baby carrots are the perfect size to dice up for these mini potato pot pies. Keep in mind the smaller you chop/dice your ingredients the quicker they will cook, and the better texture they will have- though, traditionally you want to see rich chunks of veggies and chicken in a comforting pot pie filling.
I like to prepare my Foster Farms Simply Raised Chicken breast fillets by cutting them into 1" cube portions. As a child I remember my mother's pot pies would always have the warmest gooey filling accompanied by the most tender chunks of meat. Tender, melt in your mouth chicken is key to making this a comfort food- and you're going to want your chicken to really stand out above all the other fresh ingredients in your filling. Remember to always wash your hands with hot water and soup after handling raw poultry!
Just before your potatoes exit the oven you'll want to start heating a large pot or skillet with a thin layer of oil to sear and flash cook your onions and veggies. Starting with any garlic, onions, any/or mushrooms, heat until the ingredients begin to turn semi-translucent and soft. Next, on medium-high heat, add your carrots and chicken. Saute until your chicken is no longer pink and add a pinch of salt and pepper, to preference.
Now it's time to to make that famous thick and creamy sauce everyone associates with a delicious pot pie filling. Sprinkle your flour across your ingredients and gentle turn to coat before adding your milk and cream. Bringing your sauce to a boil, stir constantly to ensure the mixture evenly combines and a creamy consistency develops. Once your sauce has thickened to a desired texture (keep in mind you will want it a little 'saucy' as you are going to bake your filled potatoes) remove from heat and set aside.
Prepare your potatoes by carefully slicing off the top 3rd and coring out the center of the potato, leaving a 1/2" border of potato all the way around. I like to reserve the potato 'filling' for homemade ranch mashed potatoes the following night, but they also can be chilled for 3-4 days and incorporated into another meal- or tossed with any leftover pot pie filling.
Generously spoon your prepared chicken pot pie filling into the hallowed out potatoes- this is, after all a comfort food and should be overflowing ya'll. Place filled potatoes side by side in a 9"x 13" baking dish. Don't worry if a skin or two tears- they're just as delicious when they're overflowing, they just don't look as pretty.
Now every great pot pie needs a 'crust' your spoon breaks into to reveal that warm, creamy, chunky, filling beneath. In this case a generous layer of cheese atop the over-stuffed potato skins will serve nicely. I find a sharp white cheddar really compliments the creamy filling wonderfully, while offering a nice snappy, easy to brown, 'crust' top. Toss these babies back into the oven for 10 minutes and get ready to let your mouth do its happy dance.
I'm not going to lie, this is my absolute favorite way to eat a potato- and it's my favorite chicken pot pie recipe, hands down. I feel like 1 or 2 of these is hearty enough to be a meal in itself, but we also pair it with a fresh salad from time to time to really compliment the comfort creamy nature of the pot pie, itself. These can also be prepared in advance and simply popped into the oven 10-minutes before preparing, for those busy Fall school nights when you don't quite have time to build an entire meal from scratch. However you choose to prepare then, there's no denying this is everything great about comfort food with real, whole, ingredients you can see and taste in every delicious bite. Now, share with me one of your favorite comfort food dishes, and how you tweak it to make it your own.
Be sure to check out the Foster Farms Simply Raised hub for more great ideas on new comfort food recipes your family is sure to love.
What Daughter Says: Sometimes ingredients shine best in traditionally comforting, simple, dishes.
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Foster Farms Simply Raised Chicken.
Chicken Pot Pie Potatoes
****Click here for printable Chicken Pot Pie Potatoes Recipe
Ingredients
3-4 Foster Farms Simply Raised Chicken Breast Fillets
6-8 Medium Russet Potatoes
2 TBS Vegetable Oil
1 Medium Onion, Well Diced
1 Cup Baby, Peeled, Carrots
1 Cup Mushrooms, Thinly Sliced
1/2 Cup Sweet Peas, Canned or Fresh Cooked
3 Cloves Fresh Garlic, Minced
1 C Freshly Grated White Cheddar Cheese
1/4 C Whole Wheat Flour
1 C Low Fat Milk
1/3 C Heavy Whipping Cream
2 TBS Fresh Minced Parsley
Salt and Pepper To Taste
Directions:
Preheat Oven to 415F
1. Stab potatoes with a fork several times and set aside. Tear off a square of foil, approximately 12" x 15" for each potato you wish to prepare. Using a stick of butter generously rub the foil to coat approximately 2" from each edge. Using a salt and pepper grinder generously cost the butter layer in salt and pepper. Wrap your potatoes in the foil and cook in a 415F pre-heated oven for 40-50 minutes. Your potatoes should be soft in the center when a fork is inserted, when done, and should cool, unwrapped for at least 10 minutes prior to handling again.
2. While your potatoes cook prepare your other ingredients- dice your onion and slice your mushrooms and carrots, mince your parsley and grate your cheese.
3. In a large saucepan, over medium-high heat, heat your oil until shiny. Add your onions, garlic, and mushrooms and saute until your onions begin to turn semi-translucent. Add your chicken and carrots and continue to cook until chicken is no longer pink. Generously sprinkle with salt and pepper as desired.
4. Sprinkle all of your flour across your mixture and gently stir to coat. Add your milk and cream and stir, over medium-high heat, bringing to a boil. Continue to stir until mixture is smooth and creamy. Remove from heat, fold in minced parsley, and set aside.
5. Once your potatoes have cooled for a minimum of 10 minutes carefully slice the top 1/3 off and core out the center to within 1/2" from the potato's skin edges. Spoon your prepared filling generously and top with a generous layer of grated cheese. Bake at 415F for 10-5 minutes, or until the crests of cheese begin to turn golden brown. Remove from oven and serve immediately with a soup spoon.
