I love one pot meals; easy clean up right? But even beyond that, there’s something about all of these ingredients spending this much time together that really adds a special depth or level to the dish. Now this is not "technically" a one pot meal but its that same idea: it’s a super simple dish that makes people stop and think, “Wow. What did he do?” 

This recipe, like all my recipes, is pretty simple for the most part. As long as you have all of your mise en place, that fancy french term I keep bringing up, everything will go smoothly as we put together this dish. 

Heres what you'll need to yield 4: 

2 T butter 

1 small onion, diced 

2 small potatoes, diced and blanched 

1 cup mushrooms, sliced 

1 1/2 cup frozen vegetable medley (no shame in this) 

2 cups chicken, cooked & shredded (preferably dark meat) 

2 bay leaves 

5-6 sprigs of thyme 

2 cups chicken stock 

2-3 T of Wondra flour 

4 squares of premade pie crust (again, no shame) 

Salt & pepper to taste 

1 egg, beaten 

Start by turning your oven on to 375 degrees. Next, get a medium saucepot hot on high heat and start melting your butter. Add your onions when the butter starts bubbling and reduce the heat to medium high to sweat out the onions. Take your time on this step, remember were layering flavors. When the onions start to lightly caramelize you can add your mushrooms and herbs. Again, we just want a light color on these shrooms so this won't take long. 

When you have the color you want on these guys you can add your chicken stock. Keep the heat at medium and slowly bring the liquid to a simmer. When a simmer is reached, start to sprinkle your Wondra flour on top, just adding a little at a time. We want a nice thick, velvety smooth consistency. It should coat the back of a spoon and feel stable, but not thick and lumpy like a pancake batter. So use your best judgment on how much to add but I usually add about 2 tablespoons. When your mixture reached the desired consistency, add the pre-cooked potatoes, chicken, frozen vegetables and herbs, and let it simmer for about 5 minutes. Cut the heat off and give it a taste; season with salt and pepper. 

You may be curious about what Wondra flour is and to start, it’s not a type of flour as much as it is a brand of flour. This particular brand makes a low protein, quick dissolving flour that is used in a lot of tarts and pie recipes but is commonly also used as a thickener for quick sauces or soups. The brand became so popular that most recipes just refer to this type of flour by the name itself, Wondra. 

Once our filling is made we can fill up our little vessels about an inch below the rim. As these bake there gonna bubble and ooze and if we want to keep a pretty pot we need to alot for that space. Take your piecrust and drape it over the top, giving it a nice firm push on the rim around. Now its important we have an air vent so steam can escape and evenly cook our little pots. You can make little slits in the middle with a knife, or grab an adorable cookie cutter and get cute with it. We eat with our eyes first right? 

Brush with a beaten egg and in the oven it goes at 375 for about 20-25 minutes. When they come out they should cool for about 5 minutes before serving.

Tags: recipes, recipe, chicken, comfort food, quick, one pot