Try this Chicken Pot Pie recipe, or contribute your own.
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons water
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cut in 1-inch
- 3/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 1 1/2 cups progressoâ„¢ chicken broth (from 32 ounce carton)
- 2 cups diced peeled russet potatoes
- 1 package frozen mixed vegetables (12 ounce)
- 1 pillsburyâ„¢ refrigerated pie crust (softened as dir
- Carbohydrate 2.9376297928427 g
- Cholesterol 15.2515625065405 mg
- Fat 5.77696208580142 g
- Fiber 0.0631979164994314 g
- Protein 0.0968937500292028 g
- Saturated Fat 3.65360395989611 g
- Serving Size 1 1 serving (135g)
- Sodium 41.6576458509716 mg
- Sugar 2.87443187634327 g
- Trans Fat 0.405894583506063 g
- Calories 63 calories
Step-by-step
- Heat oven to 450°F. Line large cookie sheet with cooking parchment paper. Spray Instant Potâ„¢ insert with cooking spray. In medium bowl, toss chicken pieces with salt and poultry seasoning. Select SAUTE; adjust to normal. Melt butter in insert. Add chicken; cook 3 to 4 minutes without moving, until browned on first side, then turn and cook 2 to 4 minutes or until chicken is browned on second side. Select CANCEL.
- Stir in broth, potatoes and frozen mixed vegetables. Secure lid; set pressure valve to SEALING. Select MANUAL; cook on high pressure 2 minutes. Select CANCEL. Set pressure valve to VENTING to quick-release pressure.
- In small bowl, beat cornstarch and water with whisk. Select SAUTE, and adjust to normal; heat liquid to simmering. Beat in cornstarch mixture; cook 30 to 60 seconds, beating frequently with whisk, until thickened. Select CANCEL.
- Meanwhile, unroll crust on work surface. With 2 1/2-inch round cutter, cut 16 rounds from crust, rerolling once; discard scraps. Place pie crust rounds on cookie sheet. Bake 7 to 9 minutes or until golden brown and crisp. Immediately remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack.
- Spoon chicken mixture into bowls. Top with pie crust rounds.
Operating under a strict thirty-minute total time constraint requires shifting the workload from passive simmering to active high-pressure extraction, utilizing a multicooker to bypass the traditional hour-long oven bake while retaining standard structural integrity. Brown the chicken pieces for three to four minutes without moving them to develop Maillard compounds before introducing the liquid. Russet potatoes, chosen for their high starch content, release amylose during the two-minute high-pressure phase, naturally enriching the broth alongside the subsequent cornstarch slurry. Because chicken breast meat dries out easily under aggressive heat, monitoring the browning stage visually ensures the protein remains tender inside the spiced exterior.
The Mechanics of Starch Thickening
Raw starches require direct heat to gelatinize, which is why whisking a cornstarch and water slurry into simmering broth is chemically necessary rather than optional. Amylose molecules uncoil when heated, trapping liquid within a web that increases viscosity rapidly within thirty to sixty seconds. Whisking continuously during this brief window prevents the formation of unhydrated lumps that result in a chalky mouthfeel. Cooking the pastry rounds separately on parchment paper at 450 degrees Fahrenheit for seven to nine minutes guarantees crispness, preventing the bottom crust from turning soggy when submerged in hot gravy.Reheating and Storage Strategies
Second-day transformations of this dish demand careful separation of components to maintain textural contrast. Store the leftover chicken and vegetable filling in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days, keeping the baked pastry rounds in a separate dry container at room temperature to preserve their crisp bite. When reheating the filling on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stir frequently and add a splash of chicken broth if the starch matrix has tightened overnight. Re-crisp the stored pastry rounds in a 350-degree oven for three minutes before serving.
