# Chicken pot pies **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 2, 2012, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-pot-pies/617637 "2012-04-02T22:36:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Dogzilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@Dogzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogzilla)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2012, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-pot-pies/617637/21 "2012-04-03T20:12:39Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > I like the idea of puff pastry; it would be lighter than the biscuit topping and basically just needs to be taken out of the freezer. Yeah, it’s stupid simple, browns easily and quickly, and gives you a nice flaky crunchy texture, especially if you egg-wash it first. I’ve been known to mix up some chopped herbs with the egg-wash… I am not Southern, despite living in the south for the last 20 years, and so I do not care for biscuits. I will eat them with fake-sausage gravy, but not a fan. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2012, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-pot-pies/617637/22 "2012-04-03T20:35:38Z")
> [@Dogzilla](#): > > Yeah, it’s stupid simple, browns easily and quickly, and gives you a nice flaky crunchy texture, especially if you egg-wash it first. I’ve been known to mix up some chopped herbs with the egg-wash… > > I am not Southern, despite living in the south for the last 20 years, and so I do not care for biscuits. I will eat them with fake-sausage gravy, but not a fan. I grew up in Alaska and love them, so I don’t think the South has much to do with it. Fake sausage gravy? Those are English words, but they make no sense when you write them. **Athena** : It so happens we’re going to be in Santa Fe next month. What’s the name of the restaurant? ---
**Author:** ![Dogzilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@Dogzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogzilla)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2012, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-pot-pies/617637/23 "2012-04-03T20:49:55Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > I grew up in Alaska and love them, so I don’t think the South has much to do with it. Fake sausage gravy? Those are English words, but they make no sense when you write them. > > **Athena** : It so happens we’re going to be in Santa Fe next month. What’s the name of the restaurant? I grew up “Up North” where we were more likely to have some form of carb other than biscuits at breakfast, usually just toast. And yeah, I had to go to Morningstar Farms fake snausages after I quit eating beef and pork. Still makes a tasty gravy. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2012, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-pot-pies/617637/24 "2012-04-03T21:19:08Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > **Athena** : It so happens we’re going to be in Santa Fe next month. What’s the name of the restaurant? [Hidden Chicken Cafe](http://www.hiddenchickencafe.com/). Very casual, almost fast food. But good stuff! ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2012, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-pot-pies/617637/25 "2012-04-03T22:06:08Z")
For a while my wife and I were making weekly trips here- [http://www.moffettschickenpies.com/](http://www.moffettschickenpies.com/) Very interestingly the chicken pot pie was only chicken and gravy (white), while the beef pot pie was gravy (brown) with carrots and peas and beef. ---
**Author:** ![DonLogan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/51bf81/32.png) [@DonLogan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DonLogan)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2012, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-pot-pies/617637/26 "2012-04-03T22:39:48Z")
Bechamel with reduced chicken stock and then ingredients similar to yours. I’m not big on crust, so years ago I stopped making crust (never used a bottom crust anyway) and just serve the filling with rice. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2012, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-pot-pies/617637/27 "2012-04-03T23:28:07Z")
> [@DonLogan](#): > > Bechamel with reduced chicken stock and then ingredients similar to yours. I’m not big on crust, so years ago I stopped making crust (never used a bottom crust anyway) and just serve the filling with rice. Hell, that’s just chicken a la king, isn’t it? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2012, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-pot-pies/617637/28 "2012-04-04T04:40:45Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Hell, that’s just chicken a la king, isn’t it? 😛 Well, if you’re going to call white flour gravy bechamel, you might as well call it that. ---
**Author:** ![Becky2844](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Becky2844](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Becky2844)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2012, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-pot-pies/617637/29 "2012-04-04T12:14:15Z")
We cook our pot pies in a glass casserole dish and sprinkle cooked stove top dressing on top. Kind of crunchy. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2012, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-pot-pies/617637/30 "2012-04-04T16:55:15Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Well, if you’re going to call white flour gravy bechamel, you might as well call it that. That’s pretty much what bechamel is: flour, butter and milk. ---
**Author:** ![DonLogan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/51bf81/32.png) [@DonLogan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DonLogan)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2012, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-pot-pies/617637/31 "2012-04-04T22:14:03Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Hell, that’s just chicken a la king, isn’t it? 😛 Yeah, it’s damn close. I put pimento in my a la king, and other than that, just mushrooms (and leave the shrooms out of the “pie”), so the flavor is appreciably different. And I make the pie gravy a little thicker. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2012, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-pot-pies/617637/32 "2012-04-04T23:25:00Z")
> [@DonLogan](#): > > Yeah, it’s damn close. I put pimento in my a la king, and other than that, just mushrooms (and leave the shrooms out of the “pie”), so the flavor is appreciably different. And I make the pie gravy a little thicker. That’s one of those comfort dishes that I love. I’m a sucker for any rice dish, anyway. Glycemic index be damned. ---
**Author:** ![tim-n-va](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim-n-va/32/3001_2.png) [@tim-n-va](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim-n-va)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2012, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-pot-pies/617637/33 "2012-04-06T03:53:26Z")
Another “lazy” option: I assemble the filling and pour pancake batter on top and bake. I use a gluten free pancake mix and gluten free gravy. ---
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2012, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-pot-pies/617637/34 "2012-04-06T04:06:39Z")
I make chicken stock with a whole bird, an onion, a few celery stalks and carrots, a bit of garlic and some herbs, salt, pepper, and of course water. I remove the meat after the chicken is cooked, return bones and reduce. Then follow the basic idea above of a flour-thickened gravy, various vegetables and seasonings including a bit of sherry. I usually make this for my niece and nephew, who like it in a full pie, i.e. crust on top and bottom. I will try the biscuit/ramekin method when I get a chance. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2012, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-pot-pies/617637/35 "2012-04-06T16:11:46Z")
> [@Fiddle\_Peghead](#): > > I make chicken stock with a whole bird, an onion, a few celery stalks and carrots, a bit of garlic and some herbs, salt, pepper, and of course water. I remove the meat after the chicken is cooked, return bones and reduce. Then follow the basic idea above of a flour-thickened gravy, various vegetables and seasonings including a bit of sherry. I usually make this for my niece and nephew, who like it in a full pie, i.e. crust on top and bottom. I will try the biscuit/ramekin method when I get a chance. Just keep the biscuits thin or you’ll end up with way too much bread on top. ---
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2012, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-pot-pies/617637/36 "2012-04-06T18:03:20Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Just keep the biscuits thin or you’ll end up with way too much bread on top. Will do. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2012, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-pot-pies/617637/37 "2012-04-06T18:23:50Z")
You guys have decided for me what I’ll make for dinner this weekend. So much for trying to stick with salads and other low-carb stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2012, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-pot-pies/617637/38 "2012-04-06T18:30:12Z")
It may sound like heresy to the cook-at-home gourmet crowd, but whenever I go near a KFC, which isn’t often, I buy 3 or 4 chicken pot pies to take home and freeze. They are far better than grocery store brands. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2012, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-pot-pies/617637/39 "2012-04-06T18:49:46Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > While I COULD make this if I chose, my current method is to buy Marie Calendar’s on sale locally at $2.50. Best commercial version. They sell eight-packs of them at Costco for around 13 bucks. I’m reasonably sure I could live on them forever. Nom. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2012, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-pot-pies/617637/40 "2012-04-07T03:52:29Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > It may sound like heresy to the cook-at-home gourmet crowd, but whenever I go near a KFC, which isn’t often, I buy 3 or 4 chicken pot pies to take home and freeze. They are far better than grocery store brands. I actually had no idea they made pot pies. I’ll have to check that out one of these days. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-pot-pies/617637.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-pot-pies/617637.md?page=3)