Looking to ditch some of the calories and fat? This lighter chicken pot pie uses phyllo dough and a lightened up sauce to make it waistline friendly!
I love chicken pot pie. It is the absolute definition of comfort food. Well, maybe homemade mac and cheese would win that title, but pot pie sure comes close. In the past year or so, I've become a hardcore freezer stocker and from-the-pantry cook. Generally, chicken pot pie would not fall in either of those categories unless we're talking frozen Swanson's dinner.
I'd like to introduce my solution to that puzzle. The beauty of this particular pot pie is that it is basically a pantry/freezer staple except for the chicken. Pick yourself up a rotisserie chicken and you'll be all set. Shred and freeze a rotisserie chicken for later and this does officially become a pantry-only recipe.
The most surprising part is the use of phyllo dough instead of traditional pie crust. It looks like it would be so difficult and in fact is far easier. If you follow my recommendation of using an 8 x 11 baking dish, the phyllo sheets will fit perfectly across the top without trimming. Phyllo is only tricky when you have to cut it and mold it. Here, you just lay it right down and move on. The use of cooking spray even prevents the frustration of a pastry brush tearing the delicate sheets.
Light Chicken Pot Pie
This quick and easy chicken pot pie is made healthier with lots of veggies and lightened sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 rotisserie chicken, meat shredded
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- ¼ ts dried thym leaves
- ¼ cup flour
- 2 ½ cups skim milk
- 1 bag of frozen mixed vegetables (carrots, peas, green beans)
- 6 phyllo sheets, thawed
- Cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large saucepan over medium. Add onion and thyme, season with salt and pepper, and cook until onions are translucent and soft. Add flour, cook 1 minute. Gradually add milk, stirring until smooth. Cook, stirring occasionally until mixture comes to a simmer and thickens.
- Remove from heat; stir in chicken and thawed frozen vegetables. Pour filling into an 8×11 baking dish (a 2 qt pan).
- Working quickly, place 2 sheets of phyllo dough across the top of the filling. Spray an even coat of cooking spray. Add another 2 sheets of dough, spray. Place the final 2 sheets of dough and brush evenly with just a bit of real olive oil for better taste and browning, or go easy and use more spray.
- Bake until golden and bubbling, 20 – 25 minutes.
[…] This is one of my kids' favorites. The full recipe is in The Ultimate Kids' Cookbook but you can find the basics of it in this pot pie recipe here. […]