Chicken Enchilada Pasta

20130910-214554.jpg

This recipe was another recipe I got from Pinterest. I have made it four times. It is a family favorite. I love to share recipes I have tried with you guys that I think are delicious. This recipe originated from the blog, “Pearls, Handcuffs and Happy Hour.” What a cool name! The only thing I changed in her recipe, was I topped the adult bowls of pasta with chopped cilantro. Otherwise, simply click on the link above. You will not be disappointed. She came up with an amazing dish!

20130910-214624.jpg

The best part, besides the incredible taste of this dish, is it only takes about thirty minutes start to finish to prepare. I use rotisserie chicken (so simple). That is my kind of dish!

Here are the following pictures of the quick process:

20130910-214142.jpg

I used way too much olive oil! Use less than me!

20130910-214207.jpg

20130910-214231.jpg

20130910-214322.jpg

20130910-214345.jpg

20130910-214410.jpg

20130910-214517.jpg

Please let me know if you make this! Do you have any recipes from Pinterest that I must try out? Please share!

I shared this on Savvy Southern Style

And My Romantic Home

Chicken Pot Pie

Chicken pot pie is something I had always been intimidated to make. It seemed quite difficult. I knew, however, that the key to many a heart lay in making this pie. Now I make chicken pot pie on a regular basis. This is what my friends request when they are sick in bed. It is what I recently left for our sweet petsitter to eat while she watched our furry darlings.

I hope you enjoy the following comforting dish as much as I do!

The following recipe was adapted from Ina Garten’s Chicken Pot Pie recipe. I have changed it a little to make it easier. I am sure hers is better, because she is amazing. However, we all know I am lazy and want quick results. Here is a link to her original recipe

Ingredients (this will make two pies)

2 rotisserie chickens (I only dice the breasts on these, you can use all the meat if you prefer. I do not use the skin) (when I double recipe, I buy three rotisserie chickens)
1 cup of diced carrots (this is usually 1/2 pound and I buy the crinkle all ready cut for you carrots in a bag)
1/4 cup diced onions (I use frozen diced onions)
1/4 cup of frozen peas
1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 chicken bouillon cubes
5 cups of salted chicken stock (I usually use one quart and one of those little cartons of chicken stock, they come in packs of 4)
1 and 1/2 sticks salted butter
2 packages of 2 refrigerated pie crust (I prefer Pillsbury and it has to be refrigerated, not frozen)
3/4 cup flour

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. If you have a convection oven, like I do, preheat to 350 degrees on convect bake. Dice up your rotisserie chicken. Set aside.

In a sauce pan, boil the water for carrots. Once boiled, add carrots and boil for 7 minutes.

Drain boiled carrots into a colander in the sink. Return the now empty sauce pan to the stovetop and add the chicken stock and bouillon cubes to it. Bring to a gentle boil. While that is simmering, proceed to the next step.

Take pie crusts out of refrigerator at this time to soften.

In a large pot on the stove, melt your butter over medium low heat. Add onions and sauté until softened. This takes 8-10 minutes. Add the flour and continuously stir mixture for 2 minutes.

20130331-203455.jpg

Turn off heat to chicken stock. Pour the chicken stock/Bouillon cube mixture into the pot with onion/flour/butter mixture (the roux).

20130331-203703.jpg

Stir continuously until it is beautiful and thick. Turn off heat.

Add carrots and peas and mix together. Add chicken. Add cream. Stir. Taste mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste. I hate when recipes say that! Just tell me how much to add! For me, this is usually 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of ground pepper. Stir together.

20130331-203804.jpg

In two pie pans, lay one layer of the pie crust down in each evenly. Pierce with holes. Pour 1/2 chicken pot pie filling in pie tins.

For the next step, you can make the top of your pie crusts pretty, by simply stamping the center of each one with a cookie cutter.

Lay your now pretty pie crust tops on each pie evenly. Pinch together edges. Pierce top with fork to allow steam to escape.

20130331-203930.jpg

Place in oven and cook for 45-50 minutes. Mine usually takes 50. Remove from oven once top of pie is golden brown. Turn off heat. Allow to cool for 15 minutes.

20130331-204008.jpg

Oh my gosh, now eat that bad boy! So yummy!

Total cost for two pies: $20.47

2 rotisserie chickens $10
2 packages pie crust $3.98
1/2 package carrots $1
1/4 cup frozen diced onions $0
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream $1.75
1 and 1/2 sticks butter .99
1/4 cup frozen peas .25
2 bouillon cubes .66
5 cups chicken stock $1.84

Please let me know if you try this. I love to hear from you!