Ask anyone who knows me well and they’ll tell you – even though I can dress the part – as evidenced in the photo here, I really don’t know much about the game of football. That said I do know how to throw party and I love a theme! This year with the Carolina Panthers in the Superbowl its time for the party of the year!
If you live in or around Charlotte, the Carolina’s Panther themed stuff is not a hard find, particularly this week. Jerseys, blankets, flags and all sort of ways Panther fans can strut their stuff and express their pride in the home team is to be found on nearly every street corner in town. For even more of a selections local fans can check out the team store at the stadium; and those out of town can place orders online.
What to serve to your arm chair quarterbacks is always a dilemma, but it shouldn’t be – the formula here is easy: keep it simple, filling and good. Wings, BBQ, a sandwich platter or always good-tos, but today I think I’ve got something even better…
The classic recipe for Chicken pot pie is a crowd pleaser and one that transforms beautifully into stunning Superbowl fare ( particularly when its served with the “out of the pie pan and into the helmet” approach I shared on the video that will accompany this post.
On Feb 3 at 11 am I’ll prepare the recipe below from start to presentation on WCNC’s Charlotte Today, but thought those of you who subscribe to my blog might want the recipe ahead of my broadcast. You can make it your own by creating a pork, beef, seafood or veggie version of the same.
Later today I’ll update this post with photos and links to the video, and then will post it out to the public via social media – so you’ll want to check back for the rest of the story, but for now – here’s what I’ll be cooking on WCNC’s Charlotte Today this morning, Tune it at 11 am!
Perfect Chicken (pork, beef, seafood or veggie) Pot Pie
-a classic recipe you can put your own spin on and have crowd pleasing results every time…
4 tablespoons butter
5 tablespoons organic flour
2 1/2 cups rich chicken beef or vegetable broth (make the broth rich by taking 5 cups of broth + 2 carrots, a bay leaf and a small onion and reducing it with a slow simmer to one half the volume)
2 tablespoons fresh minced thyme leaves
Sea salt and Heidi’s pepper blend
1/2 cup organic or local heavy cream or half-and-half or whole milk
6 cups cooked chicken, beef, pork or seafood, sliced or shredded
1/2 pound sliced fresh mushrooms, sautéed
2 cups artichoke hearts from a can or jar, drained ( you may use marinated or unmarinated as you would like)
6 local or organic carrots, sliced
1 recipe for Vodka Pie Crust or 2 rounds of your favorite organic refrigerated pie crust (see below)
Melt the butter and whisk in the flour in a medium sized saucepan. Cook the “roux” until well blended. Gradually whisk in the rich broth, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Add cream. Stir to blend well.
Add the chicken, mushrooms artichokes and carrots. Pour the filling into a buttered 13 x 9″ pan. For the crust use strips of pie crust over the top of the casserole shaped into in a basket weave pattern. Bake for 35 minutes in the preheated 400° oven.
Vodka Pie Crust
Makes enough for one 9-inch double-crust pie
2 1/2 cups (12 1/2 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. sugar
12 Tbsp. (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1/2 cup cold vegetable shortening, cut into small bits
1/4 cup cold vodka
1/4 cup cold water
Process 1 1/2 cups flour, salt, and sugar in food processor until combined, about 2 one-second pulses. Add butter and shortening and process until dough just starts to collect in uneven clumps, about 15 seconds .
Scrape bowl with rubber spatula and redistribute dough evenly around processor blade. Add remaining cup flour and pulse until mixture is evenly distributed around bowl and mass of dough has been broken up, 4 to 6 quick pulses. Empty mixture into medium bowl.
Sprinkle vodka and water over mixture. With rubber spatula, use folding motion to mix, pressing down on dough until dough is slightly tacky and sticks together. Divide dough into two even balls and flatten each into 4-inch disk. Wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 45 minutes or up to 2 days.