A Slow Cooker Recipe: Chicken Potpie

Back in my bachelorette pad days, my kitchen was so tiny that I could barely turn around, let alone put together an elaborate meal. When dining out got old, there was many a night that I relied on my trusty crockpot for a tasty homecooked meal. Space was so tight that I had to sit the appliance on the drop-leaf table in my living room (there simply wasn’t enough space on my kitchen counter). Fast forward a few years, I now have a grown-up sized kitchen (well, at least by NYC-standards), but I still love a great slow cooker recipe… especially when I’m short on time. I love that I can just drop the ingredients in before work and come home to something spectacular.  The following recipe is one that I adapted from Real Simple Magazine.

Ingredients

• 8oz package of baby portabello mushrooms, trimmed and halved
• 4 large carrots, chopped into 1-inch pieces
• 1 medium yellow onion, coarsely chopped
• 1/3 cup flour
• A few of sprigs of fresh thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 1/2 pounds of boneless skinless chicken breasts (you can substitute thighs, if you prefer dark meat)
• 1 sheet puff pastry
• 1 cup frozen sweet peas
• 1 cup frozen string beans
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• salt & pepper

Preparation:

• Combine mushrooms, carrots, onion, flour, thyme, bay leaves, and 1/2 cup water in 4-6 quart slow cooker. Season chicken with salt and pepper and place on top.
• Cover and cook 7-8 hours on low or 4-5 hours on high.
• 30 minutes before serving, preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cut puff pastry sheet into four 4.5 circles and place on a baking sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes, or until golden brown.
• 10 minutes before serving, add frozen vegetables, cream and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Cover and heat through.
• Using two forks, shred chicken into bite size pieces.  Spoon chicken mixture into bowls and top with pastry rounds to serve.

Slow cooker recipes are pretty fool-proof, but the one thing I can’t recommend enough is springing for an appliance that has a built-in timer.  It makes life so much easier when you don’t have to worry about the food overcooking!