Cajun Chicken Pot Pie

I made this pie a while back when it was probably still snowing out but I would eat it again today or tomorrow. Yesterday was our first day of springish like weather that really had me convinced that spring is actually coming this year (hooray!). The weather is still cool enough to crank your oven & make something hot for dinner (soon to be replaced by deliciously charred-right-from-the-grill meals). I’ve made chicken pot pies before (like I did here & here) in different shapes & sizes but what makes this one different is that I put a cajun twist on it & made it with the flavors that you would find in gumbo.

What are you cooking during this in between weather?

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 carrots, peeled & diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 2 ribs celery hearts, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups cooked chicken, chopped into 1/4 - 1/2 inch chunks
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 1/2 cups frozen peas
• 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper ( or more to taste)
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or more to taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon basil
• 1 teaspoon thyme (or more to taste)
• 2-4 tablespoons cajun seasoning depending on the desired heat level (make sure it the kind without salt added)
• 3 cups chicken or veggie stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 pie crusts (one for the top & one for the bottom) - homemade or store bought
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon water
• pinch of cayenne pepper

Make it!

1. Cut up chicken (I used a store bought rotisserie chicken) but you can use leftover chicken of any kind - just be sure to cut it off the bone.
2. Prep all ingredients before you start cooking, you'll thank me later.
3. Prepare roux in large heavy saucepan by stirring butter & flour constantly for 5 minutes on medium-high heat.
4. Reduce heat to medium and continue stirring for 10 minutes, or until the roux is reddish brown. The darker the roux = more creole vs. cajun (lighter), I opted for a lighter color for this recipe but you can do whatever suits your taste.
5. Stir in peppers, garlic, onions, celery, salt, black & red pepper.
6. Cook for 3-5 minutes until crisp, but tender. Stir often.
7. Gradually!! stir in chicken/veggie stock.
8. Blend it into the roux & vegetables.
9. Add the corn & all the spices.
10. Bring to boil.
11. Reduce heat & simmer for 30 minutes.
12. Now would be a good time to roll out our pie crusts on a floured surface & pre-heat your oven to 375.
13. Stir in the frozen peas.
14. Discard bay leaves.
15. Place one pie crust in the bottom of a pie dish/pan. Drape the extra dough over the sides & make sure there’s enough give in the crust so that when you add the filling it won’t break the crust.
16. Carefully spoon the filling into the bottom pie crust.
17. Roll out the top of the pie crust. I like to use a cookie cutter to cut a fun shape (in this case a heart!) into the middle of the crust.
18. Then carefully cover the bottom pie crust & filling with the top crust.
19. If you have too much dough on the sides you can trim it but I like to just crimp it all together.  Crimp the pie crust all around until the pie is completely sealed.
20. In a small bowl mix the egg, water & a pinch of cayenne together.
21. Using a brush, brush the egg wash mixture over the top of the crust - this will give it a nice golden brown & shiny look.
22. If you have a pie bird you can stick it in the hole you cut in the center of the pie - it really does help the pie bake evenly so that you don’t have a big lump on one side & a concaved other side but if you don’t have one that’s ok - this pie is better the more rustic it is. I always put a baking sheet on the rack below my pie just in case there's any spillage - I'd rather clean the baking sheet than the oven.
23. Bake the pie for 15 minutes. The top should start to brown. To stop the crust from burning now is a good time to take the pie out & cover the outer rim of the crust with a pie crust shield or with some tin foil.
24. Return the pie back to the oven & bake for another 30 minutes.
25. Let the pie cool for about 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!