I love good ole comfort food. I am born and raised in the heart of the Midwest and we LOVE creamy casserole/ hot-dishes. But Unfortunately many times these are made with cans of cream of XYZ, which are filled with processed oils, sugar, and msg. No thank you. Little did I know that you can actually make these “the gravy” from scratch. WHAT?!
Guys real food cooking can be so intimidating and sauces seem hard but man alive they are so very simple. This recipe is a perfect example of simple sauces. A sauce is a fat, flour, and a liquid combined with spices, that is IT.
The first tip, do not have the heat too high. Medium heat is your friend. Secondly, slowly add the liquid and allow to thicken a bit before you add more. This restraint will make all the difference to the texture of the sauce. Thirdly, whisk, whisk, mix, mix, especially if you dairy milk or cream. It will easily curdle and burn.
I do have a Facebook Live, demonstrating this recipe! Check it out!
Now let’s just get it a try and enjoy!!
THE RECIPE
Ingredients:
2 cups chicken thighs, cubed (1 #)
½ medium onion, or one large leek
2 celery, finely diced
2 carrots, diced
1 cup mushrooms
1 cup frozen peas
2 garlic cloves
6 tbsp butter, split
2 -3 tbsp GF flour ( I use potato starch)
2 cups broth split
1 cup milk (coconut -dairy free)
2 pounds yellow potato
3 tsp salt
For a veggie short cut, you can do 1 1/2 cup frozen mixed veggies
Putting Together:
Preheat large cast iron pan on medium heat, as well as preheat the oven to 350. While waiting, dice up the raw chicken into bite size pieces.
Grab a stockpot filled with water and bring to a boil for potatoes. When comes to boil throw in and boil for 10 minutes till fork tender. Or you can use the instant pot as well. Add all the potatoes to the instant pot with ½ cup broth. Set on 12 minutes on high. You will quick release then mash them with 2 tsp salt and the remaining butter adding ½ cup of broth at a time for the consistency you are looking for in your potato. This mixture will be spread on top of the chicken pot pie mixture.
Now it is time to cook the chicken. BUT first add 2 tbsp butter to pan, then onions and garlic. Let those sauté till onion kind of clear. Season the chicken with ½ tsp salt, then add the chicken to pan. Cook for 5-8 minutes, then add one tbsp butter. Start adding in celery, carrots, mushrooms and cook for 2-3 minutes till the mushrooms soften. Sprinkle mixture with potato starch ( or other flour) and stir. Make sure to cook all the starch then slowly add the 1 ½ cup of broth, stirring till combined as you keep adding. Let the mixture thicken a bit. Next you will add coconut milk and frozen peas ( this is were to add if using frozen veggies). Stir and add more salt as need for taste. Let this mixture simmer on low while getting potato ready. Spread the mashed potatoes on the mixture and add to a preheated oven at 350 for 15 minutes
