I thought long and hard about what to call this one… and am still not convinced it’s the right name! On theme with the last two weeks, when I was on maternity leave I spent the time to try some of the harder recipes I have been wanting to make from the cookbooks collecting dust on my shelf. One of those being gluten free chicken pot pie! Yes, I did in fact make homemade pastry crust for chicken pot pie! A favorite before going gluten free but honestly too hard laborious if you can’t buy pre-made crust. What I found after making it surprised me… I loved the gooey, heartwarming, insides but did not particularly NEED the crust to enjoy the dish. Although delicious, it really didn’t add to the flavor or nutritious value of the dish… plus took most of the time and effort!

So I embarked on making JUST the inside of the pot pie. Surprise, surprise. It was sooo good. You get all the comforting flavors of chicken pot pie but without the mess or hassle of the crust that in my opinion (now as an adult) is not the best part. It also very easily aligns with my current “easy recipes only” mantra. Win win. 

Now back to naming this dish. What is a chicken pot pie if not if not a “pie” with a pie crust? Not a chicken pot pie probably? I googled the history of the dish and yes, in fact, the dish originated back to Ancient Rome where meat pies became a fad with crusts on the top and bottom. Given this dish doesn’t have a single bit of crust, it’s probably wrong to call it pot pie. But the filling IS the traditional pot pie slides. So what else should I call it? If you have ideas please send my way! I guess I could as AI but I am not mentally there yet with ChatGPT. Let me know!

The recipe is fairly traditional, except I removed the peas. Mostly because I never have peas on hand… frozen or otherwise. And I also added turmeric… why not make it a little more complex in flavor? And if you have tried thickening gluten free gravy at Thanksgiving, you may know how difficult it is to get that creamy consistency that makes up the inside of pot pie. But coating the cooked vegetables in potato starch easily distributes the thickening and works like a charm. 

My last note on this recipe is that I have been adding large crunchy baked bread chunks on top to a) make up for the lack of crust and b) add something crunchy to the mix. I simply toss stale bread with olive oil, parmesan and Everything-But-The-Bagel seasoning, bake it (or air fry) while I make the insides, then toss on top! Kind of like making garlic bread as a side but less bread-y and no garlic ha! Okay enough from me, enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

1 lb. chicken 

2 golden potatoes

3 stalks of celery

3 carrots

1 white onion

4 cloves garlic

4-6 fresh sage leaves

1 tsp. turmeric

1 tsp. thyme

salt & pepper

2 cups chicken bone broth

¼ cup heavy cream or coconut milk

2 tbsp. potato or arrowroot starch

Optional Topping: Fresh parsley, flaky sea salt, red chili flakes, bread chunks tossed with olive oil, parmesan, and everything but the bagel seasoning

Serving Size: 4

INSTRUCTIONS

• Cube the chicken into 1-inch chunks. 
• Chop potatoes (skin on), celery, carrots, onion, and garlic. 
• Add a dash of olive oil to a large skillet.
• First add the chicken and cook completely over medium heat (approx 6-8 minutes). Remove the chicken from the skillet and set on a plate or bowl, keeping nearby. 
• In the original skillet, add the chopped potatoes, celery, carrots, onion and garlic with another dash of olive oil. Stirring occasionally until the onions start to turn translucent (depending on how large the skillet, approx another 6-8 minutes). 
• Add the chicken back into the skillet and lower the heat. 
• Toss the chicken and vegetables with turmeric, thyme, salt, pepper, and potato starch.
• Gently pour in the bone broth and cream, stirring until combined. 
• Cook altogether for another 4-5 minutes until the broth starts to thicken. 
• Remove from the heat, sprinkle fresh parsley, flaky sea salt, and red chili flakes on top. And enjoy!
• *If adding the bread topping, while the vegetables cook, roughly chop stale bread and toss with a bit more olive oil, parmesan, and EBTB seasoning. Bake at 400F for 8 minutes or air fry at 400F for 6 minutes. Add on top of the skillet before eating.