Let me begin by telling you how IN LOVE I am with this book!
Mad Hungry: Feeding Men & Boys by Lucinda Scala Quinn (The Executive Food Director for Martha Stewart Living) It’s beautifully written and OMG the inside is a graph designer’s dream. It’s like Blueprint magazine made a cookbook filled with the tastiest looking man food!
I started to mark the recipes I wanted to make with tags and then I had to stop because I found myself marking EVERY SINGLE PAGE.
It’s been a long time since I’ve been this excited over a cookbook.
Today I dove right in and made her version of “Hot Pockets.” What a great way to start such a wonderful book! The dough was a dream to work with! I really needed that WIN in the kitchen after my pizza dough FAIL last week. The filling came together easily and was really good/tasty/hearty/comforting. It was also husband and son approved. She totally knows what she’s talking about!
The only thing is- I made about 7 pocket pies- not the 10 she says it makes. I think my plate might have been bigger than 5 inches in diameter. So it’s entirely my fault. We had two each tonight & shared some with Coop. Three of them are currently chilling in our freezer. I can’t wait to crack into them one day in the near future 😉 They are a wonderful treat and SOO comforting. Nothing like a portable & wholesome chicken pot pie!
Let’s take a look!
Cream Cheese & Butter are the gateway to a perfect crust!
Two discs were formed and tossed in the fridge to cool.
I gathered my filling- I added frozen peas to the mix!
I grilled some chicken breast- Only 2 were used for this recipe.
I decided to add some dill cuz I was craving it!
The mixture went into the fridge to cool.
I rolled out the chilled dough- so dreamy!
Filled the pocket pies!
Crimped, & worked the edges with a fork.
Doesn’t that look nice?
I baked them tonight for dinner. 1 of them leaked….Who really cares when it tastes this good?
And I dug right in! Please make some! You won’t regret it!
Savory Chicken Pot Pies
(recipe from Mad Hungry: Feeding Men & Boys)
- 1 heaping cup of shredded chicken
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1/3 cup chopped celery
- 1/3 cup chopped carrot (1 carrot)
- 1/2 cup frozen peas (my addition)
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon dried dill (my addition)
- 1 recipe (2 disks) Cream Cheese Pastry (recipe below)
- 1 large egg, for egg wash
To make the filling, in a medium hot skillet, melt the butter and add the onion, celery, peas and carrot. Sauté over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the salt, dill and flour and cook for 1 minute more. Add the chicken broth and stir until thickened, about 2 minutes. Stir in 1 heaping cup shredded chicken and the Parmesan cheese. Cool in the fridge.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Butter or line a baking sheet.
To form the pocket pies, work with half of a disk of dough at a time, rolling it out on a floured surface to about 12 inches in diameter. Using an overturned bowl (about 5 inches across), cut out about 3 circles from each piece of dough. After cutting out all your circles, gather all dough scraps, reroll, and cut out a final time. Place 1/4 cup filling on one side of a dough circle. Wet the edges of the dough with water. Fold the dough over to form a half-circle. Pinch the edges of the dough together. Crimp the edges with a fork. Repeat the process until all the filling is used. The pocket pies can be frozen at this point.
Place the pocket pies on the prepared baking sheet and chill for a few minutes. Prick each pie on top twice with a fork. When ready to bake, beat the egg with 1 tablespoon water. Brush the egg wash over each pocket pie. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving. The pies can be cooled and frozen to reheat in the microwave.
Cream Cheese Pastry
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling out dough
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
In a food processor or using an electric mixer or by hand, process the butter, cream cheese and heavy whipping cream.
Add the flour and salt; process just until combined and the dough holds together in a ball. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface and divide in 2 pieces. Flatten into disks and wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before rolling out. If the dough is chilled overnight, take it out 15 minutes before rolling out.
Rub flour all over a rolling pin. Working with one disk at a time, place the disk on a clean, well-floured surface. Roll gently from the center of the dough to the top and bottom edges. Rotate the disk, and roll to the top and bottom edges again. Reflour the work surface and rolling pin, turn the dough over and continue to roll the dough from the center out to the edges. Turn over and roll again, rotating the disk to ensure even rolling until the dough is about 12 inches in diameter, thin but not transparent.
