Chicken Pot Pie Made Magic

Technically it's just the filling, but you know the rest by that point.

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Sometimes, I really get a hankering for chicken pot pie. Meat pies, like chicken pot pie or French-Canadian Tourtière, are the perfect things for those cozy nights (and I just... love pie crust. That's the best part for me, the crust.)

But sometimes, just the filling is good enough—and when you don't have pie crusts on hand, or want to make a whole set of pie crusts from scratch, this filling here will still serve just as deliciously over other starches, like rice or potatoes. Because for filling this good, and heat this hot this summer, sometimes turning on the oven just isn't worth a damn thing.

So let's talk about the magic in what is an ultimately delicious comfort meal—one that, with all the spices I use, is truly a punch of flavor like no other. Specifically, we're going to be looking more at the vegetables than just the spices, because there are a few we haven't talked about that are all kinds of powerful—like pea, anise (from the curry powder), and wheat!

Magic in Chicken Pot Pie

Here's what I think about with chicken pot pie: comfort. Youth. Hearty, satisfying, spirit-lifting food. When it comes to the ingredients within, too, it's easy to see how we can channel that energy when asking our friends listed above for help, as they're loaded in the energies of Earth (pea, wheat) and Air (anise), as well as the planets Venus (pea, wheat) and Jupiter (anise).

The humble pea symbolizes all kinds of things we want out of life, like money or love, and as a seed itself, it represents the start of things: the beginning of new projects and new ideas. Likewise, anise symbolizes that youth, too, and it brings protection and purification—a heavy Fool energy from tarot, I'd say, with youth and optimism (but also a touch of care and protection on new journeys). And wheat is a classic, a veritable symbol of abundance, good health, bounty, and fertility since the days of yore.

Combine all their talents in one dish, and what do you have? A perfect starting point for new projects, especially ones centered in business.

Chicken Pot Pie

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 30-70 minutes

Makes 4-6 Servings

Ingredients:

2lbs	Chicken Thigh*, cut in 1in cubes
1 Whole	Onion, diced
3 Cloves	Garlic, minced
2 Cups	Frozen Mixed Vegetables
2 Tbsp	Flour
1 Cube	Chicken Bouillon
1 Tbsp	Chili or Chipotle Powder (Optional)
1 Tbsp	Garlic & Onion Powder
1 1/2 Tbsp	Paprika
1 1/2 Tbsp	Oregano
1 Tbsp	Curry Powder
1/2 Tbsp	Cumin
FOR PIE:	2 9in Pie Crusts
FOR NO PIE:	1 1/2 cup rice or mashed potato
To Taste	Salt & Pepper

*Use chicken thigh because it's cheaper and the extra fat in it will let you skip adding any butter to thicken this up!

Directions:

• Chop onion and fry in a little olive oil until almost golden.

• Add minced garlic & fry until fragrant.

• Add your diced chicken and cook until half-browned and fat begins releasing.

• Mix in all your seasonings

• Incorporate 2 Tbsp of flour until chicken becomes paste-like

• Add frozen vegetables (as much or as little as you'd like) and stir

• Add water until it becomes a little saucy and cover for 30min to cook on low

• FOR PIE: Set oven to 425F, then prepare a store-bought pie crust and bake for 30-40min, letting stand for 15min before serving.

• FOR NO PIE: Serve over rice or mashed potatoes!

When you don't want the fuss of a pie, and you don't want to heat up your whole house with the oven, but you still want that cozy chicken pot pie flavor, this is the way to go!