Sweet Southern Symphony: Chicken Pot Pie

With the new year comes renewed focus on our weekly schedule. One element of which is the family dinner. I love looking at recipes, filing them away for later reference. However, when it actually comes to cooking...well, I'm just not too enthusiastic about the actual cooking part. Unless, it is easy! Welcome the SLOW COOKER!

Love the slow cooker! We have had one for years, but this year I'm really going to focus a lot more on it, because it equals E.A.S.Y! So now my weekly meal planner has one slow cooker meal included in it for the week. And I'm hoping this also equals leftovers, so I can have one night off from cooking :)

Picked up the new copy of Real Simple (because it features slow cooker recipes in it) and so today we are making Slow-Cooker Creamy Chicken and Mushroom Potpie:

Serves 4 - Hands-On Time: 30m | Total Time: 8hr 30m

Ingredients

8 ounces cremini mushrooms, stems trimmed and halved if large (I just used regular white mushrooms - you know, the ones in the package you buy from the grocery store!)
4 carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium onion, chopped
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 sprigs fresh thyme (no time for thyme - actually my husband is not fond of it)
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 8)
kosher salt and black pepper
1 sheet puff pastry (half a 17.3-ounce package), thawed (I just bought Pillsbury flaky layers biscuits, because it was easier)
1 cup frozen peas (NO PEAS, please - yuck! sorry to all pea-lovers though :))
1 cup frozen green beans
1/3 cup heavy cream

Directions

In a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker, mix together the mushrooms, carrots, onion, flour, thyme, bay leaf, and ½ cup water. Place the chicken on top; season with 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
Cover and cook until the chicken and vegetables are tender, on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours (this will shorten total recipe time).
Thirty minutes before serving, heat oven to 425° F. Using a 4½-inch cutter or large glass, cut the pastry into 4 circles. Place on a baking sheet and bake until golden, 8 to 10 minutes.
Ten minutes before serving, add the peas, green beans, cream, and ½ teaspoon salt to the chicken mixture and stir to combine. Cover and cook on high or low until heated through, 5 to 10 minutes more. To serve, place the chicken mixture in bowls and top with the pastry rounds.

Ninja - our best purchase EVER! The Ninja is awesome. And to think I was a little worried when I bought it, as I had not consulted with my husband over the purchased, even though it only cost about $30 or $40 (from WalMart). Ours came with two chopping containers - one small and one larger one. They are perfect, and we use them all the time. I originally purchased it for my husband so ~~I could get out of chopping up his hot peppers~~ he could chop up his hot peppers! (This decision was reached when I had spent hours one day chopping them up to freeze, and my hands burned for two days after. Umm...who forgot to mention you should wear gloves!?!?!). Anyway, the Ninja makes light work of chopping anything. I quartered the onion, plopped it in the Ninja, two quick pulses and it was all done! QUICK and EASY :)

And the other reason I LOVE it, is because it is so easy to clean = double awesome!

Measure the flour.

Spices are overflowing in our house. I was getting sick of digging through the dark cupboards trying to find what I needed, so I decided on a better solution!

This is the bottom section - the mushrooms, onion, carrots, flour, bay leave and water. The recipe calls for 1/2 cup water, but I put more in, say 1.5 cups. I wasn't so sure whether it would be too dry with just 1/2 cup, but guess we will see how this turns out. I can always adjust next time.