Chicken and Mushroom Pot Pie

 

INGREDIENTS

• 1.5lb  Chicken, bone-in, skin-on breast (or You can use store-bought rotisserie chicken to save time, but you'll only need 2 cups that will allow for enough sauce)
• 4 slices bacon, diced
• 1 ¼ cup yellow onion, sliced into half-moons
• 2 tablespoons  fresh thyme, minced and patted dry of any moisture
• 8 oz  sliced mushrooms
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2-5 dashes of Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon heavy cream (if desired)
• 1 sheet store-bought puff pastry
• 1 egg, beaten

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Roast chicken on a sheet pan with a rack until cooked through 45 minutes. Set aside to cool. Or use store-bought rotisserie chicken.
2. Roll the pastry out to remove any seams. Score decorative diagonal lines, in opposing directions, vertically along the pastry, being careful not to cut through the pastry, otherwise the sauce will rise up and spill out over your browning pastry and prevent it from puffing up fully.
3. Place pastry on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and keep refrigerated until ready to use.
4. In a 10”  cast-iron skillet, cook bacon until crispy. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon, onto a plate, lined with a paper towel. Keep the fat in the pan!
5. Cook the onions in the bacon fat until tender and fragrant. Then add the thyme and continue to cook for 1-2 minutes. Then remove onions with a slotted spoon and transfer them to a large bowl and set them aside. Keep fat!
6. Cook mushrooms in the bacon fat, or add 1 tablespoon of butter if needed. Sautee until golden brown and they release their juices. Add mushrooms to a large bowl. Do not wash out the pan.
7. Melt the butter in the pan, once foamy add the flour, and whisk until paste forms, then add the chicken broth, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, and heavy cream (if using) and stir until combined. Allow to simmer.
8. Shred the cooked chicken off the bone into large shredded chunks. Set aside.
9. Add back in the mushrooms, bacon, onions, and chicken. Stir to combine.
10. Taste for seasoning. Add salt and pepper if needed. Allow to cool for 15 mins. or longer.  Meanwhile prep the puff pastry.
11. Combine all ingredients and pour into the 10" skillet. 
12. Remove the pastry from the refrigerator. Transfer it to the the top of the cooled filling in the skillet. Tuck pastry under on all sides, into the pan, and brush with beaten egg. If the pastry has warmed up too much, pop the whole pan in the freezer for 10 minutes to firm it back up before baking. Bake at 400F for 20-25 mins. Serve immediately from oven to table.
    

NOTES

If the pastry becomes too warm and soft after placing it on top of the skillet, pop the skillet in the freezer for 5-8 minutes to firm it back up. This will help the pastry keep its shape and puff up when it hits the hot oven.

Make-Ahead Tips:

To make ahead, prepare the filling, then transfer it to a glass, plastic, or ceramic container to refrigerate. You do not want to store food in cast iron, or it could develop an off-metallic flavor and damage your pan's seasoned surface as well.

Before baking, allow the filling to come to room temperature for about 15 minutes, then transfer the filling to the cast-iron pan, cover it with the prepared puff pastry, and bake.