Remember last week when we made our batch chicken? We’re about to give you some delectable ideas to create easy, from scratch meals for your family.
I remember growing up, my mom (Kate’s mom) would take so much joy in cooking for us. It wasn’t until later when I would go over to friends houses that I realized not everyone’s parent’s cooked like mine. She would somehow put so much comfort into it, and it wasn’t like she was making elaborate meals. I remember one of my ex-boyfriends saying “she seriously puts love into it”, and he was right! I think about this all the time of how in the heck she did that? Honestly, I think it all comes down to effort. The word effort comes with some bad connotations I think though. When I say effort, I envision being slumped over the stove, sweat pouring out of my pores, and running around with flour under my eyes like a linebacker in the Super Bowl. But that’s not the effort I’m talking about. It’s simple effort of making things yourself. It’s boiling potatoes for mashed potatoes instead of pouring water into the powdered mix. It’s cooking the chicken instead of opening up a can, or a package of precooked chicken, etc. It’s not hard stuff, but it’s things that society has lied to us that we need to grab our time back and go to the grocery store to save some minutes.
My goal has been for my kids to feel the comfort that I did growing up around the dinner table. My new goal is for YOU and your family to feel it too. Put a little bit of effort back into cooking. I promise your family will taste the “love”, as cheesy as it sounds.
Chicken in a Cloud is one of my favorite recipes to make when the weather gets crisp. I LOVE mashed potatoes, and the filling for chicken pot pie should have its own award, and when you marry the two, beautiful things happen in your belly.
Chicken in a Cloud
Course: DinnerCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Medium4
servings30
minutes40
minutesIngredients
- FILLING
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 Tbsp canola oil
1/2 cup flour
1/2 medium onion – chopped
1 tsp salt (or to taste)
1/2 tsp pepper (or to taste)
2 large carrots – chopped
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cream
1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn
1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas
2 cups (about two breasts) cooked chicken
- MASHED POTATOES
10 small-medium Yukon gold potatoes
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/2 cup cream
Salt and pepper to taste
- TOPPING:
1/2 cup Shredded cheese. We use Monterey Jack, but any is good!
Directions
- FOR THE FILLING:
Melt butter. Add oil, onion, and carrots. Cook over medium heat until veggies start to slightly soften. Add flour, salt, and pepper. Cook until smooth and bubbly. Stir in broth, milk, and cream. Cook until mixture is thick. Add chicken, corn and peas. Remove from heat. - FOR THE MASHED POTATOES:
Bring a large pot of water to boil. (Enough water to cover the potatoes.)
Quarter the potatoes and add to the water. Season with just a touch of salt for added flavor if desired. Cook for 15 minutes or until potatoes are soft enough to pierce with a fork, and the potato will slide off. Drain through a strainer, and with a big whisk or masher, mash the potatoes.
In a small sauce pan, melt the butter and cream together. Once melted, pour it into the mashed potatoes. Continue to mash and stir together, adding salt and pepper to taste for seasoning. - ASSEMBLY:
In a 6 qt dutch oven (or equivalent oven proof container) line the sides and bottom with a good “wall” of mashed potatoes. Add the filling in the center, and top with remaining mashed potatoes. Sprinkle the top with cheese. - COOKING:
In a preheated 400˚F oven, cook the “cloud” for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubble, slightly browning around the outsides. (If you are reheating ingredients, cook until center is hot. This might take a few extra minutes.)
Recipe Video
Remember, a bowl of vegetables with someone you love is better than a steak with someone you hate. -Proverbs 15:17 -The Everyday Chef and Wife-
[…] the Chicken in a Cloud blog, we gave the recipe for the filling for the Chicken Pot Pie (especially if you double that recipe, […]