Healthy Chicken Pot Pie

I ended up making chicken pot pie to bring to Bryant and another resident at the hospital last night. I also made blondies for the first time, which is basically a brownie made of brown sugar instead of chocolate; they were decadent and delicious!

So if you're going to have a rich dessert, it should definitely be balanced out with a healthy dinner! Also, what guy doesn't like pot pie? Finally, since it had made our 5-star recipe list before, I figured this dish would be a safe bet to bring (I don't often try out new recipes on guests or strangers...just Bryant).

However, this chicken pot pie is a much healthier version of the typical dish. It's filled with vegetables, shredded chicken breast meat and topped with phyllo dough (instead of the heavy and calorie-laden pie crust). Add in a few herbs and some chicken broth and that's pretty much all that's in there. We had NO leftovers at the end of dinner so I have to think that it was a success!

Healthy Chicken Pot Pie
Taken from: Everyday Food

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
  
• 2 medium shallots (sliced) OR 1/4 c. chopped onion
  
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock or chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons white whole wheat or all-purpose flour
• 4 medium carrots, cut on the diagonal into 1/4-inch-thick slices
• 3 medium celery stalks, cut on the diagonal into 1/4-inch-thick slices
• 0.75-1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast
  
• 3 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus about 1/2 cup leaves for crust and sprigs for garnish
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
  
• 1/2 cup slightly thawed frozen peas
• 6 sheets phyllo dough, thawed if frozen
• Sea salt, for sprinkling (optional but was delicious!)
• Cooking spray (any kind) or melted butter
  

-To cook chicken, bring to boil a pot of salted water. Add in chicken breast (they can even be added frozen) and cook, 10-14 minutes until the chicken is no longer pink. Let the chicken cool and then shred with two forks. (This can be done several days in advance or in a pinch, you could even buy and shred a rotisserie chicken from the store).
-Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add shallots/onions, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until shallots/onions are translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in 1 cup stock. Whisk remaining 1/2 cup stock into the flour in a small bowl. Whisk into shallot mixture. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Reduce to a simmer. Cook 5 minutes, whisking occasionally.
-Add carrots and celery. Bring to a boil. Stir in chicken. Return to a boil. Remove from heat. Stir in chopped parsley, dried oregano and dried thyme. Let cool. Stir in peas. Transfer to a 2-quart (8 1/2-by-12-inch) baking dish.
-Brush 1 sheet of phyllo with melted butter or spray with cooking spray. (Keep unused phyllo covered with plastic wrap and a damp kitchen towel so that it does not dry out.) Repeat with remaining pieces of phyllo dough. Drape crust over cooled filling; tuck in edges. Cut four 4-inch slits in crust for vents. Sprinkle with sea salt, if desired.
-Bake until crust is golden brown and juices are bubbling, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven, and recut vents. Serve immediately in shallow bowls.