Keto Chicken Pot Pie

I have been interested in this pie recipe for a while as I’m looking for ways to use leftover chicken. Also, it’s total comfort food. First make the pastry which is super easy in a food processor. I have added the link and put the full recipe below. Follow the instructions carefully in relation to chilling as it makes it easier to handle. The hardest part after rolling it out was to get it on top of the filling. I had the rolled out pastry on the bottom piece of greaseproof paper and upturned it over the pie filling. My skillet was 12 inches diameter which made it more difficult. It was pretty accurate but there were a few small tears. If this happens add a circle of pastry over it as decoration (see original recipe picture). In future I will chill the sauce and pastry separately as it will be more manageable when cold.

This pastry is flaky and delicious. Keep an eye on the pastry while it’s baking as it can brown quickly. The pie was sublime; soft melting sauce, tender meat topped by flaky pastry. The suggested serving is filling enough. I served it with lots of green vegetables. I had this meal two nights on the run and could have eaten it on a third night but others ate it too. I have another block of pastry chilling while I research recipes.

Don’t be put off if you think it looks complex. Chill the ingredients down and make smaller pies that are easier to handle; then freeze some for later – if you can wait! Start small – try it and enjoy!

Nutrition (serving 1/8 of pie): Calories: 403kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Fibre: 2g | Net Carbs: 3g |  Protein: 19g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 14g

Keto Chicken Pot Pie:

Ingredients:

Keto pastry:

• 1 batch gluten free & keto cream cheese pie crust (see recipe and method below)
• 1 egg lightly beaten for egg wash

Chicken filling:

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic minced or made into a paste
• 1 medium onion very finely minced (I chopped finely)
• 110g bacon or pancetta diced (I used bacon, diced)
• 200-400g mushrooms such as cremini or button, to taste (I used 300g)
• 2 tsps fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried
• 30g butter (I used lactose-free butter)
• 500g boneless chicken thighs preferably, cut into bite-size pieces (I used 450g cooked diced chicken)
• 60ml Marsala or white wine (optional) (I used 60ml red wine)
• 125ml chicken stock
• 1/2-1 cup crème fraîche or sour cream, to taste (I used plant-based double cream)
• 1-2 tbsp red wine or sherry vinegar to taste (I used apple cider vinegar)
• kosher salt to taste
• black pepper freshly ground
• 3 tbsp fresh parsley leaves finely chopped
• 1/4-1/2 tsp konjac powder (i.e. glucomannan) (I used 1/3 teaspoon of xanthan gum to thicken the sauce slightly, sieve it over the pie filling little at a time and mix in quickly. Don’t try to make a slurry with it as it doesn’t work)

Method:

• Heat olive oil in a skillet or pan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until just lightly golden. Add in onion and bacon and cook, stirring often, until onions are fully golden (6-9 minutes). 
• Add in mushrooms and (dried) thyme, turn heat down to low, and cook until slightly softened. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper. 
• Move the mushroom mixture to the side of the pan (or remove if needed) and melt butter.

• Season chicken pieces with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add in chicken and cook, stirring, until golden. 
• Pour in Marsala (optional), stock, crème fraîche and vinegar, and simmer for 10 minutes. If using a thickener, add it in as a slurry (i.e. dissolved in a little water) and cook until just thickened.
• Please note: as I was using cooked chicken I added it to the sauce at the end.

• Feel free to adjust thickness to taste with thickener and/or more stock. Then, remove from heat, add in parsley and allow to cool completely. 
• Whilst the filling is cooling, preheat oven to 350°F/180°C.
• Then, transfer chicken filling to a pie dish (or leave in the skillet). 

• Roll out pie crust between grease-proof paper and drape, using the grease-proof paper to help, over the filling. Make a few slits on the crust and decorate (optional).
• Brush with egg wash and bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden and bubbling.
• Allow the pie to rest for 15 minutes prior to cutting and serving. 

• Serve & enjoy!!

Pastry Recipe:

Prep Time 20 minutes; Cook Time 30 minutes; Chilling Time 1 hour; Total Time 50 minutes; Servings 8 servings; Calories 189kcal

Ingredients

• 96g almond flour 
• 40g coconut flour
• 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp lemon or orange zest optional (I didn’t add this as it’s savoury pie)
• 100g unsalted butter, cold (I used lactose-free butter)
• 55g cream cheese, cold (I used lactose-free soft cheese)
• 1 egg lightly, beaten
• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• egg wash optional (for glossy finish)

Method:

• There’s a recipe video for guidance on the website.
• Add almond flour, coconut flour, xanthan gum, salt and zest (optional) to food processor and pulse until evenly combined.
• Add butter and cream cheese and pulse for just a few seconds until crumbly.
• Next, add in egg and vinegar and pulse until the dough just begins to come together (but stop before it forms into a ball). 
• Like with any pastry dough, make sure not to over-process the dough. The mixture ought to resemble coarse breadcrumbs rather than cookie dough. 
• Turn out the dough onto cling film (US: saran wrap) and shape into a round ball. 

• Refrigerate for at least one hour, or up to 3 days. You can, alternatively, freeze the pie crust at this point and thaw out as needed.
• Roll out the crust between parchment paper. It’s more fragile than regular pie crust, so you need to work quickly and in cold conditions. You can patch up any cracks that occur by pinching the dough together. And if at any point the crust becomes unmanageable, simply pop it in the freezer for 5-10 minutes before carrying on.  
• Once shaped (pie, empanadas, etc), pop it in the freezer for 10-15 minutes prior to baking (as it will help to keep its shape better and come out flakier).
• Brush with egg wash for a glossy finish (optional). 
• Bake at 390°F/200°C for 10-12 minutes if making something small such as crackers. And up to 30 minutes for empanadas and such. Just keep an eye out, as grain free flours have a tendency to brown suddenly rather than gradually. 

Notes

One batch is enough for a pie base (or galette!). So if doing a latticed pie, you’ll want to double the recipe. 

Nutrition

Calories: 189kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Fibre: 2g 

glutenfreeketolactose-freelow carb