I love Chicken pot pies! I grew up eating the frozen version. Until I made one homemade, I never realized how much better they could be!

In this dish, I did use a couple short cuts, such as using frozen leeks and store bought puff pastry. There are a lot of things I use in the kitchen that are just as good store bought as they are from scratch.

Using a rotisserie chicken is another shortcut you can use. But it is just as easy to roast a few pieces of chicken if you have the time. Also if you are not a fan of tarragon, you may omit it. My husband is not a fan but I am. I cooked it so I get tarragon!

Serving this dish in a cast-iron skillet makes it more family friendly to serve. In the past, I used individual serving bowls, which is a nice presentation, but I love anything in a cast-iron. This dish makes quite an impression when brought to the table! Comfort food and so yummy!

I use both white and dark meat in this dish, 3 bone in, skin on chicken thighs, 2 bone-in and skin-on chicken breast.

Cast-iron skillet chicken pot pie

Ingredients

3 bone in, skin on chicken thighs,
2 bone-in and skin-on chicken breast.
Salt and pepper
Extra virgin olive oil
1 stick of butter, salted or unsalted.
3 cups leeks, frozen or fresh, use only the pale white and green parts.
4 large carrots diced
3 garlic cloves minced
1 cup sliced cremini mushrooms
2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups good organic chicken stock
¼ cup good sherry wine
½ cup heavy cream
1 small bag frozen peas, get young peas if you can
Defrosted puff pastry.
1 large egg beaten with 1 teaspoon while milk for egg wash

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Salt and pepper the chicken and brush with olive oil, roast for 35 to 40 minutes until cooked, let cool and pull chicken from bones, discard bones and skin.
Melt butter in large Dutch oven, add leeks and carrots, cook till soft about 10 minutes, then add the mushrooms, garlic and the herbs, both the tarragon and thyme, cook another 5 minutes or so.
Add the flour, stirring all the while for about 45 seconds, add the chicken stock and the Sherry, bring to a boil , mixture will start to thicken.
Now add the peas, chicken and the cream, add a little more salt and pepper, let simmer for about 6 minutes.
Transfer mixture to either one big Cast-iron or 2 smaller ones, add about 1 teaspoon olive oil in the cast-iron skillet or skillets before putting the mixture in, just to coat only.
On a lightly floured board, again pending size of your pot pies roll out and cut the puff pastry to fit over pies, you want it to hang over the side at least an inch or more.
Brush with the egg wash and cut a slit or two in each pie to vent for steam to escape.
Raise the oven temp to 400 degrees, put skillets on a cookie sheet just in case they overflow in your oven, bake for about 40 minutes until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbling!

Notes

Depending here on size of cast-iron being used, I like a middle size 3 to 4 servings, 2 boxes of good puff pastry, defrosted