Mixing Up the Chicken Pot Pie

This idea was born out of Thanksgiving leftovers.  After a few days of eating the same-old, I made a pot pie filling and threw in the turkey with the roasted butternut squash and spinach I had served on the holiday table, then topped it with pie dough and baked.  Sounds weird, I know, but it's incredibly good.  So good that I've roasted whole chickens and butternut squashes a few times since just to have the pie all over again.

The squash is a nice change from the carrots that often feature in pot pies.  And the idea of spinach in the filling may wrinkle noses, but it's a nice contrast for the richness, and the taste and texture are surprisingly mild.  Joe really loved it.  After this, I'm not sure we'll ever go back to ol' peas-and-carrots chicken pot pie again.

Flour is stirred into the cooked onions, carrot, and celery, and then chicken stock is added to make the creamy sauce.  The chicken, butternut squash, and spinach are added.  Rounds of dough are cut for the pie tops, and holes are made in the top to let steam escape.

This thrown-together recipe makes a lot.  As in a 10-inch deep-dish pie plus two individual pies.  You can eat them for days, freeze them, or halve the recipe.  It's nice to be able to pull a homemade pot pie out of the freezer on a hectic day, far better than anything you can buy from the frozen section.

Easy Butternut Squash Soup

The best butternut squash soup I've ever had was at the Museum of Fine Arts cafe here in Boston. I haven't been able to find a recipe like it, but this one is pretty good, too, and probably healthier. I just roast a squash with onion and garlic, and whiz it in the food processor. And don't skimp on the cream: trust me, it's a small amount and it's better with.
Butternut Squash Soup
1 butternut squash
1 small yellow onion,quartered
1 head garlic
2½ cups chicken broth
¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
¼ cup cream
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 400°. Roast your squash one of two ways. Slice it lengthwise, unpeeled, and scoop out the seeds; then place it face-down on a baking tray (you can lightly oil the cut side if you're not using a silicone mat). Or dice the squash, peeled, into bite-sized cubes, and toss with a tablespoon of olive oil. Use a very sharp knife, since the squash is hard to cut.


Place the garlic on a sheet of foil and drizzle with a bit of olive oil, then wrap up the garlic in the foil. Drizzle a bit of olive oil on the onion quarters as well. Place the onion and garlic on the baking sheet, and roast all the vegetables for an hour, until the flesh is easily pierced with a fork (the halved squash might take an extra 15 minutes).
When the vegetables have cooled a bit, remove half of the roasted cloves from the head of garlic, and out of their skins. Puree them with the onion and about 5 cups of the squash (you can increase quantities of the other ingredients if you have more squash) in a blender or food processor. You may need to add half of the chicken broth if the blade gets stuck. Pour the puree into a pot, adding the rest of the chicken broth, and heat the soup. Add the nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste, and stir in the cream. Serve with a crusty piece of bread, spread with some of the remaining roasted garlic, if you like.

Don't be intimidated: Risotto

That's what I recently told a friend who loved the dish. All it needs is near-constant attention, and I even included a pictorial guide below. And don't use regular long-grained rice like I did on my first try.

Butternut Squash Risotto, adapted from Ina Garten's recipe

1 butternut squash
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and black pepper
6 cups chicken stock or broth
4 tbs unsalted butter
2 large minced shallots
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine (or 1/4 cup chicken stock if someone doesn't drink alcohol)
1 teaspoon saffron threads
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan


Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Peel the butternut squash, remove the seeds, and cut it into bite-sized cubes. Place the squash in a roasting pan and toss it with the olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, tossing once, until very tender. Set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the chicken stock in a small pot. Leave it on low heat to simmer.
In a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and saute the shallots on medium-low heat for a few minutes. Add the rice and wine (or broth, if using) and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.






Add 2 ladles of stock to the rice plus the saffron, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.



Stir and simmer. When it looks like the liquid has cooked like this, add more stock.





Stir and let it cook until it is almost dry again, 5 to 10 minutes, and repeat the process by adding another 2 ladles of stock. Continue repeating the steps (adding the broth and letting the liquid absorb) until the rice is cooked through but not mushy, about 30 minutes total. Remove the Dutch oven from the heat, and add the squash and Parmesan.









Stir it all together and serve!