Parmesan Pocket Passers

The Best Chicken & Potato Pie for Toddlers

Alright, let’s buckle up, because we’re about to embark on a saucy ride through parenting, with a Chicken & Potato Pie steering the wheel!

The Preparation – Packing Up the Car

Alright, listen, peeling and cutting those potatoes, it’s like the endless packing and prepping that comes before a family road trip. You’re peeling away the unnecessary, trying to chunk down what’s essential, just like deciphering between the fifth stuffed animal and the extra pack of wipes – what REALLY needs to come? You’re there, meticulously making sure you’ve packed all the essentials, and oh, the mess, the chaos! It’s enough to make you reconsider, but then you think of the memories, the smiles, the adventures, and you persevere. Just like when you’re mashing those potatoes – you’re taking all that prepped stuff, blending it together with love, butter, and cheese, making it something that sticks together, providing a solid, delicious base – not just for your pie, but for the memories you’re about to create!

The Simmering Sauce – The Journey Itself

Hold up, folks, because cooking that leek and shallot, stirring that flour into the sauce, it’s smooth, but it requires your attention, just like managing little ones in the back seat while navigating the roads. It’s a balance between addressing the “Are we there yet?” and making sure you’re staying on the right path. You add ingredients gradually, adjusting as you go, ensuring that the consistency is right. The unexpected roadblocks, the unforeseen spills, and the sudden sing-alongs to the Frozen soundtrack for the 10th time, it’s all in there, in that sauce, blending, adapting, and creating something that, while occasionally on the brink of catastrophe, manages to pull through into something harmonious and delightful.

The Baking and Browning – The Destination and Return

And here we go, spooning that delicious concoction into a dish, topping it with mash, and letting it bake to perfection – that’s your destination! It’s the beach day, the amusement park smiles, the hike through nature where, even if for a moment, everything aligns into a beautiful, heartwarming scene that almost makes you forget the chaos that led up to it. And the browning under the grill to finish it off? That’s the reflective, peaceful drive back, where the kids, exhausted, sleep in the back, and you glance at them through the rear-view mirror, seeing the gentle sun casting a warm glow on their peaceful faces. It’s a moment of quietude where you, despite vowing off road trips forever on the drive up, begin planning the next one in your mind, because man, those golden, crisp moments make it all worth it.

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Serves: 4

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Ingredients

• 1.1 lbs potatoes, peeled & cut into chunks
• 1 tbsp flour
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese, grated
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated (Parmesan is often lighter, so it takes more to hit the same weight)
• 1 leek, thinly sliced
• 1 large or 2 small shallots, finely chopped
• 1 1/4 cups chicken stock
• 1/3 cup heavy cream (double cream)
• 2/3 lbs cooked chicken, shredded
• 3/4 cup frozen peas
• 1 tbsp chopped parsley
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• Salt and pepper to season

Instructions

1. Preheat Like a Pro:
   • You’re gonna wanna crank up that oven, so hit it with 400F. Trust me, it’s about to get hot in here!
2. Potato-Palooza:
   • Dive into it, throw those potatoes into some chilly, salted water. Now hit the gas, we're going for a boil! But hey, cool it for 10 to 15 after the boil and let them spuds simmer until they’re soft and tender. Show them potatoes some love, mash them up nice with the butter, milk, and that deliciously melty cheese.
3. Buttery Business:
   • Now, in another spot, melt that butter in a pan, and toss in your leeks and shallots. Be gentle, let it cook slow and soft for like 8 to 10 minutes. But keep an eye out, you don't want them turning brown on ya.
4. Smooth Operator (Sauce Time!):
   • Roll up your sleeves, stir in that flour and cook it for a minute. Then, bit by bit, stir in the stock making sure it all blends into a smooth, luxurious sauce. (If it’s fighting you, take it off the heat, we don’t need that kind of negativity in our sauce.)
5. Creamy Dream:
   • Now add the cream and stir. Keep stirring and bring it to just about boiling. Now we’re talking! Add the chicken, peas, and parsley. But, hey, we're not done. Throw in that lemon juice and season to taste.
6. Assembly, Baby!:
   • Grab that dish, and let’s layer this bad boy. Spoon that beautiful mixture into a 1.5-liter dish and crown it with that heavenly mashed potato you made.
7. Bake and Shine:
   • Slide it into the oven for about 20 minutes. We’re going for golden perfection here, folks. If it needs a little more, pop it under the broiler for a few extra minutes to get that top all nice and golden. Pro tip: set the dish on a baking sheet to catch any rebellious drips.

Boom, there it is! A chicken & potato pie that has experienced the roller coaster, just like us parents on a road trip with our little ones. It's sweet, it's chaotic, but at the end of the day, it all comes together into something beautiful and delicious! Now, sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labor!