Chicken Cordon Bleu & Pot Pie (inspired by tammyandtommy)

[piratesmate]

The request was made for recipes for Chicken Cordon Bleu & Chicken Pot Pie over on the crockpot thread. I make these with chicken that I've cooked in the crock for a really long time (often overnight on LOW) and then shred. I freeze in meal-sized portions for a number of recipes to cut prep time. That's the context of the request.

Fake Chicken Cordon Bleu
I made this up when I didn't have the ingredients for the "Easy" version which follows. I don't measure for this, so what's given are just approximations.

2 c shredded chicken
5 - 10 slices deli ham (depends on thickness)
5 - 6 slices cheese (or 1 cup of pre-shredded) [Swiss or American]
1 c bread crumbs, canned
1/4 c Parmesan cheese
olive oil (I use a Misto to spray it)

Layer a casserole with the chicken. Cover the chicken with the deli ham. Cover ham with cheese. Spread bread crumbs over the top & sprinkle Parmesan over them. Spray crumbs with oil. (This uses less than mixing the bread crumbs in a bowl with butter or oil.)

Bake at 325 for about 20 minutes...until cheese is melted.

Now this is the recipe I wanted to make that night....

Easy Chicken cordon bleu

4 chicken breasts, boneless
1 c chicken broth
2 prepared pie crust, the fresh in dairy case, not frozen in a tin
4 slices boiled ham
4 slices cheese, Swiss or any variety

Poach chicken in broth until no longer pink. Remove from heat & allow to cool. Lay 1 breast on ½ crust, add cheese & ham. Fold crust around chicken & pinch closed. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes until golden brown.

- - - - - - - -
For the pot pie...I use that term to mean the PA Dutch Pot Pie that is similar to a stew, but others use it for the kind you buy in the frozen food section. There is a recipe here for each kind.

Great-Grandmom’s Potpie
chicken or turkey bones
4-6 c water
4 tsp chicken bouillon
4 carrots, chopped
3 ribs celery, chopped
3 potatoes, cut in chunks
1½ tsp celery salt or powder
1 Tbl parsley
2 eggs
1 c milk
2 tsp salt
1½ Tbl baking powder

Cover bones with water, bring to a boil & then simmer at least 1 hour. Remove bones from water. Add veggies & spices. Simmer until veggies are tender. Add any remaining chicken or turkey, cut into pieces. Combine eggs, milk, salt & baking powder. Add flour until a dough forms & can be rolled out. Roll out thin & cut into squares. Drop in boiling broth. Boil 20 minutes. (Less bouillon is required if using chicken pieces instead of bones.)

That's the original version. If I'm in a hurry but still want this comfort food, I use the shredded chicken and bought noodles.

several cans College Inn chicken broth or water & bouillon to total 4 quarts (I also save the broth from the chicken in the crockpot & freeze to use in recipes such as this)
2 cups shredded chicken
4 carrots, chopped
3 ribs celery, chopped
3 potatoes, cut in chunks (or 2 cans)
1½ tsp celery salt or powder
1 Tbl parsley
1 lb Mueller's Bot Boi noodles (about 2" square & flat)

Combine everything but the noodles and cook until veggies are tender. Add noodles & cook per directions...I believe it's about 15 or 20 minutes. You have to stir this frequently or the noodles will all stick together.

- - - - - - -
Leftover Turkey Pie
1 jar turkey gravy
½ c water
2 Tbl flour
1/8 tsp pepper
1 tsp chicken bouillon
½ tsp parsley
1/8 tsp garlic powder
2 c shredded chicken
2 c potatoes (or 2 cans)
2 c mixed vegetables, defrosted
1 prepared pie crust (from dairy section, not pre-formed & frozen)

Mix gravy, water, flour, pepper, bouillon, parsley & garlic in a large bowl. Stir in chicken, potatoes (canned or nuked & peeled) & veggies. Pour into ungreased casserole. Top with pie crust & seal edges. Cut slits in top & bake at 425 for 30 min, until crust is golden brown & liquid bubbles through slits.

Those are the original directions. I just dump the veggies in first, add the chicken & potatoes then pour the gravy over it - top with the crust, seal to edge of casserole, cut slits & bake. I also usually increase the gravy to 2 jars because it seems too dry with shredded chicken. If you prefer to use chunks of chicken (precooked) you could get away with only 1 jar.

 

[MazdaUK]

I must try the great grandma pot pie - I think we had something very similar at Craker Barrel (it was described as chicken with dumplings - well over here dumplings are round balls of suet!)

 

[tammyandtommy]

These LOOK GREAT!!! Thanks!

 

[jiminyC_fan]

Wow, that fake cordon bleu sounds great!!!!!

 

[hallie615]

how do you make your chicken and get it to shred?? How long do you cook it in the crockpot and do you put anything in it with the chicken?? I am soo not a cook.......

 

[piratesmate]

Hi neighbor! I'm over in Montgomery County - just across the county line in the Souderton/Telford area.

Because I use the shredded chicken in so many different types of dishes I don't season it at all. I used to sprinkle some powdered bouillon over it when I put it in the crock, but I don't do that anymore. We found we didn't want that much chicken flavor in things like chili.

I just take a 3 lb bag of boneless breasts, put them in the crock and add a cup (sometimes 2) of water and cook. I do it on LOW for a good 10 hours usually...sometimes 12. But keep an eye on it after 10 and turn it off if it starts to turn brown around the edges of the crock. (The newer ones cook hotter & this sometimes happens now.) Then I just put the whole crock in the refrigerator overnight so cool it down because I usually just shred it with my hands.

I don't bother to clean the chicken of the excess fat & cartilage before dumping in the crockpot because it's easier to do when I shred it. Once it's cold, I pull off the fat (easier because it gets hard when cold). I save the broth to use in soups & rice pilaf.

What makes the chicken shred, I think, is cooking it long enough.

 

[hallie615]

Well I put the chicken in my crock pot on low for about 7-8 hours yesterday. I am planning to shred the chicken for tonights dinner. I may try the fake cordon blue this week too. I will say I put 6 breasts into the crock with 1 1/2 cups of water. After 7-8hrs the chicken did not look that good, but I figure anything I make with it will be cooking longer in the oven. One piece of chicken seemed alittle browninsh to me but I'll try it.

piratesmate, I used to go to overnight camp I think near you when I was a kid.It was called Greenlane. DH and I also looked at houses in that area before we found our house in Bucks County, we are about 2min from Doylestown and 7min from New Hope.

I told my DH about your recipies and he can't wait for me to try them.

 

[piratesmate]

Well I put the chicken in my crock pot on low for about 7-8 hours yesterday. I am planning to shred the chicken for tonights dinner. I may try the fake cordon blue this week too. I will say I put 6 breasts into the crock with 1 1/2 cups of water. After 7-8hrs the chicken did not look that good, but I figure anything I make with it will be cooking longer in the oven. One piece of chicken seemed alittle browninsh to me but I'll try it.

piratesmate, I used to go to overnight camp I think near you when I was a kid.It was called Greenlane. DH and I also looked at houses in that area before we found our house in Bucks County, we are about 2min from Doylestown and 7min from New Hope.

I told my DH about your recipies and he can't wait for me to try them.

Hmmm - maybe I don't do them as long as I thought! I know that the pieces that aren't covered by the water do get a bit brown at times, which is why I said to keep an eye on it. I'm sorry I misled you about the time! It may be partially the amount of chicken I do? I've already put in 2 of the big, bulk bags, which pretty much fills my 6.5 quart pot...and it always takes longer when I do more.

If you're worried about those brown bits, you might want to pull them off & set aside. Then shred those separately & pack in a bag marked for a recipe that is somewhat "soup-y" like chili...the liquid helps with that. I don't bother with that but I've never had it get brown & hard.

 

[hallie615]

Just wanted to let you know I used the chicken in a meal last night. it shredded so easy it was a pleasure. I used about 3 breasts in last night meal, and put 3 shredded breasts into a freezer bag, and would like to use it in a meal either this weak or next week. I just wondered how you freeze and package your shredded chicken. i always feel like 1-2 breasts in a meal is too little. So I just need to figure out how much to put in packages. Thanks for all your advice, my DH already thinks he's married to a different woman since I made him dinner last night.

 

[piratesmate]

I'm glad it worked out well for you! This method was such a help to me when I was working 60 hrs/week and my kids were 6 & 16 and really needed me at home! I always put it in a Zip-Loc bag, usually a freezer bag. How much is difficult to determine....

When DS was still here, he ate like a typical teenage boy...lots of meat so I used much more then, despite what the recipes called for. Now it's just DH, DD15 & me. Most of my recipes seems to call for about 2 cups so that's what I shoot for. A lot of times I just grab a handful & shove it onto a bag. LOL

Usually that I've shredded doesn't work out to exactly 2 cups per bag...so I'll make 1 or 2 bags a bit larger - and use those when we have company. Other times I'll just keep the excess until the next day & mix up a bit of chicken salad for lunch. Someone here shared a recipe that I've modified...a teaspoon of wine vinegar, a little bag of Splenda, a Tablespoon of orange juice, 1/4 tsp orange zest (dried usually) and about a half teaspoon each of ground celery seed (like celery salt w/o the salt) and garlic powder. Yum!