Monthly Archives: November 2015

Creamy Crockpot Chicken Stew…and Pot Pie…and Possibilities

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In another pantry experiment, I made a batch of “Cream of Something” soup mix. It’s a lower fat, healthier alternative to canned cream soups, especially as you make it and know exactly what is in it. It is comprised of chicken bullion granules, nonfat dried milk, cornstarch, and dried spices (basil, onion, thyme, pepper). It sounds a little weird but it’s pretty tasty.

Today I decided to make a chicken and rice crockpot stew – just set it and forget it. 

  
What ended up happening is the soup mix turned out to be a base for another base. My stew turned out thick and creamy and while delicious on its own, was screaming for dumplings or crust or cheese and vegetables. So much can be done with such minimal effort.

CREAMY CHICKEN AND RICE CROCKPOT STEW
1 pound chicken thighs
1 cup brown rice
1 chopped onion
1 cup chopped carrots
2 quarts water
1.5 cups cream of something soup mix
Juice of 1 lemon
1 small can corn

  1. Place thighs, onions, carrots, water, and rice in crockpot, set on high.
  2. After three hours mixture will be thick. Add remaining ingredients and set to warm for another half hour. Enjoy!

  
Now you can play! I created an individual pot pie by adding cheese into the stew, topping with pie crust, and baking to golden brown. You can make empanadas, dumplings, casseroles…possibilities are endless and there’s barely work involved!

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    Next Experiment – Chicago Deep Dish Pizza

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    chef's journal

    I think the inspiration came from some Buzzfeed quiz, where there were a bunch of pictures of pizza and you were supposed to pick one you relate to. Not that I can relate to Chicago Deep Dish, but at that moment it looked the most appealing of all the slices. I have made homemade pizza, but I have never attempted that style.

    One of my best friends is a Native Chicagoan and upon asking him if he has made it, he said he did once, but messed up the crust. This was disconcerting, as the crust is the aspect I am most concerned about executing right. Another friend who loves to cook said he loved eating it when he lived in Chicago, but never made it. Gee, that helps!

    So I do not have enough Chicagoans in my life, nor has anyone in the NYC area that I am close with made it. Probably because we already have awesome pizza around here and do not need to. Oh what a culinary conundrum I am now faced with.

    In scouring the web (ok, Pinterest), I think I found a recipe I liked from a blog called Sally’s Baking Addiction. Instead of doing two 9-inch pies, I’m going to do a 14-inch pie. I liked the crust recipe, especially the incorporation of butter. As for the sauce and filling, it’s pretty basic, but I do appreciate the tip about shredding a block of mozzarella yourself as opposed to pre-shredded. We will see what happens….