Tex-Mex Chicken and Dumplings

I made this last Tuesday.  I definitely recommend the recipe but not for a typical Tuesday. It is more of a 4-5 hour affair, so it's more of a weekend dish.

Now I made it because it had been on my Pinterest page for over a year. I also was feeling sick and wanted a Pot-Pie or Chicken Noodle Soup.  So I decided we would have this.

It was pretty easy, although tedious.  And if you are recovering from a fractured back it may be a bit difficult (I had to figure out some things when it came to involving lifting a gallon of water in a cast-iron pot.

Overall, it was good.  I definitely would have again.  The Nutritional Information is probably a little off because I included all the vegetables.

It created about 8 servings.  We eye-balled the serving size.

Tex-Mex Chicken and Dumplings

Photo by ALB

From Lisa Fain, The Homesick Texan
Servings 8.0

Ingredients
For the chicken:
1 four-pound chicken
16 cups of water (1 gallon)
1 onion
9 cloves of garlic, divided
2 carrots, peeled and cut into quarters
4 celery stalks, cut into quarters
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon dried or 1 stalk fresh epazote (optional)- didn't use
1 leafy stem of cilantro
Added 1 tsp pepper, 1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup of cilantro, chopped
1 can of Ro-Tel
2 jalapenos, sliced
1/4 cup cilantro
Juice of one lime (used 1/4 C, because there's a lime shortage at Kroger)
1/2 cup of cream
Salt (1/2 tsp), black pepper (1 tsp), cayenne (1/2 tsp) and cumin (1 tsp) to taste
Added 1/2 tsp of chipotle chile powder

For the cornmeal dumplings:
1 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 jalapeno, finely diced
2 tablespoons of minced cilantro

Preparation
Clean and rinse your chicken and place in a large stock pot. Add water, onion, 8 cloves of garlic, carrots, celery, bay leaves, epazote and whole cilantro stem. Add salt (1/2 tsp) and pepper (1 tsp) to taste (don't do this since the chicken is raw). Bring to a boil and then simmer for an hour and a half, occasionally skimming the foamy scum off the surface.

Photo by ALB

Remove chicken from pot and turn off the heat. After it’s cooled, remove fat and pick the meat off the bones and either shred or cut into bite-sized pieces. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper to taste (didn't do the s/p thing).

Take cooled broth and strain and throw out the vegetables as they’ve done their duty. Now you need to remove the fat from the broth. If you don’t have a preferred way of getting rid of the fat or lack a gravy separator, you can try the plastic bag method. Take a quart-sized plastic storage bag, pour some broth into it. You will see the fat rise to the top. Snip a bottom corner of the bag and drain the broth, stopping when you get to the fat layer. (You will probably have to do this in batches...yes, yes, you do).

Place the broth back into the pot and add the shredded chicken and lime juice. In a blender, add the can of Ro-Tel, sliced jalapenos, chopped cilantro and garlic and blend. Add puree to the pot. Now add the cream. Add salt, black pepper, cayenne and cumin (and chipotle chile powder) to taste. Bring to a boil. And while the soup is coming to a boil, make the cornmeal dumplings.

Sift together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder and salt. Beat the eggs with the buttermilk and add to the dry ingredients. Stir in the melted butter, jalapenos and cilantro.

When soup is boiling, turn heat down to low and gently drop the dumpling batter into the pot, one tablespoon or so at a time. Do not stir. Place lid on top and steam dumplings for 20 minutes.

Ladle the chicken and dumplings into bowls and sprinkle cilantro on top. Serves six to eight.

Notes: If you want a thicker broth, feel free to add some flour. I'd add it slowly, a quarter cup at a time (didn't do)

Nutritional Information
Calories: 664; Total Fat: 52 g; Saturated Fat: 17 g; Monounsaturated Fat: 0 g; Polyunsaturated Fat: 0 g; Trans Fat: 0 g; Cholesterol: 320 mg; Sodium: 1049 mg; Potassium: 570 mg; Total Carbohydrate: 26 g; Dietary Fiber: 4 g; Sugars: 5 g; Protein 56 g

Chicken Mushroom Potpie

This was good.  D made it.

He said that the mixture was much thicker before he cooked it.  I think it will thicken up as leftovers.  We both agreed it needed more salt.

I would have again, with maybe a little salt.

Chicken Mushroom Potpie

Photo by ALB

This homey pie boasts creamy, savory sauce and refrigerated piecrust dough for convenience.

Yield: Serves 6 (serving size: about 1 1/2 cups)

Ingredients
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
12 ounces assorted mushrooms, such as shiitake and button, sliced
1 cup thinly sliced onion
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup finely chopped carrot
8 ounces green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 cups unsalted chicken stock (such as Swanson)
1.1 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1/4 cup)
1 cup frozen green peas
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 (14.1-ounce) package refrigerated pie dough

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 425°. Coat an 8-cup ceramic oval baking or gratin dish with cooking spray.

2. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add half of chicken to pan; cook 3 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove chicken from pan. Repeat procedure with remaining chicken.

3. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to pan. Add mushrooms, onion, thyme, garlic, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper to pan; cook 12 minutes or until mushrooms are browned, stirring occasionally. Add carrot and green beans; cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Combine stock and flour in a bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add stock mixture to pan; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cook 3 minutes or until slightly thickened. Stir in chicken, peas, and parsley. Spoon chicken mixture into prepared pan.

4. Roll dough to an oval large enough to cover the baking dish. Lay dough over filling. Fold edges under, and crimp, if desired. Bake at 425° for 25 minutes or until browned and bubbly.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 394; Fat: 16.7g; Saturated fat: 5.1g; Monounsaturated fat: 4.2g; Polyunsaturated fat: 1.2g; Protein: 32g; Carbohydrate: 31g; Fiber: 4g; Cholesterol: 76mg; Iron: 2mg; Sodium: 555mg; Calcium: 50mg

Cooking Light, JANUARY 2015

Chipotle Tamale Pie

So the other night when D and I were out I had the most bland dish ever in a restaurant. So bland, in fact, I didn't eat it.

Fast forward 3 days, and D makes this. I told him if the beef in here had been shredded instead of ground, it was how I had expected the bland dish to taste. This was wonderful. Full of flavor, spicy, but not burning my tongue off (I do like things spicier than most, so it may still be spicy). The bread on top was good.

I have no idea how easy it could have been. Just I would have again. And it didn't even have cheese in it!

Chipotle Tamale Pie

This spicy pie needs only a salad to make the meal complete. Use a disposable aluminum pan wrapped in foil for easy delivery and cleanup.

Photo by ALB

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

Ingredients
1 3/4 cups chopped onion
3/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
3/4 pound ground round
1/2 cup bottled salsa
1 to 2 tablespoons bottled chipotle sauce (such as La Preferidia) or hot sauce (I think D used Chipotle Tabasco)
1 (15 1/2-ounce) can pinto beans in zesty sauce (such as S&W), undrained
1 (14.5-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, drained
3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup 1% low-fat milk
1 1/2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Preparation
Preheat oven to 400°.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, and beef; cook 5 minutes or until meat is browned, stirring to crumble. Stir in the salsa, chipotle sauce, beans, and tomatoes; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in 1/2 cup cilantro. Spoon beef mixture into a 3-quart casserole.

Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 4 ingredients (flour through salt) in a large bowl. Add 1/4 cup cilantro, milk, butter, and egg; stir until well-blended. Spoon the batter over beef mixture; spread evenly. Bake at 400° for 35 minutes or until golden.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 329; Calories from fat: 30%; Fat: 11g; Saturated fat: 4.7g; Monounsaturated fat: 4.2g; Polyunsaturated fat: 0.8g; Protein: 16g; Carbohydrate: 41.7g; Fiber: 5.8g; Cholesterol: 64mg; Iron: 4.2mg; Sodium: 655mg; Calcium: 157mg

Cooking Light JANUARY 2001

Chicken, Potato, and Leek Pie

I made this and it was very easy.  Well, it was easy once someone at Kroger showed me what Leeks looked like and once my friend told me which side of the leek to use.

Prep went quickly.  It needs a little more salt and pepper but I would make again.

I used matchstick carrots because I didn't know we had regular carrots in the drawer.

Chicken, Potato, and Leek Pie

Yield: Serves 6 (serving size: about 1 1/4 cups)
Hands-on:22 Minutes
Total:1 Hour, 5 Minutes

Ingredients

Photo by: Photo: Francesco Tonelli;
Stylist: Philippa Brathwaite

1 slice smoked bacon, chopped
1 1/2 cups cubed red potato (about 8 ounces)
1 cup chopped carrot
6 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
3 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups sliced leeks (about 2)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 cups fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
1/2 (14.1-ounce) package refrigerated pie dough
1 tablespoon fat-free milk
1 large egg white

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 450°.

2. Cook bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until almost crisp, stirring frequently. Increase heat to medium-high. Add potato and carrot to pan; sauté 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chicken; sauté 3 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Stir in flour and next 3 ingredients (through pepper); sauté 1 minute, stirring frequently.

3. Slowly add broth to pan, stirring constantly; bring to a boil. Cook 2 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring occasionally. Spoon mixture into a 1 1/2-quart glass or ceramic baking dish. Top with dough, folding under and pressing down on edges to seal.

4. Combine milk and egg white; brush mixture over top of dough. Cut small slits in dough to vent. Bake at 450° for 30 minutes or until crust is golden. Let stand 10 minutes.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 298; Fat: 11.9g; Saturated fat: 4.5g; Monounsaturated fat: 3.6g; Polyunsaturated fat: 3g; Protein: 18g; Carbohydrate: 31g; Fiber: 2.2g; Cholesterol: 62mg; Iron: 2.1mg; Sodium: 561mg; Calcium: 42mg

Cooking Light AUGUST 2012

Tourtière

I found this recipe when looking for an untried recipe for ground pork. I wasn't sure about it, but after Thanksgiving we had leftover celery and potatoes and we routinely buy ground pork on quick sale. So it would be relatively cheap to make.

I helped D make this. It was pretty easy. Just a lot of chopping. We don't have 6 ramekins so we used a 2-qt casserole dish. It was very full. D pulled it out of the oven with 12 minutes left on the timer.

Although messy, it was very good. I loved all the flavors. Definitely would have again. We had with Broccoli with Roasted Balsamic Butter (subbed broccoli for the asparagus).

Photo by ALB

Tourtière

Spiced meat pie dating back to the Middle Ages is a holiday tradition in Québec. The dish is often made in a pie plate with top and bottom crusts. Our version calls to bake individual pies in ramekins with just a top crust—a simple way to shave both fat and calories from each serving. If you don't have ramekins, simply spoon the pork mixture into a (9-inch) pie plate and top with the entire store-bought pastry. (the pie plate will not hold it all, use a 2-qt casserole dish)

YIELD: 6 servings (serving size: 1 ramekin)
COURSE: Main Dishes

Ingredients
Cooking spray
1 pound ground pork
1 teaspoon salt, divided (it only was called out once...we added the 2nd 1/2 tsp when we added the veggies)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped carrot
1/3 cup finely chopped celery
1 (1-pound) russet potato, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch cubes
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons finely chopped chives
1/2 (15-ounce) package refrigerated pie dough (such as Pillsbury)

Photo by ALB

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 400°.

2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, and coat pan with cooking spray. Add pork to pan. Sprinkle pork with 1/2 teaspoon salt, cinnamon, 1/8 teaspoon red pepper, and cloves; sauté for 5 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Using a slotted spoon, remove pork from pan. Add olive oil to pan, and swirl to coat. Add 1 cup onion, carrot, celery, and potato; sauté for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic, and sauté for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Return pork to pan. Stir in flour, and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add broth, scraping pan to loosen browned bits; bring to a boil. Cook 2 minutes or until slightly thick. Remove from heat; stir in chives.

3. Place 1 cup pork mixture into each of 6 (8-ounce) ramekins. Roll pie dough to an 11-inch circle. Cut 4 (5-inch) dough circles. Combine and re-roll dough scraps. Cut 2 (5-inch) circles. Place 1 dough circle on each ramekin, tucking edges inside. Cut an X in the top of each circle; coat lightly with cooking spray. Place ramekins on a baking sheet. Bake at 400° for 40 minutes or until golden and bubbly (D cooked it for 28 minutes since he used a 2-qt casserole dish).

Wine note: With traditional Canadian Tourtière, reach for the strong and spicy Québécois beer Maudite ($8.99/750 ml). Made in a Belgian style, Maudite has a peppery, spicy signature that echoes this dish's layers of cinnamon and clove. The beer is strong and full-flavored, with bold fruit, caramel, bready, and figgy flavors that work with the complex flavors of these meat pies, while remaining refreshingly drinkable. —Jeffery Lindenmuth

Nutritional Information
Calories: 420; Fat: 22.2g; Saturated fat: 7.6g; Monounsaturated fat: 9.8g; Polyunsaturated fat: 2g; Protein: 17.5g; Carbohydrate: 36.5g; Fiber: 2.4g; Cholesterol: 54mg; Iron: 1.8mg; Sodium: 683mg; Calcium: 45mg

Cooking Light JANUARY 2010

Chicken Pot Pie with Cornmeal Crust

So I got this recipe from Williams-Sonoma's Chicken for Dinner. It was 812 Calories so D and I made some modifications (and took out the cooked tomatoes). This was the result.

It was really easy to make, and pretty good. It isn't a typical potpie, in that there is no "goo." Also the crust...we couldn't use it all or the dish would have overflowed, so it is probably less calories (we used about 3/4 of the crust mixture). It was very spicy. For leftovers, we'll probably add some sour cream.

The servings are huge so you could get less calories making 6 servings.

Chicken Pot Pie with Cornmeal Crust

Ingredients
Cooking Spray
6 Green Onions, chopped
1 Green Pepper, seeded and chopped
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
1.5 pounds Skinless, Boneless Chicken Breast
1 (4-oz) can green chilies
2 Serrano Peppers, seeded and minced
1/2 Cup fresh cilantro
1 tsp ground oregano
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 C Cooked White Rice
1/2C Chicken Broth (Low-Fat, Low Sodium)
Dash of salt
Dash of pepper
1C finely ground cornmeal
1C all-purpose flour
1 TBSP Baking Powder
1 tsp Chili Powder
1/2 C Monterey Jack Cheese, shredded
1 Egg
1C 2% Milk
3 TBSP Vegetable Oil (put it in a 1/3C measuring cup and then add the chicken broth below to fill it up the rest of the way)
1/6 C Chicken Broth (Low Fat, Low Sodium)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375.

2. In a frying pan over medium-high heat, warm cooking spray. Add the chicken, green pepper and green onions until cooked. Add the garlic and saute until softened, about 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in, chilies (green and serrano), cilantro, oregano, cumin, rice and broth. Season with salt and pepper. Pour into a shallow, 6-C (1.5L) baking dish.

3. In a bowl stir together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, chili powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt until well mixed. Stir in the jack cheese. In another bowl, using a whisk beat the egg until blended. Then beat in milk, chicken broth and oil. Pour the liquid mixture into the flour mixture and stir to mix well. Spoon over the chicken and rice.

4. Bake until the crust is puffed and golden brown and the chicken filling is bubbling, 25-30 minutes. Serve directly from the dish.

Number of Servings: 4

Nutritional Info
* Fat: 20.3g
* Carbohydrates: 68.2g
* Calories: 674.1
* Protein: 53.7g
* Cholesterol: 168.0mg
* Sodium: 1060.6,g
* Fiber: 4.6g

Old-Fashioned Chicken Potpie

So I made this. It was time-consuming but good.

I didn't make chicken stock, I used chicken broth.

Also, I used 2 chicken breasts, cut them up and cooked them in a pan with Pam and Herbes de Provence.

The crust was a bit hard. Also the final wasn't the prettiest (didn't look like the picture) and it didn't come out of the casserole pan cleanly (so the crust ended up on the bottom of the plate). Still it was good. I made a spinach salad as the side.

Old-Fashioned Chicken Potpie

Homemade stock adds a depth of flavor to this comfort classic.

Crust:

1 cup all-purpose flour, divided

3 tablespoons ice water

1 teaspoon cider vinegar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup vegetable shortening

Filling:

3 cups Chicken Stock, divided

2 1/3 cups cubed red potato (about 1 pound)

1 cup (1/4-inch-thick) sliced carrot

2 teaspoons butter or stick margarine

1/2 cup chopped shallots or onions (I used onion)

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups diced cooked chicken (I cooked some with herbes de provence)

1 cup frozen petite green peas

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

Dash of black pepper

Cooking spray

2 teaspoons 1% low-fat milk

To prepare crust, lightly spoon 1 cup flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine 1/4 cup flour, ice water, and vinegar in a small bowl. Combine 3/4 cup flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large bowl; cut in shortening with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add vinegar mixture; stir just until moist. Press mixture gently into a 5-inch circle on heavy-duty plastic wrap; cover with additional plastic wrap. Chill for 15 minutes. Roll dough, still covered, into a 13 x 10-inch oval. Place dough in freezer 5 minutes or until plastic wrap can be easily removed.

Preheat oven to 400°.

To prepare filling, bring 2 1/2 cups Chicken Stock to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add potato and carrot; cook 2 minutes. Drain mixture in a colander over a bowl, reserving cooking liquid.
(I didn't do this because I didn't see the points since the mixture and the liquid are used later).

Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add shallots; cook 3 minutes. Lightly spoon 1/2 cup flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup Chicken Stock; stir with a whisk. Add to skillet. Stir in potato mixture, reserved cooking liquid, chicken, peas, 3/4 teaspoon salt, thyme, and pepper. Cook 10 minutes. Remove from heat; cool slightly. Spoon chicken mixture into a 1 1/2-quart casserole dish coated with cooking spray. Remove 1 sheet of plastic wrap from dough. Place dough on top of chicken mixture, pressing to edge of dish. Remove top sheet of plastic wrap. Cut 5 slits in top of crust to allow steam to escape. Gently brush crust with milk. Bake at 400° for 45 minutes or until golden (I cooked 35 minutes and then let sit in a turned-off oven for 10 minutes). Let stand 10 minutes.

Yield: 6 servings

CALORIES 366 (30% from fat); FAT 12.4g (sat 3.6g,mono 4g,poly 3.1g); IRON 3.5mg; CHOLESTEROL 46mg; CALCIUM 40mg; CARBOHYDRATE 42.5g; SODIUM 698mg; PROTEIN 20.2g; FIBER 2.8g

Cooking Light, SEPTEMBER 1999