Creamy Rapini & Grilled Chicken Potpie

Chicken Potpie is one of those comfort foods that always has a place. My husband loves chicken, loves pies and loves rapini...obviously I would pair them together. 

It’s creamy, bitter, cheesy, buttery and full of carmalized vegetables... with a little puff pastry... you’ll want to snuggle after this meal...

What you’ll need:

• 3 crushed garlic cloves

• 2 bushels of rapini

• 2 cups roasted chopped chicken ***

• 1/4 cup chopped onion

• 1/2 cup chopped fresh fennel

• 1 cup of chopped bell peppers

• 1 cup of chopped white mushrooms

• 2 cups of chicken stock

• 2 tbsp of dried chives

• 1 tbsp of butter

• 1 tsp of butter 

• 2 tbsp fresh chopped fresh parsley

• 1 tsp dried fennel seeds

• 1/2 cup sliced cherry tomatoes

• 3 tbsp white wine

• 1/2 cup of milk

• 1/4 cup of 35% whipping cream

• 1 1/2 cup of chicken broth

• 1/4 cup of flour

• Olive oil

• Salt and pepper to taste 

• Puff pastry dough

• **Optional 1 tsp chilly flakes

• 1 egg for egg wash

• Pie dish

**** Use left over chicken, favorite chicken or see below for an easy roasted chicken recipe.

What you’ll do:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

 You can use one big skillet for all the steps!

Remove stems from rapini and chop the rapini leaves. 

In a skillet, on medium heat, add a generous amount of olive oil and add the garlic, add the rapini leaves, add salt to taste, fry the rapini untill it reduces to a third of its size and is just slightly crispy, set aside.

Using the same skillet, on medium heat, add 1 tsp of butter a drizzle of olive oil, onions, peppers and mushrooms, and dried fennel seeds, salt to taste.

Once the vegetables have sweated and are slightly carmalized, add 1 tbsp of butter, once melted, add the flour, and mix it in the vegetables, cook the flour for 3-4 mins.

Add the white wine, mix, wait 1 min, add the chicken broth, mix and cook for 3-4 mins untill the flour has completely dissolved in the broth.

Add the milk and cream, mix and cook for 3-4 mins, untill it starts to thicken the mixture.

Add the fresh chopped parsley, sliced cherry tomatoes, chives and fresh fennel, mix and cook 2 mins.

Add chicken, cook 2 mins.

Add Rapini, mix, add Pecorino cheese and optional chilly flakes, salt & pepper to taste- set aside.

Prepare your pie dish and place one sheet of puff pastry on the bottom of the dish. Add mixture to pie dish.

Take another sheet of puff pastry and cover the top of the pie, slice a few slits on the top using a knife.

Beat the egg in a small bowl, and brush it on the top of the puff pastry.

Bake the Potpie for 30 mins or untill golden brown.

Let stand for 5 mins.

Then cut and serve with a side of Fennel Salad, for some freshness!

........ And then snuggle watching some Netflix! Enjoy your night!

Easy roasted chicken

What you’ll need:

• 4 chicken thighs

• 4 tbsp of olive oil

• 1 tsp of thyme

• 2 tsp of sage

• Salt and pepper to taste

What you’ll do:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Combine in a bowl olive oil, thyme and sage, set aside.

Salt and pepper your chicken.

Drizzle mixture over chicken.

Place on a roasting pan lined with parchment paper and bake for 25-30 mins, untill chicken is cooked through and skin is crispy.

Let stand 5 mins before serving.