Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home Chicken Pot Pie Recipe

Happy Birthday, Julia Child!

If one can’t cook, one can certainly join in the Julia Child birthday celebration by posting one of her favorite Julia Child dishes, Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home Chicken Pot Pie recipe.

Julia Child

“The best way to execute French cooking is to get good and loaded and whack the hell out of a chicken.  Bon appétit.”

-Julia Child

GIPHY

Mrs. Child’s practical and palatable approach to food and her in Julia’s kitchen advice, wry sense of humor, and signature brand of cooking techniques continue to inspire the foodie faithful of the this culinary world we deliciously exist in.

Smithsonian Magazine

I continue to marvel at the tenacity of Mrs. Child.  She was a woman who knew exactly what she wanted, and deliciously excelled in achieving it. The informative timeline of Julia Child’s life is a fascinating read.

julia-child-kitchen-4PBS

What makes a great chef?  In the case of Julia Child, I believe her mass appeal is derived from her ability to impress upon us her passion for the process from pegboard to prep to plate.

Julia-Child-FranceHarvard Radcliff Institute

In honored celebration of Julia Child’s birthday, this week’s recipe is from the Julia Child and Jacques Pepin cookbook and PBS series of the same name, Julia & Jacques Cooking at Home. 

Julia and Jacques Cooking at homeJulia and Jacques, Cooking at Home

Julia and Jacques Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients

For the crust:

3  cups all-purpose flour

2 ½ sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

2  Tablespoons cold vegetable shortening

1/3 cup + 2 Tablespoons ice water

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon sugar

For the Filling:

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup chopped carrot

1 cup chopped celery

1 cup thinly sliced leeks

1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon

1 cup frozen baby green peas

4 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2½ cups chicken broth

1 cup heavy cream

salt and freshly ground pepper

3 cups leftover roast chicken, cut into ½-inch chunks.

Directions

For the crust:

Combine flour, butter, shortening, salt and sugar in a food processor. Pulse together just until the mixture is crumbly and butter is broken into small pieces. Pour 1/3 cup  ice water into the machine, and pulse 3 or 4 times.

Squeeze a little dough in your hand to see whether it clumps together and is evenly moist. If not, add 2 tablespoons of water, and pulse 1 or 2 times more. Don’t overmix so that the dough forms a ball.

Turn out dough, pâte brisée, on a large sheet of plastic wrap. Lift the ends of the plastic to gather dough together inside. Press into a large disk, and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until ready to use, up to 2 days.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add carrot, celery, leeks and tarragon, and cook, stirring just until slightly softened but not browned (reduce the heat if necessary to prevent browning), about 3 minutes. Transfer cooked vegetables to a bowl, wipe out the skillet, and place it back on the stove.

Add remaining 3 tablespoons butter, and melt over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook, whisking until the mixture bubbles and smells cooked. Do not let it brown.

Whisk in 2 cups broth and cook, whisking, 1 minute. Whisk in cream, and cook 2 or 3 minutes, just until thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

If the sauce is too thick, whisk in remaining broth.

In the episode, Julia states  “And as always, you want to  make more sauce than you think, don’t you think?  Never enough.”

Heat the oven to 400 degrees.  Add cooked vegetables and peas, chicken and sauce to 8-ounce deep pie dish or other baking dish.  Mix gently and taste for seasoning.

Flour a work surface. Remove dough from refrigerator, and cut in half. (Set aside half for another recipe.) Roll out remaining dough, turning and flouring often, and cut a shape approximately the size of your baking dish plus 1½ inches overlap all around.

Whisk egg in a small bowl. Brush onto rim of dish. Roll dough up onto the rolling pin, and unroll over dish, so it rests evenly on top of filling. Press overlap onto the rim and against the outside of the dish, sealing tightly. Poke tip of knife through crust to create 3 steam holes near the center.

Place on cookie sheet and place in oven. Bake 20 minutes at 400 degrees, then reduce temperature to 375 degrees. Bake 15 to 20 minutes more, until crust is golden and filling is bubbling through steam vents.

Allow to rest and cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Serves 8.

Bon appétit!

Happy cooking!

Paula Deen’s Smokey Apple Cinnamon Meatloaf

Another Paula Deen recipe favorite is up this week. Paula Deen’s Smokey Apple Cinnamon Meatloaf is an accidental Places In The Home house favorite.  A couple of years ago on an otherwise lazy Saturday morning with coffee in hand and the remote in the other,  I stumbled upon the Food Network channel and “Paula’s Best Dishes”.  This particular episode featuring her recipe for smokey apple cinnamon meatloaf really caught my attention.

At first glance this recipe didn’t sound too, no wait, it did sound too much. Culinary curiosity got the better of me, and off  to the kitchen I went. That was the first of many times I have prepared this recipe.  I don’t top the meatloaf with bacon or the additional Paula Deen Smokey Apple Cinnamon Sauce due to personal dietary and taste preferences.  I shared this recipe with my next door neighbor who does include the bacon, and her husband thinks she, and this meatloaf, is the best thing since sliced bacon!

Paula Deen’s Smokey Apple Cinnamon Meatloaf

Ingredients

1 1/2 lb  lean ground beef
½ lb  ground pork
½  cup Vidalia onion, finely chopped
1  large egg
3/4  cup  applesauce
1  cup Plain bread crumbs
1  cup Paula Deen Smokey Apple Cinnamon Sauce, divided
1  teaspoon salt
¼  teaspoon pepper
3  slices of uncooked bacon
additional Paula Deen Smokey Apple Cinnamon Sauce for garnish

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a loaf or casserole pan with foil. In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, ground pork, onion, egg, applesauce, bread crumbs, 3 Tablespoons of Paula Deen Smokey Apple Cinnamon Sauce, salt and pepper.  Mix well.

Form the meat loaf mixture into a loaf shape and press into the prepared pan.

Brush the top of the meat loaf with half of the remaining Smokey Apple Cinnamon Sauce and top with 3 slices of bacon. Back for 1 ½ to 2 hours.

Smokey Apple Cinnamon Meatloaf

In the last 10 minutes of baking, brush the remaining Smokey Apple Cinnamon Sauce over the top of the bacon and return to the oven.

enjoy

Ina Garten’s Pumpkin Cupcakes With Maple Frosting

Today I’m sharing with y’all a fall sweets and treats favorite recipe, Ina Garten’s Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple Frosting.

Ina Garten's Pumpkin Cupcakes With Maple Frosting

Ina Garten and House Beautiful feature this easy to prepare, easy to enjoy delicious taste of fall recipe.

fairytale-pumpkin-7

Pumpkin is in the spotlight at this time of year, and recipe options abound.

Recipes that are simple, easy to prepare, and allow the key ingredient to come through in its tastiest form is fall tasting perfection.

Ina Garten’s Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple Frosting recipe does just that.

Maple frosting complements the pumpkin, and does not overpower the taste of the cupcake.

Is that Heath bar topping I see?

Heath-bar-topping

Oh my toffee goodness, it is!

This one is rated triple D delight.

Delicious.

Decadent.

Dessert heaven.

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple Frosting

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½  teaspoon baking soda

½  teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½  teaspoon ground ginger

½  teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature

1 cup canned pumpkin purée (8 ounces), not pie filling

½  cup granulated sugar

½  cup light brown sugar, lightly packed

½  cup vegetable oil

Maple Frosting (see recipe below)

½  cup coarsely chopped Heath bars, for serving (2 1.4-ounce bars)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Brush or spray the top of 10 muffin tins with vegetable oil and line them with 10 paper liners.

Into a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg.

In a larger bowl, whisk together the eggs, pumpkin purée, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vegetable oil. Add the flour mixture and stir until combined.

Divide the batter among the prepared tins (I use a level 2 ¼-inch ice cream scoop) and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Set aside to cool completely.

Spread the cupcakes with the Maple Frosting and sprinkle with the chopped toffee bits.  Makes 10 cupcakes

fall-maple-leaves

Maple Frosting

Ingredients

6  ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

3  tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

¼  teaspoon Boyajian Natural Maple Flavor

½  teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar

Directions

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the cream cheese and butter on low speed until smooth.

Stir in the maple flavoring and vanilla extract.

With the mixer still on low, slowly add the confectioners’ sugar and mix until smooth.

enjoy