Chicken Pot Pie with Puff Pastry Crust

This is one of our favorite comfort foods! I make it when ever I have leftover chicken or turkey, because I always have the rest of the ingredients in my fridge. 

It really is mouth watering, will lick your plate clean good. 

Ingredients:

-4 TB salted butter
-1 medium onion chopped
-4 stalks of celery chopped
-4 carrots, peeled and chopped
-1/2 sp salt
-2 TB flour
-2 1/2 cups of milk
-1/2 cup of heavy cream
-1 package of Trader Joe's savory chicken broth concentrate.
-3 cups of cooked chicken or turkey
-1 cup of frozen peas
-1/2 tsp thyme
-1 sheet of puff pastry
-salt pepper to taste

Directions:

In a large pot over medium heat, melt butter.

Add onion, celery, carrot and salt and sauté until onions are translucent and vegetables start to get tender.

Sprinkle flour over the vegetables and cook for 1 more minute.

Gradually whisk in the milk, heavy cream and TJ chicken concentrate and bring to a slow boil.

Simmer gently over medium heat until sauce begins to thicken. (3-5 minutes)

**** take out the puff pastry to thaw.

Add cooked chicken and peas to the sauce mixture, and bring to  slow boil again.

Add thyme, pepper and salt to taste. You can taste the creamy sauce and add enough for your taste (sometimes if your chicken isn't salted it effects yours sauce, so you want to taste and season after you add the chicken)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Pour chicken mixture into a casserole dish.

Cut puff pastry into strips with a pizza cutter and put in a criss cross pattern.

Bake for 30-35 minutes until the puff pastry is a deep golden color.

Click HERE for printable version

Enjoy!

Vanilla Bean Creme Brûlée

This is now my favorite new dessert! Forget cakes, pass along the creme brûlée. I think this is a perfect dessert after a filling meal, you know when you want something sweet but to to heavy?

 It also makes a beautiful presentation and can be made a day or two before your dinner. It is surprisingly easy to make, you just need to invest in some ramekins (which I bought at Target) and a torch which I got on Amazon)

Just make sure you torch the sugar before serving and do not stick it back into the fridge. I learned my lesson after the sugar liquified.

Ingredients

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 3 large eggs
• ½ cup sugar (plus extra for caramelizing)
• 1 vanilla bean 

Instructions:

Pre-heat the oven to 300°F and set your ramekins into a large baking dish. 

• Add 2 cups of heavy cream into a small saucepan, split vanilla bean and scrape the beans into the cream, I also toss the bean into the cream to get as much flavor as possible. 
• Heat the cream in the sauce pan to a simmer, stirring frequently.

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

I started making these cookies a few weeks ago and ever since we are all hooked! 

They barely last two days and then they are all gone! This week I made 3 batches of them, one for our neighbor and two batches for us. If you want a big, fat chewy cookie that you would find at a bakery, then you will love these to!

This recipe makes 12 giant cookies. 

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted 1 cup packed brown sugar 1/2 cup white sugar 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 1 egg 1 egg yolk 1 cups semisweet chocolate chips 1 cup butterscotch chips Directions:

1.	Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease cookie sheets, line with parchment paper or use non stick mat like I do.
2.	In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the dry ingredients until just blended. Stir in the chocolate/butterscotch chips by on the lowest setting of your stand mixer or by hand with a wooden spoon. Drop cookie dough 1/4 cup at a time onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart.
3.	Bake for 13-15 in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly toasted. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely. Enjoy! Click HERE for printable version