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julia calleo
my lavender blues
September 21, 2015
Acorn Squash Chicken Pot Pie
LAY OFF ME I’M STARVING….
“Diet Starts Monday”.
I find myself quoting Chris Farley with SNL “Gap Girls” almost every Friday of every single weekend, since I can remember. And you know what happens on Monday? All I think about is the “diet” that I told myself I would begin while drinking some 1000 calorie beverage with a loaded pastry in my hand. What the Ffff.
But not TODAY. Today I’m going to attempt to do things right so I can have room to fuck up later in the week and not feel so bad about myself 😉
I have literally been craving chicken pot pie after shopping at Trader Joes a little while back and purchasing, yes I can’t believe I am admitting this, their frozen mini pot pies. I on occasion, or maybe every single time I am in that grocery store, purchase one frozen meal option from them. I shit you not I think they have the BEST and tastiest frozen meals on this planet. However the only downside to this particular frozen snack-attack is that they are a million calories (because how can you eat just one?) and leave me feeling like a complete blob who happened to eat four servings instead of the recommended one.
I needed to take things into my own hands….. so after much trial and error this weekend I think I stumbled upon what I feel is the BEST pot pie dish I have EVER made/consumed. And the most awesome part? It is practically guilt free while still achieving the comfort and fullness that you get from old fashioned CPP.
Instead of using pie dough as my bowl/lid, I used roasted acorn squash as my barrier. And I promise you , you will NOT miss the pie dough. The nutty sweetness and fluffy texture that the squash gives you is unreal, not to mention, a healthier option. I also lightened up the soup as a whole so it doesn’t leave you completely feeling “belly bombed”. This is officially going to be a fall staple in my household. And I have a feeling you’ll be seeing plenty more “soup in a squash bowl” recipes over the next few weeks. Sorry in advance for the overload.
A litte note: If you have anyone in your family who is needing a little more love than just the soup, I have some delicious drop biscuits I’ll be posting tomorrow for your viewing pleasure 🙂
Acorn Squash Chicken Pot Pie
Author: Julia
Super easy and healthy chicken pot pie in an acorn squash bowl!
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken thigh
- 3 acorn squash
- 3 tbsp butter (salted or unsalted)
- ½ yellow onion diced
- ½ cup carrots diced
- ½ cup celery dicedl
- ½ cup red pepper diced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- ⅓ cup all purpose flour
- 1½ cups chicken broth
- ½ cup milk
- Salt & Pepper to taste
Instructions
- First preheat oven to 400 degrees and set rack to middle position.
- Next using a sharp knife, taking your acorn squash slice a very thin piece off of the bottom so it can stand without falling over. Next about an inch down cut the top off to create a lid and so you can see the seeds.
- Scoop out seeds and stringy things (the obvious technical term) , discard. I used a knife and carefully made my squash bowl a little bit wider so I could add more filling... personal preference.
- Next rub a little bit of oil all over the squash, including insides and place on a baking sheet. (see picture for details)
- If you have room add one pound of chicken to baking sheet as well and place in oven (If you don't bake your chicken first and then do the squash same temperature, just take chicken out after 25 minutes and set aside, then cook squash for 40 minutes to 1 hour)
- Take chicken out after 25 minutes and set aside. You'll need to leave your squash in for about 40 minutes to an hour (until squash is a little browned on edges and soft to touch).
- While squash continues to roast in oven you'll begin your "pie" filling.
- Over medium heat in a medium sized pot add your butter and onion and sauté until onions are translucent. Add your garlic, carrots, celery and red pepper, let sauté for another 8 minutes.
- Next add your broth, milk and flour, stirring until thickened and then turn heat down low and let vegetables continue to cook and soften. Take your chicken (which is now cool to handle) and chop into small pieces. Add chicken to filling and turn heat down to a simmer until squash is done and you are ready to serve. Salt and Pepper until desired flavoring is reached!
- Once squash has finished roasting, remove and add your filling. Serve hot.
My Lavender Blues LLC
This was delicious, my husband approved. Thnx!