Healthier Chicken Pot Pie

I decided to try my hand at a healthier chicken pot pie.  The tough part was coming up with a tasty crust.  I used a mixture of whole wheat flour and whole wheat pastry flour which has a lighter consistency than the whole wheat flour.  The label on the pastry flour said it could be used as an alternative to conventional white flour.  I didn't want to use only butter in the crust, so I tried a blend of 1 Tablespoon butter with 3 Tablespoons olive oil.  I've heard it can be difficult to use olive oil as a substitute for butter in cookies, pastry and/or cake recipes.  I didn't notice an overwhelming taste of olive oil in this mixture or that it overwhelmed the taste of the crust.  With the whole wheat flour crust this pie is healthy and filling.  As prepared each slice of this chicken pot pie has approximately 360 calories.

Crust for Chicken Pot Pie

1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour (Bob's Red Mill from Soft white wheat)
1/2 Tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 Tablespoons Olive oil (I used Felipo Berrio Virgin olive oil for Sauteing & Grilling)
1 Tablespoon Butter
1/2 cup Lowfat Buttermilk

In a large bowl combine flours, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt.  Cut in butter and olive oil until mixture resembles a coarse meal.

Add the Buttermilk to the dry ingredients and stir until the dry ingredients are moistened. Place dough onto lightly floured surface and knead lightly about 4 or 5 times.  Set aside.

Chicken Pot Pie

3/4 cup diced potatoes
3/4 cup chopped onions
3/4 cup chopped celery
3/4 cup chopped carrots
3/4 cup diced mushrooms
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup fat free Half and Half
1 Tablespoon White wine (I used Chardonnay)
1/2 teaspoon salt
Sprinkle of pepper
2 cups Chopped cooked chicken

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Saute onions, celery, carrots, and mushrooms in olive oil for about 10 minutes.

Add pastry flour to sauteed vegetables stirring well and cook about one minute.  Combine chicken broth and half and half.  Gradually stir into the vegetable mixture.  Cook over medium heat until thickened and bubbly.

I cooked the chicken on my George Foreman grill which is a great time saver.

Chop the chicken into bite sized pieces.

Pour into a one quart casserole dish.  Roll dough and place over chicken mixture.  Cut slits in pastry to allow steam to escape.  I sprayed the crust with Olivio Buttery spray halfway through cooking to keep the crust tender.  Bake for about 40 to 50 minutes or until crust is golden brown and filling is cooked through and bubbly.

This recipe yields about 6 servings at 360 calories each.