We have food at home #1
And by food, I mean ingredients
Do y’all remember begging your parents to eat out for dinner as kids? And do you remember the anger and sadness that would swell up when you heard those dreaded five words: “We have food at home”? Well, now that I’m a grown-ish adult, I finally get what my mom meant by that. In fact, I’ve started to take it as a personal challenge to make meals with whatever I have at home—especially before leaving for a trip.
This week, as I prepare to head home for Christmas, I realized I had some food in the fridge that needed to be used up. It just so happened that I had everything I needed to make one of my favorite dishes from my Lord of the Pies days: chicken pot pie.
Now, let me clarify: this chicken pot pie is not the same as the ones I used to make for my Lord of the Pies customers. In fact, this pie breaks two of my cardinal rules when it comes to this classic comfort food:
I’m using chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts. (Normally, I believe chicken breasts work better for this dish, but I’ll explain why I made the switch.)
I’m using store-bought pie crust instead of my usual go-to: puff pastry or homemade crust.
Since the goal was to avoid a trip to the grocery store, I had to work with what I already had. Luckily, I always keep boneless, skinless chicken thighs in my freezer. They’re affordable, versatile, and practically impossible to overcook. I also had some leftover pie crusts and shredded carrots from a dinner I recently made for a coworker recovering from surgery. So, without spending a dime, I was ready to get cooking.
I started with my traditional recipe to guide me on general ratios, but I also wanted to see if I could make the dish from muscle memory. While this wasn’t the exact same chicken pot pie I’d make on a daily basis back in my pie-baking days, it turned out surprisingly well. What made the experience unique, though, was the freedom to make tweaks and adjustments along the way.
When I was making pies for customers, I had to follow a strict, regimented process to ensure consistency. Every pie had to taste the same and be perfectly reproducible. This time, I had the flexibility to make substitutions and improvise with what I had on hand. It felt a little wrong at first, but also incredibly freeing. I was so excited to eat this chicken pot pie that I forgot to take a picture of the final product!
Now I’m thinking this could turn into a fun series: creating dishes using only what I already have at home. Who knows what other delicious surprises are waiting in my fridge and pantry? For now, though, I’m pretty proud of this chicken pot pie—a nostalgic meal that’s both practical and comforting. Maybe next time I’ll even try breaking a few more rules.