Skillet Chicken Pot Pie

1. MAKE THE POT PIE CRUST:

1. Add cold butter, flour, and salt to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times until the butter has been lightly chopped into small pieces (you should still be able to easily see some butter chunks, and the flour mixture should look almost like sand).
2. Add the cold water a tablespoon at a time, pulsing between each addition until the dough begins to form larger chunks. The dough won't pull together the way a yeast or bread dough does - it will still look quite coarse. You'll know the crust dough is ready when you pinch a bit of dough together with your fingers and it holds together without being sticky.
3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface (it should still look a bit crumbly - that's ok!). Working quickly, use your hands to bring the dough together (try to "pat" the dough into shape rather than kneading it) until it forms a relatively smooth ball or disc (see the photos above for what it should look like!).
4. Place your dough in an airtight container (I like to use my Stasher Bag, though you could also wrap it with plastic wrap) and put it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or until you're ready to use it.

MAKE-AHEAD TIP: Make your pot pie crust in advance if you like! Prepared pot pie crust will last 3-4 days in the fridge and several months in the freezer. You can also definitely use a store-bought pie crust here if you like.

2. MAKE THE POT PIE FILLING: 

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Melt butter in a large cast iron skillet (at least 10 inches in diameter) over medium-high heat.
3. When butter is melted and hot, add onion and garlic to skillet. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until garlic is fragrant and onion is translucent, about 3-5 minutes.
4. Add potato to skillet and stir to combine. Cook another 3-5 minutes until potato has begun to soften.
5. Add salt, pepper, and thyme to skillet and stir to combine. You should see a bit of butter and liquid in the pan, but if the pan looks too dry here, add another pat of butter or a dash of olive oil.
6. Add flour to skillet and stir to combine. The flour will soak up the moisture in the pan and clump together to form a roux. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about a minute until flour is cooked through and smells slightly nutty.
7. Add chicken stock to skillet a little at a time, stirring in between each addition to break up any lumps. The stock will thicken quickly at first, then gradually thin out.
8. When you've added all the stock, bring the filling to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until stock has thickened, about 5-10 minutes. The filling is ready when the stock has reached the consistency of a thick soup.
9. Add carrots, cooked chicken or turkey, peas, and half and half to filling and stir to combine. Return the mixture to a simmer (this is the point where I like to roll out my pot pie crust!) then remove from the heat. If you're baking the pot pie now, proceed to the next step immediately.

MAKE-AHEAD TIP: If you're making the pot pie in advance and planning to refrigerate or freeze it for later, let the filling cool completely before moving on to the next step. You can also freeze the filling on its own and make the crust/assemble the pot pie at a later date when you're ready to bake!

3. ASSEMBLE THE POT PIE:

1. Remove pot pie crust from fridge and lightly flour a cutting board. Use a floured rolling pin to roll out the crust to a circle about ⅛" thick. Your rolled crust should be slightly larger in diameter than your cast iron skillet.
2. Transfer your crust to the top of your cast iron skillet. Work quickly here as the hot filling will start to soften the pot pie crust, and be careful not to touch the hot skillet (don't burn yourself!)
3. Trim or fold over any pieces of crust that hang over the edges of the pot pie. I like to fold the edges in towards the center and lightly pinch the dough to form a rustic crust (see photos in the post above!)
4. Cut slits in the center of the crust to let steam escape as the pot pie bakes.

MAKE-AHEAD TIP:If you're refrigerating or freezing the pot pie, do so now. Cover the cooled pot pie tightly with plastic wrap and transfer to the fridge for up to 4 days or the freezer for up to 4 months.

4. BAKE THE POT PIE:

1. Place your cast iron skillet on a large baking sheet (this makes it easier to move and will catch any drips or spills as the pot pie cooks). Bake at 375 degrees F for 30-40 minutes until crust is golden brown.
2. Let pot pie cool for 10-15 minutes, then cut and serve.

MAKE-AHEAD TIP: To bake a cold or frozen pot pie, you can choose one of two methods: One, put the cold or frozen pot pie directly into a COLD oven, then heat the oven with the pot pie inside