I've lived in Lancaster County for more than 30 years but I've never made pot pie. I don't want to get into making the noodles so does anyone have a recipe that includes store bought noodles?

store bought noodles

I know, I know, but I'm a Philly girl. Need I say more?

BOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! then it wont be the real chicken Pot Pie.....just sayin'

Hey, pipe down TD, unless you want to make some "real" pot pie and bring it over!

I've made the real deal pot pie before, and I can understand your not wanting to do the noodles, but if you cook the store bought noodles in your chicken broth, I think it may come out more starchy tasting than real pot pie, but it's worth a try! On the other hand, the flour from the noodles is what thickens the broth, so it could work that way too. Not much help, I know, but the only tip I can think of. If you try it and it works, let me know!!

My recommendation, stop at the Amish stand at Central Market. The name escapes me. They have Pot Pie noodles that will fit the bill.

Recommendation #2: if you do not want to make it at all. Go to the Turkey Lady and get her Turkey Pot Pie. There are frozen, I think $4.00/Ea and excellent. We had them for dinner last night. They are not in the case so you have to ask for them out of the freezer.

Thanks for the tips. I always bought it at the grocery store but it is getting outrageously expensive. It was $13.00 for something like a quart and a half.

Whatever you do Hope, don't forget the saffron.

Being from the midwest, this is what I call chicken pot pie.

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I've never had the local version, but I think it's what we called chicken and noodles. The noodles were made with flour, egg and water and were time-consuming but not difficult. Now I'm hungry.............

I lived in Indiana for 4 years. Spent a lot of time in Cinny too. Now I like chili on my spaghetti......

Wait what? Saffron? I thought this was supposed to be a simple dish.


Now that's just wrong!

How do you think it gets that pretty yellow color? Seriously, I was noodlephobic for a while and then just broke down and made them one day. As A1 says, it isn't hard, and it tastes soooooo much better with real homemade noodles. I roll out the dough and use a pizza cutter to make them into diamond shapes--you just drop them into the pot that's already cooking with the other stuff in the recipe I use. You will be so proud of yourself if you do it.

Our family calls that pot pie too, and my grandmother was PA Dutch from Shippensburg!

What ya'll call pot pie, we of southern american descent (Dad's side) call Chicken n dumplings. And yes, Hope, the dumplings are handmade, rolled out and cut!

You'll be at the store anyway. Saffron is usually at the checkout counter. Grab a packet and drop the sprigs, twigs, (whatever they're called) into the pot after you take out the chicken to cut up.

I haven't seen saffron in any of the recipes that I've seen but then again I haven't seen too many.

That must be chicken pie. No pot.

saffron is a must

As Pericles instructs above, do that. Adding saffron might be just something people know to do, not something written down.

So where's this recipe you reference? I've never heard of adding saffron either.

BTW, the chicken and dumplings my mom made when I was little really did have big, fluffy dumplings in it. I don't think the two are truly comparable. Oh, and until I moved out this way, I thought chicken pot pie was in the pie shell like A1 posted.

It's in a cookbook I will have to locate if you'd like it.

Please! I like easy. Making noodles from scratch never seemed to come across as "easy" for me.

I'll send it to you when I figure out which cookbook and where we put it when we had the kitchen cabinets painted. The noodle thing is easier than rolled cookies, IMO.

Me either, I'm willing to try if LFM posts the recipe.

I'll see what I can do.

We're in luck. I found the cookbook. It's the Mennonite Community Cookbook by Mary Emma Showalter.

Here's the part with making the noodles:

2c flour, 1/2 tsp salt, 2 eggs, 2-3 Tbs water (or milk). Make a well in the flour and add the eggs and salt. Work together into a stiff dough; if too dry add water or milk. Roll it out (about 3/8" thick) and cut into 1" squares. (This is where I use the pizza cutter.) Drop into the boiling broth (which already has your chicken etc in it) and cook 10-12 minutes.

How hard is that?

Wonderful! Thanks.

You don't need a cookbook. It's easy.

Put a chicken in a pot with an onion and some celery. Season and boil until the chicken is soft.

Remove the chicken, onion and celery.

Add saffron, potatoes and carrots to the pot and cook until close to tender.

Add noodles and cook, then finish by adding back the chicken that's been cut up.

Sounds good, except the last sentence should read: "Add HOMEMADE noodles". You'll be glad you did.

You're right.

Beef and sausage pot pie are also delicious, and the same recipe, except for the saffron.

real pot pie noodles don't break down like the store bought ones, pot pie mush blech

This is where I learned......
http://www.skylinechili.com/

I feel I must disabuse you (I'd never abuse you) of that misconception. Even Stouffer's knows it's chicken pot pie. The pot part comes later if you eat too much of it.

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I just had to put my 2cents in about saffron since you were on the subject. With Thanksgiving coming up, I always use saffron in my stuffing as well. After sauteeing the celery and onions in butter and adding that to the bread cubes with seasoning I add some milk, beaten eggs and warm water (or chicken broth) with a pinch of saffron. I cook the stuffing on top of the stove (slowly and on very low heat) first (usually the night before) and refrigerate it for stuffing the bird or making "filling balls" the next day. The saffron adds that nice bit of color to the "filling".

Absolutely.
Everyone I know calls "chicken pot pie", "chicken popeye", because you never stop to pronounce the T on the end of pot. The kind with the crust we call "baked chicken pie".

Mom would sometimes add the store bought noodles but then she said she was making "chicken botboi" because those noodles were called botboi noodles.

My family only uses one egg in home made potpie squares. We use shortening the size of a goose egg, if I remember correctly. The only way to learn how to make pot pie squares correctly seems to be to watch someone who is good at making them before you try them yourself. Mine sometimes turns into saffron flavored pot pie soup, so I won't offer to let you watch me.

My Dad told about gathering "saffron". It took forever because it is the stigma from a flower [a type of crocus], and each flower only has three stigma [or is it stigmata? or stigmuses?].

Hope, since we somewhat work together, maybe I'll have to make some and bring you a little bit to try... if you like it, I'll give you the recipe. My family never gives the recipe, but I like other people to enjoy what they're hiding!

My family's been here since the beginning of PA and Lancaster (I'm a blood decendent of both Hans Herr (of the oldest PA dutch settlement in PA) and Jost/Valentine Metzler), so... I'll give you a truly old-school Lancaster style PA dutch recipe. Handed down literally for 10+ generations now. It's never beaten anywhere, even by other Lancastrians and PA dutch folk. Trust me.

I've always used the bow noodles.

Only in Pennsylvania can you call it a pot pie and have no crust .

Potatoes, celery, boiled off chicken (found out that one of the supermarket lemon cooked lemon chicken works very well) some sage, parcley flakes, salt, pepper.

Another sacreligious thing I do is use Red Robin seasoning on it.

Later, I'm off to get a lemon chicken.




Saffron?

Worlds most expensive spice, saffron, no way.

Now that's my kind of easy cooking. Thanks Pericles.

One thing though - does that freeze well? I don't generally make recipes with huge amounts of left overs. One or two extra meals is my limit - unless of course y'all plan on sharing with me.

Pericles sounds the closest to my grandmothers and hers was a hit with all who ate it.

Make sure you have some chow chow or cole slaw to go with. Pot pie's way to bland with out something tart to perk it up!

I actually put the chow chow or slaw right on top. Sounds gross, I know, but it's the only way I like eating chicken pot pie.

you can freeze it but only with real noodles

All this talk of chicken pot pie has made me put it on the menu.
Chicken Pot Pie [hopefully not soup] shall be made in this house within the week !!!

When my dad's cousin moved to N. Hampshire, he was bound and determined to make Lanc. Co. style pot pie. He got the recipe from his mom, who also made the home made noodles, not just for them but for some of the local restaurants. He said she would be in the kitchen rolling all morning long and until he made the noodles himself didn't know how much upper arm strength it took. He said no wonder we never backed talked mom, it hurt way too much!! , and now I know why!

TRY MELTING SWISS CHEESE ON SPAGHETTI AND PUT YOUR FAVORITE GRAVY ON IT. PREFERRABLY TURKEYGRAVY OR ROAST BEEF GRAVY. IT IS A STAPLE AT OUR THANKSGIVING DINNER FOR AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER. EVEN MY WIFE HAD IT ALL HER LIFE. GO FIGURE THAT ONE OUT. WE WERE DESTINED. 38 YEARS LATER WE STILL LOVE IT. NOW I'M HUNGRY. NOT THAT THAT'S ANYTHING NEW.

Is this an ethnic sort of dish? I mean is there a history with this concoction or did you stumble upon it by mistake one year? And, again, the caps hurt my eyes. Thanks.

Well, they're wrong.

Why do you think it's called "pot pie?" Because you make it in a pot. I am not PA Dutch in any way shape or form, but even I get this. It's a no-brainer. If it has a crust, it's just a pie.

Hope,
the heck with making it[too much work]. Just go to the conestoga wagon resturant in conestoga for their pot pie night[i forget which night it is] for all you can eat of some of the best pot pie this side of grandma`s

Then go for a long walk or trip on the treadmill to work off all those carb laden pounds.

Hi Hope, If you haven't been to any of the Lanc County Firehouses during the year when they have Family style dinners , i.e. White Horse Fire House, the area Amish work the kitchens there and they do have Chicken Pot Pie Nite where you can eat in or take out with your own container. Worth the trip and you can get your own ideas on how to make through conversation with the Amish Folk. You made me hungry for Pot Pie.

you are right Kate, big big carb buzz. I think its called "comfort food"

bread cubes with seasoning ?store bought ?

And when you master that , try oyster pie , now that is a PIE !