Growing up in Los Angeles, it would have been hard to avoid developing a strong affinity for Mexican food. But it’s unclear why anyone would ever want to avoid such a wonderful, wonderful affinity! This chile verde-inspired casserole has all the classic pot pie ingredients—chicken, carrots, peas, and potatoes. But it’s the jalapeños, tomatillos, and cilantro that make it amazing.
Ingredients
- 1 sheet frozen pie dough
- 10 tomatillos, husked and diced
- 2 jalapeño peppers, stemmed, optionally seeded
- 6 cloves garlic
- 1 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
- 1½ tsp sugar
- 2 tsp salt, divided
- 1½ cups, plus 1 Tbsp water, divided
- 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- ¾ tsp black pepper
- 1½ lb chicken thighs, boneless, skinless, diced
- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 Tbsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 (about 1 cup) carrot, diced
- 1 (about ½ lb) russet potato, peeled, diced
- ½ cup frozen peas
- 1 egg
How to Make It
- Thaw the frozen pie dough, as directed by the package.
- Add tomatillos, jalapeños, garlic, cilantro, sugar, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and 1½ cups of water to a blender. Blend until smooth.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the flour, the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt, and the pepper. Dip the chicken into the seasoned flour, turning to coat. Shake off excess and reserve on a plate.
- Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil begins to shimmer, add half of the chicken, and sauté until browned, about 5–6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the browned chicken to a plate. Repeat with the remaining chicken, reserving it to the same plate when browned.
- Into the hot, empty skillet, add the onion and sauté until almost translucent, about 4–6 minutes. Add the cumin and oregano, continuing to sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the green sauce from your blender, and using a spatula, free the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Bring the sauce to a boil, and lower the heat to a simmer. Add the browned chicken, along with the carrot and potato, and allow to simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, add the frozen peas, and allow the stew to cool for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Transfer the contents of the skillet to either a single baking dish or ramekins. Cover the baking dish(es) with thawed pie crust. Pinch the crust to seal the edges, cutting off any excess crust. Make a few slits along the top to allow steam to escape the pie. Beat the egg and remaining 1 tablespoon of water together. Using a pastry brush, paint the top of the dough with this egg wash.
- Transfer the baking dish(es) to the oven and bake for 45–50 minutes, or until the crust has browned. Remove the pot pie(s) from the oven and allow them to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
