Ingredients
Units
Scale
Pie Crust
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 sticks unsalted butter (cold, diced)
- 1/2 cup ice water (plus more as needed)
Blackening Seasoning
- 2 tablespoons smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon minced onion
- 1/2 tablespoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 1/2 tablespoon granulated garlic
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1/2 tablespoon seasoned salt
Pie Filling
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1/2 teaspoon celery salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground mustard
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese (shredded)
- 1/2 cup American cheese (diced or sliced thin)
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (diced or sliced thin)
- 2 cups broccoli (chopped)
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon water
- freshly cracked black pepper (to taste )
Instructions
- At least a couple of hours before you want to make your pies, start on your pie dough: measure your dry ingredients into a large bowl, then cut in the cold butter until only pea-sized chunks remain.
- Stir in 1/2 water and begin to bring everything together with your hands or a silicone tool. Add more water, a couple of tablespoons at a time until it forms a crumbly dough.
- Turn out onto a large piece of saran wrap and use that to bring the dough together into a ball. Once formed, unwrap and slice the ball in two even halves.
- Wrap each half in Saran Wrap and form into a disc, then place into the fridge to chill for at the very least two hours. Seriously. I wouldn’t tell you to wait if I didn’t think it was totally necessary. Who wants to wait for pie?!
- While your dough chills, work on your filling. Make your blackening seasoning and set aside.
- Preheat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat and drizzle in a little olive oil to coat.
- Season your chicken thoroughly with the blackening seasoning, then add to the pan in batches, allowing each side to sear for a few minutes before turning. Cook until you don’t see any visible pink – it will continue to cook in the oven. Remove from pan and if you cooked the chicken breasts intact, now is the time to dice them up.
- In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt your butter and add the flour and cornstarch. Whisk into a roux and let cook for 2 minutes before whisking in 1/4 of the milk. Whisk out the lumps, then add a tablespoon of the blackening seasoning.
- Whisk together and allow to cook for one minute before adding the remaining milk, in batches, whisking between each. Let simmer and thicken for 3 minutes.
- Whisk in the shredded carrot, celery salt, ground mustard, and black pepper.
- Stir in the broccoli, then cover and let cook for about 5 minutes, then remove from heat. Stir in the chicken and set aside to cool.
- Preheat oven to 375º.
- Flour a clean work surface and roll out your dough evenly, turning it or flipping it over intermittently to prevent sticking. Flour the rolling pin and dough slightly as needed, and work quickly so the dough doesn’t heat up too much.
- Use your pie pan(s) to measure and cut out a disc of dough about an inch larger than the rim of the pan. Then, cut out another the size of the rim.
- Press the larger disc into the pie pan(s), into the bottom and along the sides.
- Place pie crusts in the fridge to chill for 5 minutes. Make your egg wash by whisking together the egg and water.
- Fill your chilled pie pan(s), being sure not to overfill.
- Place the smaller disc on the top and press down onto the rim of the pie pan to seal. Use a knife or kitchen shears to trim any excess dough, then use a fork to crimp the edges.
- Brush with egg wash an bake on a cookie sheet for 20 minutes, or until browned to your liking.
Notes
- Store-bought pie crust works fine, but this one is better.
- Prep Time: 150 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: American
