Mini Cast Iron Chicken Pot Pies Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

Can you cook a pie in a cast iron pot? ›

As the moisture inside pie dough evaporates, it releases steam, which is responsible for building light, tender layers of dough. Using cast iron means that the pan heats up quickly and retains a consistent temperature throughout baking. Which all adds up to beautifully baked bottom crusts (with no hint of sog).

Simply place in the refrigerator overnight or leave on a counter top for several hours. For individual five (5) inch pot pies, please place them in a conventional oven at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes. If baking more than a single pot pie, please adjust the time in accordance with the change in quantity.

A significant amount of the calories and fat in traditional chicken pot pie come from the crust. Only using crust on the top of the pies made a big difference nutritionally.

High Saturated Fat: The pastry crust in chicken pot pie is often made with butter or lard, which is high in saturated fat.

Cast Iron Goes Both Ways

Cast iron is a material that conducts heat well, so it lends itself to both stove-top and oven cooking.

To reheat, preheat oven to 180°C. Place pies on a baking tray and cover with foil. Cook in oven for 15 minutes or until heated through.

Place onto baking sheet in centre of oven. Bake pies for approximately 30 - 35 minutes or until the centre of the product reaches an internal temperature of 165° F (74° C).

A warm chicken pot pie might feel just right on a chilly day, but it can also do a number on your stomach. This seasonal food favorite is often loaded with fat, a common IBS trigger. The wheat in the crust is a source of the fermentable fiber fructans, says Scarlata.

Most of the fat and calories in pot pie comes from that crust. And don't worry, we wouldn't ask you to give up it -- just make some changes. Crusts made with shortening, lard or puff pastry are overloaded with artery-clogging saturated and trans fats.

What makes chicken pot pie unhealthy? ›

The fat content alone in chicken pot pie is enough to raise a red flag to Best. She says, “While chicken is a lean animal protein, the other ingredients like milk, butter and oil are high in saturated and trans fat. A diet containing large amounts of these fats can lead to heart disease and obesity.”

Marie Callender's Chicken Pot Pie Meal to Share combines tender white-meat chicken and fresh garden vegetables in a golden, flaky, made-from-scratch crust.

Pot pies are typically high in carbohydrates and unhealthy fats, which can negatively impact blood sugar levels in diabetics. It's advisable for diabetics to limit their intake of such high-carb, high-fat foods and instead focus on meals that are rich in lean protein, healthy fats, and fiber.

For a more casual approach, try making your next pie in an enameled cast iron skillet. These types of pies lend themselves especially well to fruit-fillings with more filling than a typical pie.

Preheat your cast iron bakeware before adding your batter or dough for crunchy edges on cornbread, pizza, and biscuits. Prefer a delicate crust? Add your batter for cakes, pies, and other soft baked goods directly into your room-temperature pan. No preheating needed!

So, if you're after some good quality slow-cooked meals, think about getting durable cast iron cookware, that's going to cook really well.

Cast iron pans are popular, especially for searing, and are generally safe to use. But they can leach iron, which is a strong pro-oxidant. Those genetically at risk for iron overload should learn more about cast iron safety. For well over a thousand years, cast iron has been used as a reliable cooking surface.