Comfort Food

Comfort food has always been an interest to me; Food that provides more than just physical nourishment but emotional as well. Comfort food can be different things to different people, particularly from different parts of the country. In the North East where I grew up it was hearty vegetable soup that my mom spent all day making so the smells soaked into the whole house. In the South East where I live now, there is more bacon and Macaroni & Cheese. Chris is from the Midwest and he loves cabbage wrapped in pastry or homemade pasta with cream sauce. For the country as whole we think of Thanksgiving turkey, stuffing, and gravy. How can so many different types of food give people such similar emotional satisfaction?

I decided to try to make some comfort food of my own after the results of the poll were in. Chris and I were talking and I asked if he liked Chicken Pot Pie. His eyes lit up. I have never been a fan of Chicken Pot Pie but I definitely think of it as a comfort food. Creamy sauce, juicy mild flavored meat, fluffy pastry, vegetables… it sounds comforting. After I decided I would try the pot pie I was on a search for a recipe. Often things non-acidic are described as comfort food, maybe because they don’t upset our stomachs. The problem for me is that they often are full of heavy cream and bad fats. (Maybe I’ll write the next blog about the types of fats and my passion against them being named “fat”)

I changed Cooking Light’s recipe a little based on what I had at the house and 

what we like. Here’s what I got, approximately of course.

Chicken Pot Pie
6 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups)
Ingredients
· 1 tablespoon butter
· 1/4 cup chopped yellow onion
· 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
· 1 1/2 cups refrigerated diced potatoes with onions (such as Simply Potatoes)
· 1/3 cup Pino Grigio
· 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
· 1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
· 2 cups chopped chicken breast
· 3 cups mixed vegetables (green beans, lima beans, corn, carrots, mushroom, broccoli)
· 1/4 teaspoon salt
· 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
· 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch· 2 tablespoons water
· 2/3 cup half-and-half· Cooking spray
· 2 ½ cups low-fat baking mix (such as Bisquick Heart Smart)
· 1 cup fat-free milk
· 2 large egg whites, lightly beaten

Preparation
Preheat oven to 425°.
Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and thyme; sauté. Add potatoes; sauté. Add wine; cook 1 minute. Stir in mustard and broth; bring to a boil. Cook 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in chicken, mixed vegetables, salt, and pepper; cook 1 minute. Combine cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add cornstarch mixture and half-and-half to pan. Reduce heat, and simmer 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Spoon mixture into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.

Lightly spoon baking mix into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine baking mix, milk, and egg in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Spoon batter over chicken mixture; spread evenly to cover. Bake at 425° for 20 minutes or until topping is golden and filling is bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 348 (24% from fat)
Fat: 9.2g (sat 4.1g,mono 2.2g,poly 0.9g)
Protein: 23.5gCarbohydrate: 43.3g
Fiber: 4.4g
Cholesterol: 55mg
Iron: 3.1mg
Sodium: 634mg

Calcium: 131mg

It was a little messy in the kitchen since I had to cook the chicken in one pan, cook the filling in one pot, mix the bread in one bowl, combine the corn starch in another bowl, and chop everything on my small counter. Once it all made it into my 9 x 13 though it looked pretty. The saucy filling was bubbling up the sides of the pan topped with a crown of fluffy bread.
Normally I cook for just Chris and myself but I had a special opportunity last night, I got to send some pot pie over to my neighbors, Ray & Kari. I don’t like to give out food I haven’t tried yet or even more uncomfortable; a new recipe. There was no other way though. I scooped some out and ran next door. As I was running out the door Chris called through a mouth of food that I didn’t need to be nervous, it tasted very good.

We ate our big bowls full of moist flavorful chicken, creamy broth, vegetables that still had their texture, and a thick layer of bread to soak it all up. The immediate urge to nap afterward was the comfort part kicking in. We left the dishes and lay down on the couch to soak in the warm full comfort of a hearty dish. If you wanted to try the pot pie I might suggest a little less bread on the top and trying a deeper dish, the 9 X 13 made a nice presentation but I wished the pie were a little thicker.

Thanks for all your input about your favorite comfort foods!