Chicken Gumbo Pot Pie

Ingredients:
2 slices bacon, cut into ½ inch pieces
2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken broth
4 medium ribs celery, sliced
1 large onion, chopped
1 medium red pepper, chopped
1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
1 bag (16-ounce) frozen sliced okra
1 can (14 ½ ounce) diced tomatoes
1 package frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a large skillet, cook bacon until browned. With a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain.
3. Sprinkle chicken with ½ teaspoon salt. Cook chicken in bacon fat in 2 batches, 5 or 6 minutes per batch or until beginning to brown. Transfer chicken to a medium bowl.
4. Using the same skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil on medium for 1 minute. Stir in flour and cook for about 7 minutes or until a deep golden brown color, stirring constantly. Gradually add in chicken broth, stirring with whisk to prevent lumps. Heat to boiling and boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove skillet from heat.
5. In a large Dutch oven, heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil on medium-high heat until hot. Add celery, onion and pepper; cook about 10 minutes or until all vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in Cajun seasoning, cooking about 30 seconds. Add chicken broth mixture, okra, tomatoes and remaining salt, heat to boiling on high. Stir in chicken chunks and bacon; reduce heat to medium and cook 10 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink inside, stirring occasionally.
6. Divide gumbo between 2 ungreased 9 ½-inch deep-dish pie plates. Top each with 1 sheet puff pastry, tucking pastry corners under to form a round top. Cut six 1-inch slits in pastry to allow steam to escape during baking.
7. Bake one pot pie for 35 minutes or until pastry to golden brown and puffed. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.  Meanwhile, prepare second pot pie for freezing.

To Freeze: Cover tightly with plastic wrap and heavy-duty aluminum foil. Freeze up to 1 month. Thaw in refrigerator for 24 hours. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes and then bake as directed.

Sweet Tomato Pie

Ingredients:
· 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
· 1 refrigerated pie crust (like Pillsbury)
· 2 tablespoons butter
· 1 tablespoon olive oil
· 1 large onion, thinly sliced
· 1 tablespoon sugar
· 2 tablespoons minced garlic
· 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
· ½ cup mayonnaise
· 2 tablespoon heavy cream
· 1 tablespoon sour cream
· 1 tablespoon honey mustard
· 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
· 4 large red tomatoes, sliced into ¼-inch slices
· Salt and pepper, to taste
· ½ cup fresh basil, chopped
· 2 cups shredded Swiss cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons flour on the counter and roll pie crust dough to fit a 7x11-inch rectangular baking dish, making sure dough comes up on the sides. Poke bottom of crust with a fork in several places. Bake for 9 or 11 minutes or until crust is lightly browned. Remove from oven to cool. Reduce oven temperature to 400 degrees.
3. In a heavy skillet, heat butter and olive oil over medium heat until it begins to sizzle. Add onion and sugar. Sauté onion until it is brown and caramelized. Add garlic and stir constantly for another 1 or 2 minutes. Remove onion and garlic and set aside to cool.
4. In a medium bowl, mix together with a hand mixer the cream cheese, mayonnaise, heavy cream, sour cream, honey mustard and Parmesan cheese.
5. In the cooled pie crust, layer half of the onions; then cream cheese mixture, sliced tomatoes, salt, pepper, basil and Swiss cheese. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
6. Bake for 35 minutes or until pie is bubbling and top is browned.
7. Remove from oven and cool for 15 to 20 minutes before slicing. 

Bacon Quiche

A little bonus recipe for you today, back from Mother's Day. This is perfect for breakfast, lunch, a bridal or baby shower, and just about any occasion. Check it out here.

Summer Garden Pie

Ingredients:
-3 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and sliced
-1 teaspoon salt, divided
-1 tablespoon fresh basil (or to taste)
-1 refrigerated pie crust
-4 bacon slices 

-3 medium-size sweet onions, halved and thinly sliced
-1 squash, sliced thin
-1 cup shredded mild Cheddar cheese
-3/4 cup mayonnaise
-1/4 teaspoon pepper
-1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
-2 tablespoons fine, dry breadcrumbs


Directions:
1,  Place tomato slices on paper towels, and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt; let stand 30 minutes.
2.  Unfold pie3crust, and fit into a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate. Fold edges of piecrust under, and crimp. Line with aluminum foil, and fill with pie weights or dried beans.
3.  Bake at 425° for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove pie weights and foil.
4.  Cook bacon in a large skillet until crisp; remove bacon, and drain on paper towels, reserving 1 teaspoon drippings in skillet. Crumble bacon, and set aside.
5.  Sauté onion and squash in hot drippings in skillet over medium-high heat 8 to 10 minutes or until tender. Spoon onion and squash over prepared piecrust, and top with tomato slices. Sprinkle with fresh basil.
6.  Stir together Cheddar cheese, mayonnaise, pepper, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Spread mixture over tomato slices. Combine Parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs; sprinkle over top.
7.  Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until golden. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with bacon.

Mother's Day Brunch Recipe - Bacon Quiche

Anybody that knows me knows that I love, love, love bacon. In fact, while in a book store last week I came really close to buying a shirt that said: "Keep Calm and Eat Bacon." I thought better of it when I realized I already own a t-shirt that says "I'd be a vegetarian if bacon grew on trees." I wear it proudly. However, two bacon t-shirts might be a little of a pork overload to my wardrobe. I'm sure there's a joke in there somewhere but I'll not go there. And I'm sure that wearing a bacon t-shirt while working out is a bit a contradiction or oxymoron or something. Okay, let's not go there either. 

Anyway, if you're looking for a great quiche recipe for Mother's Day or any time, here you go. 

Bacon Quiche


Ingredients:

• 1 sheet refrigerated pie pastry 
• 1/4 cup sliced green onions 
• 1 tablespoon butter 
• 6 eggs 
• 1-1/2 cups heavy whipping cream 
• 1/4 cup unsweetened apple juice 
• 1 pound sliced bacon, cooked and crumbled 
• 1/8 teaspoon salt 
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper 
• 2 cups shredded Swiss cheese 

Directions:
1. Line a 9-in. deep dish pie plate with pastry; trim and flute edges. Set aside.
2. In a small skillet, sauté green onions in butter until tender.
3. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, cream and juice. Stir in the bacon, salt, pepper and green onions.
4. Pour into pastry; sprinkle with cheese.
5. Bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.
6. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.