Creamy Baked Carbonara Mac and Cheese We made mac and cheese, but with carbonara so it’s extra rich and delicious. For our Creamy Baked Carbonara Mac and Cheese, we added some peas and bacon because it’s nice to have some texture variation…
Creamy Baked Carbonara Mac and Cheese
We made mac and cheese, but with carbonara so it’s extra rich and delicious. For our Creamy Baked Carbonara Mac and Cheese, we added some peas and bacon because it’s nice to have some texture variation. We also love baking mac and cheese because the top gets a nice crispy coat, and under the blanket of crispy cheese the sauce gets to stay nice and warm and gooey. I also love making casserole-y things because... KEEP READING!
Our New Book!
Eggs are one of the world's super-star foods: inexpensive, protein-rich, versatile, and easily renewable. Every culture has its own take on eggs-for breakfast, lunch, and dinner-and The Perfect Egg features a dazzling, delicious variety of globally influenced dishes. From Blackberry Stuffed Croissant French Toast to Hot and Sour Soup, and from Poached Yolk-Stuffed Ravioli to Creamy Lemon Curd Tart, the more than seventy recipes in The Perfect Egg offer a fresh, unique, and modern take on the most humble of foods.
Streusel Topped Apple Pie Cheesecake Bars I think the first time I had an apple pie topped cheesecake was at Cheesecake Factory years ago. I thought it was one of the greatest desserts ever, lol. Today we have Apple Pie Cheesecake Bars for you guys. I…
Streusel Topped Apple Pie Cheesecake Bars
I think the first time I had an apple pie topped cheesecake was at Cheesecake Factory years ago. I thought it was one of the greatest desserts ever, lol. Today we have Apple Pie Cheesecake Bars for you guys. I turned them into bars because I like how this can be made in a baking dish, they can be broken down into more servings and there’s no need to worry about a water bath situation!... KEEP READING!
Our New Book!
Eggs are one of the world's super-star foods: inexpensive, protein-rich, versatile, and easily renewable. Every culture has its own take on eggs-for breakfast, lunch, and dinner-and The Perfect Egg features a dazzling, delicious variety of globally influenced dishes. From Blackberry Stuffed Croissant French Toast to Hot and Sour Soup, and from Poached Yolk-Stuffed Ravioli to Creamy Lemon Curd Tart, the more than seventy recipes in The Perfect Egg offer a fresh, unique, and modern take on the most humble of foods.
We’ve transformed your favorite special occasion comfort meal into a quick and simple dinner for two that can be made any night of the week! Our easy chicken pot pie recipe uses puff pastry instead of a traditional pie crust. It’s just as flaky and decadent but without all the hassle of chilling and rolling. By cooking your chicken ahead of time, you’ll spend just 10 minutes prepping your vegetables and 30 minutes cooking, which…
We’ve transformed your favorite special occasion comfort meal into a quick and simple dinner for two that can be made any night of the week! Our easy chicken pot pie recipe uses puff pastry instead of a traditional pie crust. It’s just as flaky and decadent but without all the hassle of chilling and rolling.
By cooking your chicken ahead of time, you’ll spend just 10 minutes prepping your vegetables and 30 minutes cooking, which makes this perfect for a chilly weeknight dinner for two. Instead of using a pie pan, we’re using two 6-inch cast iron skillets for two individual pot pies. Serving each meal in its own skillet is such a fun way to serve this dish – just like our creamy kale and turkey skillet lasagna and individual apple crisps! Either make both for you and a plus one for dinner, or leave off the puff pastry until you’re ready to cook the second one, and have freshly baked chicken pot pie two nights this week!
How to Make an Easy Chicken Pot Pie
Ingredients
Process
Preheat oven to 400˚F. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions, carrot and celery, and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes. Add thyme and season with salt and pepper.
Reduce heat to medium, stir in the flour, and cook for 2 minutes.
Stir in stock, followed by milk, and continue to stir until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, 3 to 4 minutes.
Fold in chicken and peas. Adjust seasonings as needed.
Place each skillet onto a baking sheet. Scoop the chicken mixture into individual skillets.
Top each skillet with a square of puff pastry.
Brush each square of puff pastry with egg wash. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until puff pastry has puffed and browned. Remove from oven, cool slightly, and serve.
Tips and Tricks for the BEST Chicken Pot Pie
To save time, you can pre-chop your carrots, onions, and celery and store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days before making your chicken pot pie.
Be careful not to burn the flour when adding it to the vegetables, but cook long enough so that the flour is actually cooked. Stir frequently and wait for a slightly nutty aroma.
Add the stock into the pot slowly, stirring as you do to avoid clumps. Using a whisk can help all of the stock and flour incorporate smoothly into the flour and vegetable mixture.
You can use either cooked chicken breast or chicken thighs or, to save even more time, shredded and chopped rotisserie chicken!
Variations
Use one 12-inch cast iron skillet if you don’t have two 6-inch skillets to use. Just layer the puff pastry sheets to fit.
Swap the tablespoon of fresh minced thyme for a teaspoon of dried thyme.
For a more aromatic effect, you can also add half a teaspoon of dried rosemary or sage.
For a gluten-free, easy chicken pot pie, use gluten-free all-purpose flour instead of regular when making the roux, and top your pot pies with a gluten-free puff pastry.
While this chicken pot pie has a creamy filling, you can make an even richer and creamier filling by swapping the whole milk with heavy cream.
Make Ahead, Storing and Freezing Instructions
Make Ahead
You can easily make this dish ahead of time and assemble and bake it when you’re ready to eat. Prepare the filling as directed, then let it cool and store in the refrigerator for up to two days. When you’re ready to make your pot pie, follow the assembly directions and bake!
Storing
To store leftovers, let the chicken pot pie cool, then cover and store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. To reheat, preheat the oven to 350˚F and bake your pot pie for 15-20 minutes or until heated through. If the top begins to brown too much, cover it in foil.
Freezing
You can easily prepare your pot pie ahead of time and freeze it to be cooked at a later date.
For a pot pie that you can remove from the freezer and bake: make the filling and let it fully cool. Add it to an oven and freezer-safe pan or pie dish. Top with puff pastry and then freeze it for 2-3 hours. Once the puff pastry has been somewhat frozen, wrap the dish in plastic wrap, then foil (pre-freezing the dish keeps the plastic from sticking to the puff pastry). Freeze for up to 3 months. To bake, remove from the freezer and remove the plastic wrap. Add an egg wash to the top of the puff pastry, then bake as directed. You may need to add an additional 15-20 minutes of baking time (and possibly cover the top in foil if it starts to brown to quickly).
Preheat oven to 400˚F. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions, carrot and celery and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes. Add thyme and season with salt and pepper.
Reduce heat to medium and stir in flour and cook for 2 minutes.
Stir in stock, followed by milk and continue to stir until mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, 3 to 4 minutes.
Fold in chicken and peas. Adjust seasonings as needed.
Assembly
Place each skillet onto a baking sheet. Scoop chicken mixture into individual skillets
Top each skillet with a square of puff pastry.
Brush each square of puff pastry with egg wash.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until puff pastry has puffed and browned. Remove from oven, cool slightly and serve.
Notes
Tips and Tricks
To save time, you can pre-chop your carrots, onions, and celery and store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days before making your chicken pot pie.
Be careful not to burn the flour when adding it to the vegetables, but cook long enough so that the flour is actually cooked. Stir frequently and wait for a slightly nutty aroma.
Add the stock into the pot slowly, stirring as you do to avoid clumps. Using a whisk can help all of the stock and flour incorporate smoothly into the flour and vegetable mixture.
You can use either cooked chicken breast or chicken thighs or, to save even more time, shredded and chopped rotisserie chicken!
Make AheadYou can easily make this dish ahead of time and assemble and bake it when you’re ready to eat. Prepare the filling as directed, then let it cool and store in the refrigerator for up to two days. When you’re ready to make your pot pie, follow the assembly directions and bake!StoringTo store leftovers, let the chicken pot pie cool, then cover and store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. To reheat, preheat the oven to 350˚F and bake your pot pie for 15-20 minutes or until heated through. If the top begins to brown too much, cover it in foil.FreezingYou can easily prepare your pot pie ahead of time and freeze it to be cooked at a later date.For a pot pie that you can remove from the freezer and bake: make the filling and let it fully cool. Add it to an oven and freezer-safe pan or pie dish. Top with puff pastry and then freeze it for 2-3 hours. Once the puff pastry has been somewhat frozen, wrap the dish in plastic wrap, then foil (pre-freezing the dish keeps the plastic from sticking to the puff pastry). Freeze for up to 3 months. To bake, remove from the freezer and remove the plastic wrap. Add an egg wash to the top of the puff pastry, then bake as directed. You may need to add an additional 15-20 minutes of baking time (and possibly cover the top in foil if it starts to brown to quickly).
Chili Oil Garlic Noodles I could eat noodles (and pasta) every single day. These Chili Oil Garlic Noodles are very high on my list of favorite noodles to make. They’re simple to make, so tasty and there are so many ways to make them! This recipe…
Chili Oil Garlic Noodles
I could eat noodles (and pasta) every single day. These Chili Oil Garlic Noodles are very high on my list of favorite noodles to make. They’re simple to make, so tasty and there are so many ways to make them! This recipe is a Korean-style Chili Oil Garlic Noodle dish. Korean Style Garlic Chili Oil versus Traditional Szechuan Garlic Chili Oil This recipe is all about the garlic chili oil. This Korean style chili oil... KEEP READING!
Our New Book!
Eggs are one of the world's super-star foods: inexpensive, protein-rich, versatile, and easily renewable. Every culture has its own take on eggs-for breakfast, lunch, and dinner-and The Perfect Egg features a dazzling, delicious variety of globally influenced dishes. From Blackberry Stuffed Croissant French Toast to Hot and Sour Soup, and from Poached Yolk-Stuffed Ravioli to Creamy Lemon Curd Tart, the more than seventy recipes in The Perfect Egg offer a fresh, unique, and modern take on the most humble of foods.
Spicy Thai Red Curry Soup Jenny and I are big fans of Red Curry. We also love this recipe we have for Spicy Red Curry and Coconut Noodle Soup with Shrimp, as well as this simple recipe for Red Curry Noodles, and Thai Red Curry Chicken Thighs with Zucc…
Spicy Thai Red Curry Soup
Jenny and I are big fans of Red Curry. We also love this recipe we have for Spicy Red Curry and Coconut Noodle Soup with Shrimp, as well as this simple recipe for Red Curry Noodles, and Thai Red Curry Chicken Thighs with Zucchini. We love all of these recipes so much! Red curry is such a comforting a easy sauce that goes with everything. Today we spiced things up a bit and made Spicy... KEEP READING!
Our New Book!
Eggs are one of the world's super-star foods: inexpensive, protein-rich, versatile, and easily renewable. Every culture has its own take on eggs-for breakfast, lunch, and dinner-and The Perfect Egg features a dazzling, delicious variety of globally influenced dishes. From Blackberry Stuffed Croissant French Toast to Hot and Sour Soup, and from Poached Yolk-Stuffed Ravioli to Creamy Lemon Curd Tart, the more than seventy recipes in The Perfect Egg offer a fresh, unique, and modern take on the most humble of foods.
Chickpea Kale Apple and Goat Cheese Salad The start of a new year is always a great time to reboot my healthy eating habits, but I also like to be realistic and prepare things for myself and family that I know we’ll enjoy eating and that’l…
Chickpea Kale Apple and Goat Cheese Salad
The start of a new year is always a great time to reboot my healthy eating habits, but I also like to be realistic and prepare things for myself and family that I know we’ll enjoy eating and that’ll actually fill us up. This Chickpea, Kale, Apple, and Goat Cheese Salad is just that; not only is it a salad that’s so delicious and easy to make, it’ll also definitely fill you up! I love... KEEP READING!
Our New Book!
Eggs are one of the world's super-star foods: inexpensive, protein-rich, versatile, and easily renewable. Every culture has its own take on eggs-for breakfast, lunch, and dinner-and The Perfect Egg features a dazzling, delicious variety of globally influenced dishes. From Blackberry Stuffed Croissant French Toast to Hot and Sour Soup, and from Poached Yolk-Stuffed Ravioli to Creamy Lemon Curd Tart, the more than seventy recipes in The Perfect Egg offer a fresh, unique, and modern take on the most humble of foods.
One of our favorite chilly weather meals is this Beef Ragu Recipe. It’s delicious, hearty, cozy, and very easy to make! You basically dump all the ingredients for this ragu into a Dutch oven in stages, close the lid and let everything simmer, until the beef is melt in your mouth soft. Leftovers are even better the next day which we also love. This beef ragu recipe also freezes really well so you don’t have…
One of our favorite chilly weather meals is this Beef Ragu Recipe. It’s delicious, hearty, cozy, and very easy to make! You basically dump all the ingredients for this ragu into a Dutch oven in stages, close the lid and let everything simmer, until the beef is melt in your mouth soft.
Leftovers are even better the next day which we also love. This beef ragu recipe also freezes really well so you don’t have to worry about making a full recipe for just a couple people.
What is Beef Ragu?
Traditional beef ragu is a budget friendly Italian meat sauce that incorporates tomatoes. It begins with a mix of sauteed vegetables, a soffrito, and It can be used with other proteins such as pork, chicken and lamb, but it’s important that the meat is the main focus. It’s a meat sauce with tomatoes and and not a tomato sauce with meat.
How to Make Beef Ragu
Ingredients for Our Beef Ragu Recipe
Process
Beef Ragu
Season chuck roast with salt and pepper.
Pour oil into Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add beef to Dutch oven and sear on each side. Remove from pot and set aside.
Add more oil to Dutch oven followed by onions, carrots and celery and sauté. Add the garlic and continue to sauté. Season with salt and pepper. Add oregano, tomato paste and balsamic vinegar to mixture.
Stir together.
Deglaze pot with broth, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pot.
Stir in crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes and basil leaves and stir together.
Add beef back into pot and reduce heat to medium-low to low.
Cover and (barely) simmer until beef is for tender and falling apart.
Shred beef with 2 forks and stir into sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Polenta Process
Pour water into a saucepan and place over heat. Season with salt and pepper. Bring water to a boil and whisk in the polenta until fully combined. Lower heat and simmer, while constantly stirring, or until the mixture thickens (to a porridge consistency).
Remove polenta from heat and stir in the butter and shredded gruyere a little at a time, until mixture is creamy and smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Assembly
Scoop polenta into bowls and top with beef ragu. Top each bowl with more grated Parmesan and fresh basil leaves. Serve.
Making Beef Ragu in an Instant Pot
This beef ragu recipe does very well in an Instant Pot, plus it saves hours overall. If you’re limited on time and have an instant pot you can easily make this recipe using it!
Press saute function on your instant pot and adjust time to 20 minutes.
Add oil and sear seasoned chuck roast pieces on both sides. Remove beef from pot and set aside.
Add remaining oil to pot and sauté vegetables. Season with salt and pepper.
Add oregano, tomato paste, and balsamic vinegar and continue sautéing.
Stir in broth, crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, and basil and simmer.
Add beef back to pot and press cancel button, to stop sautéing.
Secure lid onto pot and ensure pressure valve is set to sealing.
Cook on high pressure for 40 minutes.
Allow valve pressure to vent naturally before removing lid.
Shred beef and stir. Adjust seasonings as needed.
That’s it!
Tips and Tricks for Beef Ragu Success
evenly sized piecesof chuck roast – this will allow the beef to cook evenly.
low and slow – which will prevent the bottom from burning. It will also help to prevent the beef from getting tough.
the ‘soffrito’ – which consists of the sautéed onions, carrots, celery, and garlic is a traditional Italian base, used in many dishes. While you may not see it in all ragu recipes, it adds an incredible amount of flavor to the dish.
cut of beef – part of the beauty of beef ragu is that you’re able to use an inexpensive, tough cut of beef and turn it into something tender and delicious. Our preference is chuck roast for its good beef flavor and inexpensiveness, but other options are rump roast and short ribs.
add more broth as needed – If all liquid has evaporated and beef still needs more time to get tender, stir an additional cup of beef stock back into the ragu and continue to gently simmer.
What to Serve with This Beef Ragu Recipe
Our beef ragu recipe includes a recipe for cheesy polenta, which is one of our favorite ways to serve this dish, but you can also serve it over:
pappardelle
rigatoni
penne
tagliatelle
gnocchi
mashed potatoes
Making Ahead and Freezing Beef Ragu Instructions
Make Ahead
This dish can be stored in an airtight container, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
To reheat: Pour beef ragu into a pot and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally until heated through. If ragu is too thick, stir in 1/2 cup beef stock or water and continue to gently simmer until heated through.
Re-season with salt and pepper as needed.
Freeze Ahead
This dish can be poured into an airtight, freezer-friendly container and stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To reheat: Place frozen container of ragu in the refrigerator to thaw overnight. Once ragu is thawed or mostly thawed, pour contents into a pot and simmer over medium-low heat until heated through, stirring occasionally. If mixture is too thick, stir some beef broth to ragu (1/4 cup for every 3 cups) until desired consistency has been achieved.
This deliciously cozy Beef Ragu Recipe is hearty, flavorful, rich, and very simple to make. This dish makes amazing leftovers and freezes really well, making it the perfect make ahead recipe!
Season chuck roast all over with salt and pepper. Pour 1 tablespoon oil in a large, Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
Add beef to Dutch oven and sear on each side for 5 minutes. Remove from pot and set aside.
Add remaining oil to Dutch oven followed by onions, carrots and celery and saute for 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for another 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Stir oregano, tomato paste and balsamic vinegar to mixture and stir together.
Deglaze pot with broth, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pot.
Stir in crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes and basil leaves and stir together.
Add beef back into pot and reduce heat to medium-low to low. Cover and (barely) simmer for 3 to 3 1/2 hours or until beef is for tender and falling apart.
Shred beef with 2 forks and stir into sauce until evenly combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Polenta
Pour water into a saucepan and place over medium-high heat. Season with salt and pepper. Bring water to a boil and whisk in the polenta in a slow and steady stream until fully combined.
Lower heat to medium and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, while constantly stirring, or until the mixture thickens (to a porridge consistency). Remove polenta from heat and stir in the butter and shredded gruyere a little at a time, until mixture is creamy and smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
To Serve
Pour polenta into bowls and top with beef ragu. Top each bowl with more grated Parmesan and fresh basil leaves (optional). Serve.
Notes
Tips and Tricks for Beef Ragu Success
evenly sized piecesof chuck roast – this will allow the beef to cook evenly.
low and slow – which will prevent the bottom from burning. It will also help to prevent the beef from getting tough.
the ‘soffrito’ – which consists of the sautéed onions, carrots, celery, and garlic is a traditional Italian base, used in many dishes. While you may not see it in all ragu recipes, it adds an incredible amount of flavor to the dish.
cut of beef – part of the beauty of beef ragu is that you’re able to use an inexpensive, tough cut of beef and turn it into something tender and delicious. Our preference is chuck roast for its good beef flavor and inexpensiveness, but other options are rump roast and short ribs.
add more broth as needed – If all liquid has evaporated and beef still needs more time to get tender, stir an additional cup of beef stock back into the ragu and continue to gently simmer.
Mini Citrus Pavlovas We have Mini Citrus Pavlovas for everyone today! These little guys make a really perfect holiday dessert apart from the holiday cookie craze. I also love making these because there are only a few ingredients needed and everyone ge…
Mini Citrus Pavlovas
We have Mini Citrus Pavlovas for everyone today! These little guys make a really perfect holiday dessert apart from the holiday cookie craze. I also love making these because there are only a few ingredients needed and everyone gets their own, which is always nice. You can also make and bake the meringue base a day or two ahead of time as well as cut the citrus ahead of time, making this a super speedy... KEEP READING!
Our New Book!
Eggs are one of the world's super-star foods: inexpensive, protein-rich, versatile, and easily renewable. Every culture has its own take on eggs-for breakfast, lunch, and dinner-and The Perfect Egg features a dazzling, delicious variety of globally influenced dishes. From Blackberry Stuffed Croissant French Toast to Hot and Sour Soup, and from Poached Yolk-Stuffed Ravioli to Creamy Lemon Curd Tart, the more than seventy recipes in The Perfect Egg offer a fresh, unique, and modern take on the most humble of foods.
Caramelized Pear Tart Pear season is upon us and they are gorgeous and delicious which means we need to make delicious recipes that include pears. So that is what we have for you today – a simple and beautiful Caramelized Pear Tart. Easy to thro…
Caramelized Pear Tart
Pear season is upon us and they are gorgeous and delicious which means we need to make delicious recipes that include pears. So that is what we have for you today – a simple and beautiful Caramelized Pear Tart. Easy to throw together, this Caramelized Pear Tart is great as a beautiful breakfast pastry, or as a simple dessert. We drizzled the tart with honey and covered it in powdered sugar because yum. I love... KEEP READING!
Our New Book!
Eggs are one of the world's super-star foods: inexpensive, protein-rich, versatile, and easily renewable. Every culture has its own take on eggs-for breakfast, lunch, and dinner-and The Perfect Egg features a dazzling, delicious variety of globally influenced dishes. From Blackberry Stuffed Croissant French Toast to Hot and Sour Soup, and from Poached Yolk-Stuffed Ravioli to Creamy Lemon Curd Tart, the more than seventy recipes in The Perfect Egg offer a fresh, unique, and modern take on the most humble of foods.
Creamy Pork and Tomato Baked Pasta During the cold weather, all we crave are comforting cheesy pastas that are as hearty as they are delicious. This recipe for Creamy Pork and Tomato Baked Pasta has been on repeat. It’s super easy to throw together th…
Creamy Pork and Tomato Baked Pasta
During the cold weather, all we crave are comforting cheesy pastas that are as hearty as they are delicious. This recipe for Creamy Pork and Tomato Baked Pasta has been on repeat. It’s super easy to throw together thanks to the Smithfield Roasted Garlic and Cracked Black Pepper Marinated Fresh Pork Tenderloin because it’s already been seasoned and ready to be cooked right out of the package. You can easily use any variety of Smithfield’s... KEEP READING!
Our New Book!
Eggs are one of the world's super-star foods: inexpensive, protein-rich, versatile, and easily renewable. Every culture has its own take on eggs-for breakfast, lunch, and dinner-and The Perfect Egg features a dazzling, delicious variety of globally influenced dishes. From Blackberry Stuffed Croissant French Toast to Hot and Sour Soup, and from Poached Yolk-Stuffed Ravioli to Creamy Lemon Curd Tart, the more than seventy recipes in The Perfect Egg offer a fresh, unique, and modern take on the most humble of foods.