Cooking for yourself can be a chore, but when you are elderly or disabled living on your own, it be can even more difficult to maintain a healthy diet, which can lead to serious health problems. Hartford HealthCare Independence at Home offers a number of nutritious freezer meal recipes that are the perfect solution for those who are not able to visit their elderly or disabled loved ones on a frequent or regular basis. These meals save time and ensure that your loved one always has something to eat that is delicious and easy to prepare.
Here’s one:
Chicken Pot Pie
Ingredients
- 1.5 tsp Butter
- 3 tbsp Onions
- 1 tbsp Celery
- 2 tsp Flour
- 3/4 cup Chicken Stock, Low Sodium
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Black pepper
- 1/2 tsp Thyme
- 1 Dough, Puff Pastry Sheets
- 2-3/4 ounce Mixed Vegetables, Garden Blend
- 8-1/2 ounce Cooked Chicken
Directions
- In a large sauce pot, melt the margarine over medium heat.
- Add the onions and the celery; sauté until the onions are tender and translucent.
- Add the flour and stir to combine. Continue to cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly to cook out the flour taste.
- Add the stock and bring the mixture to a boil and reduce to a simmer.
- Cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring constantly until the consistency of the sauce is just right. It should coat the back of a spoon nicely. Remove from the heat add the salt, pepper, and thyme.
- Combine the cooled sauce from step two with the chicken and vegetables. Gently reheat the filling in pans stirring occasionally.
- Cool mixture.
- Cut puff pastry sheets into strips.
- Bake the pasty at 375F degrees for 8-10 minutes for until pastry is puffed and golden brown.
- Add 6 ounces of chicken pot pie filling to an oval casserole dish and top with baked puff pastry pillow.
- Cover with plastic film and aluminum foil.
- When ready to eat, remove from freezer and turn oven to 350 degrees.
- Remove foil and film, then replace foil and cover. Bake for 15 minutes.
- Remove foil cover after 15 minutes and bake for another 10.