cookin' at work...

...made me a very popular person today. It was a tasty recipe, and I got lots of compliments. One customer said that she has been shopping, and sampling there for a long time, and this one was the best recipe she has tried. Knowing my taste buds would like all the ingredients, I was sure it would be a good one. My only problem is the idea that it does not bake in the oven long enough to completely cook the diced onions and garlic that go in the mixture.

It's a version of chicken pot pie, in the sense that the main ingredient is chick and it is put in a casserole dish and goes in the oven. But other than that, the comparison is remote. None of the commonly used, traditional ingredients, and nothing about the crust that would remind you of the version you had from grandma's kitchen. It is remarkably simple to make, and quick to put together.

Starting with a rotisserie chicken from the deli, which provides enough meat once you pull it apart that you could either double the recipe or have enough for a second meal. I'd probably be making it into a bowl of chicken salad here. But plenty of extra to start a pot of soup or some other recipe that starts with cooked chicken. Plus the carcass to boil for a nice big pot of chicken stock.

Phyllo Chicken Pie
 (I made it for demo.nearly, mostly by the recipe, but if I was to do it at my house, the onions and garlic would get cooked in the micro, or a nonstick saute pan before they were stirred in with the other ingredients.) (Something interesting I noticed as I put it together: this one is the only I had prepared at work with no added salt. Every thing I have cooked thus far has salt listed as an ingredient. But this one obviously has enough in the ingredients that there is none listed to add in a small quantity to the mixture.)

8 sheets phyllo dough
zest/juice of one fresh lemon
1/2 medium onion, diced finely
2 cloves of garlic, diced
1/2 rotisserie (or cooked) chicken (about two cups shredded or chopped)
1 pkg frozen creamed spinach
4 Tbs. unsalted butter
4 oz. crumbled garlic/herb feta cheese

Microwave the spinach 2 1/2 min. Micro butter just enough to melt.
Coat 9 inch casserole/baking dish with butter. Place one phyllo sheet in dish, overhanging side by about 6 inches (about half in and half out), brush with butter. Go all the way around four sides, buttering each time, and repeat, so you have all 8 sheets overlapping in bottom of dish, with edges hanging outside of casserole dish.
Mix ingredients and spoon into dish.
Fold phyllo over spinach/chick. mixture, buttering as you go. Buttering step is important.  Bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before slicing to serve. According to the recipe, you should get six servings. I sliced smaller pieces, just to give passers-by a taste, but I think you would more likely only get four servings, depending on what else you put on the plate.

It's pretty good, not hard to put together, once you have your chicken prepped. But remember that the phyllo is messy, can be difficult to work with, and after baking, will make your lap look like you have been shredding paper, bits of shattered crispy dough all over your clothing.