by Charlotte Beal
The other night I was too tired to cook (it happens to the best of us), plus I had some yummy leftovers in the fridge. So my husband Josh and I dined on leftover chicken pot pie. This is a convenience version of this comforting staple – another Bon Appetit recipe – using rotisserie chicken from the supermarket, onions, carrots, green beans, thyme, bacon, chicken broth and crème fraiche for richness. Then you simply lay a sheet of thawed frozen puff pastry over the whole thing and bake. The bacon gives it an incredible rich flavor. And I love dishes that are a complete meal in one pot. Don’t try to use sour cream in place of the crème fraiche – I believe it would curdle.
I was tempted to heat up the leftover pot pie in the microwave because it would be so quick, but knew that would make the crust soggy. So I used the appliance I use literally every day: the toaster oven. Seriously. If you don’t have one of these on your counter, you’re missing out. It allows me to quickly heat or bake things while saving energy because it’s smaller than the regular oven. I use it to heat frozen spanikopita or pizza for my daughter, Sadie. I use it to toast waffles and French toast in the morning. I use it to reheat crusty bread.
Tip ‘o the day, speaking of crusty: I figured out a way to never be without “fresh” baguettes and pain rustique. The minute you get home from the store, wrap the loaves in foil and then place in ziplock bags in the freezer. Then, when ready to enjoy, place the foil-wrapped pieces in the toaster oven on 375 for about 20 minutes. Helps to unwrap the foil to get things crisp during the last 5 minutes. You will never know it’s not straight from the bakery.
