Magnificent News: Eat Voraciously: Pi Day

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Here's what's for dinner tonight.

By G. Daniela Galarza

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Pi day

There is always a gulf between the news of the moment and the necessary, mundane, every day tasks — like cooking and eating — that we must bridge. But as I spent most of the weekend confronted with images of the tragedies unfolding in Ukraine, I felt a now-familiar sense of helplessness.

So, I scanned this page, and checked in on friends. I dreamed about a world without greed or power-hungry men. Then, I read my colleagues' latest stories: Last week, Olga Massov wrote about borshch, Ukraine's national soup, and Olia Hercules, the Ukrainian-born cookbook author turned antiwar activist, whose dispatches on social media have become a daily read for many, including me.

Also last week, Jim Webster wrote of anxiety that sounds a lot like mine, and how in those moments, the only thing he can think to do is drag himself into the kitchen and put his hands in some dough — in this case, for pierogis. It's a family recipe that he says will forever be "a connection to a place I've never been and ancestors I know almost nothing about."

I'm going to try to muster the energy to make one of those recipes this week. But if you need something faster for dinner tonight, it is, of course, Pi Day. It's nothing more than a silly distraction in honor of a mathematical symbol, but nevertheless always reminds me of the comfort of a warm pot pie.

This streamlined version is from recipes editor Ann Maloney, and it's a smart one that everyone should keep in their back pocket for cool or rainy days. Simple, flavorful and quick — these individual chicken pot pies take well under an hour to make because of a few smart tricks:

You're going to use phyllo, crumpled up and lightly greased, as the top crust — so no need to make finicky pie dough tonight.
A bag of frozen vegetables cuts down on prep time.
Cubed chicken breasts cook quickly — and can be replaced by sauteed mushrooms or creamy white beans.

Today's recipe

Photos by Scott Suchman for The Washington Post; food styling by Lisa Cherkasky for The Washington Post

Chicken Pot Pies With Phyllo Crust

To make this vegetarian >> use sliced mushrooms or chickpeas instead of the chicken, and soy sauce instead of the Worcestershire sauce.
Want a gluten-free pie? >> Top the pie with quickly mashed, or thinly sliced and blanched, potatoes instead of phyllo.
Need a dairy-free base? >> Omit the sour cream and use a touch of coconut milk instead.

Make Ahead: The filling can be made up to 3 days in advance.

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Servings: 4
Active time: 20 mins
Total time: 35 mins

Ingredients

3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 medium yellow or white onion (about 10 ounces), halved and thinly sliced
1 (10- or 12-ounce) bag frozen mixed vegetables (2 to 2 1/2 cups), defrosted
1 teaspoon dried thyme or 1 tablespoon fresh
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cayenne, plus more as needed
2 cups no-sodium chicken broth, divided
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup sour cream, plus more if desired (see NOTE)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (optional)
1 tablespoon dry sherry (optional)
1/4 teaspoon fine salt, plus more as needed
Canola oil, or any neutral oil or cooking spray
6 (9-by-14-inch) sheets phyllo dough, defrosted (follow package directions)

Steps

1. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees.

2. In a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, heat 2 teaspoons of oil until shimmering. Add the chicken and cook, stirring often, until it turns white, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate.

3. Reduce the heat to medium, and add the remaining oil and the onions. Cook, stirring, until slightly softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the vegetables, thyme, nutmeg and cayenne and cook, stirring occasionally, until hot, 2 to 4 minutes. Add 1 3/4 cups of broth to the skillet and bring to a boil.

4. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining broth and the cornstarch, then whisk both into the broth in the skillet. Return the mixture to a boil and cook until thickened, about 2 minutes.

5. Turn off the heat and return the chicken to the skillet. Add the sour cream, Worcestershire sauce (if using), sherry (if using) and salt, and stir to combine. Taste, and adjust the sour cream, salt and cayenne, as desired.

6. Grease the four 10- to 12-ounce ovenproof baking dishes by lightly brushing with oil.

7. When ready to bake, fill each ramekin with 1 cup to 1 1/4 cups of chicken mixture.

8. Divide the phyllo into 2 stacks of 3 three sheets each, coating each sheet lightly with the cooking spray or oil before stacking. Cut each stack in half crosswise to create 4 stacks. Drape one stack over each baking dish, tucking in any overhanging edges.

9. Place the pot pies on a large, rimmed baking sheet. Bake 12 to 15 minutes (check after 12 minutes) or until the filling is bubbly and the tops turn golden. Let rest for 2 minutes before serving. Serve hot.

NOTE: If you like your chicken pot pie creamier, you can use up to 1 cup of sour cream in the filling.

Recipe from recipes editor Ann Maloney. Tested by Ann Maloney.

Nutrition information per serving: Calories: 427; Total Fat: 15 g; Saturated Fat: 5 g; Cholesterol: 88 mg; Sodium: 510 mg; Carbohydrates: 41 g; Dietary Fiber: 5 g; Sugar: 4 g; Protein: 32 g.