Farmhouse

Chicken Potpie with Tomatoes & Okra

A flexible and deeply comforting dish built from leftovers, layered with vegetables, herbs, and potpie noodles—a true expression of Pennsylvania Dutch home cooking.

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Prep 25m | Bake 50m | Serves 4–6

FARMHOUSE • COMFORT FOOD • PENNSYLVANIA DUTCH • BAKED • HERITAGE

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As seen in GOURMET

As seen in SAVEUR

As seen in Eating Well

As heard in NPR

The Language of Leftovers in Farmhouse Cooking

This highly flexible recipe will accommodate any kind of leftover meat, even fish. Among the Pennsylvania Dutch, this was a typical Monday or Tuesday supper dish composed of leftovers from Sunday dinner.  There are also several schools of thinking regarding the way to season the dish.  Some cooks prefer minced sage or just parsley, brown sugar to sweeten the tomatoes, and more hot pepper. Others combine breadcrumbs and grated parmesan cheese to cover the top instead of dotting it with butter.  The breadcrumb topping is baked uncovered so that it develops a crust. 

Yield: Serves 4 to 6

  • 2 ½ cups (425g) chopped, seeded tomatoes
  • 1 ½ cups (150g) sliced small-podded okra
  • 1 cup (175g) chopped, cooked chicken (use leftovers)
  • 1/3 cup (10g) chopped sweet basil or herb of your choice
  • 2 tablespoons (20g) minced hot peppers, or to taste
  • 1 tablespoon (5g) coarsely ground coriander seeds
  • 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic or more to taste
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 tablespoons (30g) virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium onion (250g) cut in half lengthwise, then sliced paper thin
  • 4 ounces (115g) potpie noodles
  • 1 ½ cups (375ml) chicken broth
  • 1 tablespoon (15g) unsalted butter cut into tiny bits

Instructions


  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).

  2. In a large bowl, combine the chopped tomatoes, sliced okra, cooked chicken, basil, hot peppers, coriander seeds, nutmeg, garlic, salt, and pepper.
 
  3. Heat the olive oil in a pan and lightly sauté the sliced onion until softened.
 
  4. In a baking dish, begin layering the mixture with the potpie noodles and sautéed onions, distributing evenly.

  5. Pour the chicken broth over the layered ingredients and dot the top with butter.
 
  6. Place the dish in the oven and bake for 45–50 minutes, or until the vegetables and noodles are tender.

  7. Remove from the oven and serve hot.