The holiday festivities and merriment are over! How did you celebrate Christmas with your loved ones? It was extra magical this year since we got to go out, meet up, and hug family and friends.

I feel it was indeed an extra special Christmas (because we survived the pandemic!), so  I want to share my super easy but extra yummy recipe that I prepared during our Noche Buena – Pastel de Pollo!

Pastel de Pollo is a delicious dish that is usually reserved for special occasions, and I honestly thought that preparing it is complicated but to my surprise, it can be made with minimum preparation! It’s basically a chicken pot pie, but instead of pie crust, I topped it with mashed potato and believe me it’s a great and healthy alternative because potatoes are packed with nutrients and is gluten-free! 

And if you are really busy like me, you can use dehydrated potato flakes and skip the peeling and mashing of potatoes! 

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter
• 1 pc. white onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 kg. whole chicken, cut into stewing pieces
• water (enough to cover the chicken)
• 1/3 cup flour
• 250ml heavy cream
• 1 cup mixed vegetables (carrots, corn, green peas) 
• 3/4 cup button mushrooms, fresh or canned
• 1/2 cup ham (optional)
• mashed potato (recipe below)
• salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. In a preheated pot with butter, sauté onion over medium heat.
3. Add chicken and cook until slightly brown
4. Cover the mixture with enough water, bring it to simmer. 
5. Add heavy cream and flour to thicken the sauce
6. Add ham, mixed vegetables, mushrooms, and simmer until the vegetables are cooked.
7. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
8. Transfer the dish into a baking dish and top with mashed potatoes and grated cheese, and brown in the oven. Serve warm.

Mashed Potato

Ingredients:

• 200g. U.S. Dehydrated Potato Flakes
• 250ml milk
• 90g unsalted butter
• salt and pepper to taste (optional)

Preparation:

1. Combine water, salt, and butter.
2. Heat to boil and remove from heat.
3. Add cold milk, and gently stir in potato flakes. DO NOT WHIP.
4. Season with salt and pepper.

For this recipe, I did not add salt anymore because it’s already creamy and tasty!

U.S. dehydrated potatoes are made with premium quality potatoes, just with the water removed. They retain the same nutrients such as potassium, protein, carbohydrates, fiber, and vitamin C.

Our family loves potatoes and we’re big fans of U.S. potatoes! They’re always included in our grocery list. Give them a try!

For more information on U.S. potatoes, visit www.potatogoodness.ph or like and follow Potatoes USA-Philippines on Facebook and Instagram.