Canned Chicken Is The Answer For An Easier Pot Pie Dinner

No food screams comfort quite like a buttery, golden-brown chicken pot pie fresh from the oven. Its flaky crust and creamy mixture of chicken and veggies make for a hearty dish that's endlessly crowd-pleasing. But, between preparing the crust and cooking and shredding the chicken from scratch, what seems like such a simple meal can turn into a time-consuming effort unfit for busy weeknights. To save time without sacrificing an ounce of flavor, look to your pantry for a little help. Canned chicken offers the ultimate shortcut for making a pot pie.

When it comes to kitchen time savers, pre-cooked rotisserie chicken is usually considered the standard, but canned chicken is the pantry helper you never knew you needed. It's perfect for last-minute meals and blends seamlessly into a variety of dishes from refreshing and creamy chicken salad to zesty buffalo chicken dip. It's typically made from chicken breast with rib meat, preservatives, broth, and salt for flavoring, making for an easy and unintrusive swap in your favorite pot pie recipe.

Read more: 12 Different Ways To Cook Chicken

Easier Than Fresh Chicken, But Just As Tasty

To replace your pot pie's chicken with canned chicken, all you need to do is drain the liquid from the can and measure out the amount of chicken that your recipe calls for. A standard can contains about 12 1/2 ounces of chicken, so you would need a little over a single can for a typical pot pie recipe that calls for one pound of cooked chicken breast. Check out our list of canned chicken uses to make the most of your leftovers!

Because canned chicken is already cooked and pre-shredded, it couldn't be an easier swap. And, if you're concerned about a less-than-premium taste, once your chicken is mixed with all of the other fillings and baked into a pie, you won't be able to tell that it wasn't cooked from a fresh bird. In addition to its ease and versatility, going the canned route also means you'll have chicken with a very long shelf life. According to the USDA, canned meat retains its quality and safety for up to 5 years when stored properly, making it an excellent product to stock up on for any occasion. So, next time you're at the store checking off your grocery list and preparing for next week's meals, grab a few cans of chicken.

Read the original article on Tasting Table.