Chicken & Ham Pot Pie in a Cast Iron Pan

I saw chef Michael Symon on "The Chew" making a turkey pot pie and I stole the idea of the cast iron pan and puff pastry.  If you know me, you know I love my cast iron pan more than anything.  I made a pot pie and used these ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon of dried Herbes de Provence
• Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste
• 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, poached and then diced
• 3/4 cup cooked ham steak, diced
• 1 cup Kraft Old cheddar, grated (if I used ham, I had to use cheese)
• 1 tablespoon fresh dill, finely chopped and put into chicken broth
• 2 cups low sodium "Better than Bouillon" chicken broth, used to poach breasts and then for gravy
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 stalks of celery, sliced
• 1 small purple yam, peeled and diced
• 1/2 a red onion, diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 leek, quartered and sliced
• 2 tablespoons of butter
• 2 tablespoons of flour
• 200 grams mushrooms, halved and sliced
• 1/2 cup fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped and some left for garnish
• 1 puff pastry crust, thawed
• 1 egg, beaten for egg wash

I preheated the oven to 375°F.  First thing I did was measure the puff pastry to make sure it fit my pan properly.  I rolled it out a little and hoped it would fit so I could tuck the edges in...

I poached the chicken next.  Just brought it to a near boil and then left it on very low (minimum) heat for 30 minutes, covered.

When the chicken cooled, I diced it and put it with the ham.  I kept the broth for the gravy.

Then it was "chop chop" mise en place time...sigh (not in the mood tonight, lol)...  I did it all and then put it in one bowl.  The purple yam was kind of neat to look at...

I forgot the leek and mushroom so added them last.  Then I chopped the parsley too. Whew!  Too much stuff for my small brain this evening.  😏

I grated the cheese and then I was pretty much done for prep - I hoped!

I sauteed all the veg with the butter.  I seasoned with S&P and cooked until soft, about 5 minutes.  I added the flour next and cooked it out - about 5 minutes or so.

I added the chicken, ham, seasoning, parsley and then the broth and stirred till it thickened into a gravy which took about 10 minutes.  The cheese went in last.  I removed from the heat at that time.

I put the puff pastry over.  I brushed it with the egg wash and then cut 3 slits into the top, though it didn't need it as the topping was so thin...

I baked for 40 minutes and let rest another 15.

This tasted pretty good and it was comforting which is what a pot pie should be.  The seasoning kind of gave it a "stuffing" like flavor.  I would probably buy the thicker puff pastry next time that wasn't so thin and roll it out.  The crust is the special part of a pot pie and this could have used a thicker layer.  Nonetheless, we both enjoyed it.