This is not your grandma’s chicken pot pie, with all due respect. This is Brazilian Chicken Pot Pie (or Empadão de Frango), aka Best Chicken Pie In The Whole World. And it is really different than a regular pot pie. As in, I don’t even know why I named it “Brazilian Chicken Pot Pie”. Translating things sometimes is a challenge for me…? But titles won’t matter once you bite into this savory piece of heaven. The buttery and flaky crust melts in your mouth and the pie has so much creamy filling that each bite is full of all the goodness that makes this pie such a hit!
If you’ve ever been to a Brazilian birthday party, chances are you’ve tried an “empadinha”.
Empadinhas are the mini (and more popular) version of an empadão, made of either hearts of palm, chicken or shrimp. They are very popular at parties but can also be found in pretty much any padaria (Brazilian bakeries). For me, they taste like childhood. From a time when I didn’t have a worry in the world and paying the healthcare bill wasn’t on my to-do list. As a matter of fact, to-do lists were nonexistent! I somehow remembered the tasks “do my homework” and “play with my friends” just fine. Oh, how I miss being a child! And since going back in time isn’t an option – Believe me, I researched! – I have to completely rely on my palate to evoke all those memories. I believe I just described the concept of “comfort food”. And that is what an Empadão – or Brazilian Chicken Pot Pie – is: the ultimate Brazilian comfort food!
What I love about Empadão is that the filling, although creamy, is not as saucy and liquid-y as the filling of an American chicken pot pie. And, speaking of creamy, this pie is a great opportunity to use leftover requeijão, or catupiry cheese. I just add it on top of the filling, before closing the pie with the top crust, and it softens while baking, making the filling extra luscious. If you don’t have any requeijão on hand, I believe this is the perfect excuse to make a batch! ❤️ (Yes, I suppose you could use cream cheese, but requeijão is so much better!?) I usually serve my Empadão with a simple green salad and, sometimes, with rice. It is no secret that we Brazilians eat everything with rice! Can you blame us? Rice is delicious! I truly hope you guys enjoy this recipe. In fact, I know you will! So much so that I recommend you double the recipe so you can make two pies. You can freeze the second one and have it in the freezer for when you crave something comforting and delicious for dinner!
