Chicken Pot Pie

Homemade chicken pot pie rocks my world. It shouldn’t even be called the same food as those store bought frozen bricks masquerading as pot pies. You know the ones I’m talking about. Green box. Frozen food aisle. If you think those are tasty, it’s because you have never had the pleasure of a real food version. This pot pie is full of delicious vegetables smothered in a rich sauce wrapped in a flaky crust. It is home cooking at its finest. Warming right down to your toes on a cold winter night. It is perfection.

You can adapt this recipe to suit your tastes. Most pot pie recipes include peas, but my kids hate them. They LOVE broccoli though, so that’s my green veggie of choice. The addition of potatoes in my pot pie gives it a fuller filling taste. The sauce in this recipe is truly divine. So rich and creamy. Mmmm. Yum.

Ok, so we start with some vegetables chopped up. Celery, carrots, onion, potatoes and broccoli. No, your eyes are not playing tricks on you. There is no broccoli in this pic. I forgot about it until I had the other stuff bubbling away in the pot.

This pot. After you chop everything up, put it in a pot with enough chicken broth to cover it. Put a lid on it and let it simmer for 15 minutes. Enough time for all those gorgeous veggies to get nice and soft. (still no broccoli)

Then we’re going to drain off the liquid. But, we want to keep it for the sauce! So I put a strainer on top of my big measuring bowl, strain out the vegetables and keep the broth. Clever huh? Oh, and finally the broccoli gets some screen time. Hooray!

Now that your saucepan is empty, melt some butter and add in a little flour to make a thickening roux.

Slowly pour in the reserved broth and some milk. Stir together with the flour until you have a thickened sauce.

Mix some cooked chicken with your veggie mixture. I had this ready to go from earlier in the week when I poached up a bunch of breasts. If you don’t have any cooked chicken, just put raw cubed chicken in the pot to simmer with all your veggies. It will cook up nicely without dirtying another pan.

Dump the chicken/veggie mixture into a pre-baked (about 5 minutes) deep dish crust.

Then top with all that yummy sauce.

A second pie crust goes on top. Make a couple slits and brush with an egg wash.

I strongly suggest baking your pie on a rimmed cookie sheet. This pot pie is full to the brim and you don’t want any of that sauce bubbling all over in your oven. It comes out golden and delicious.

Flaky crust on the outside with those richly flavored veggies inside.

Yuuuuumy!

Chicken Pot Pie

2 cups skinless, boneless chicken, cubed (or shredded) and cooked
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 1/2 cup sliced carrots
1 cup frozen broccoli florets
1/2 cup sliced celery
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 cups chicken broth
2/3 cup milk
2 (9 inch) unbaked pie crusts (homemade or store-bought)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare bottom crust in a deep dish pie plate. Brush with egg wash (if desired) and pre-bake for 5 minutes. Remove and set aside.
2. In a saucepan, combine broccoli, carrots, onions, potatoes and celery. Add chicken broth to cover and boil for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, drain (reserving liquid) and set aside.
3. In the saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Slowly stir in reserved chicken broth (2 cups) and milk. Simmer over medium-low heat until thick. Remove from heat and set aside.
4. Combine the chicken with the veggie mixture and pour into bottom pie crust. Pour hot liquid mixture over. Cover with top crust, seal edges, and cut away excess dough. Make several small slits in the top to allow steam to escape.
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.