Chicken Pot Pie

Chicken Pot Pie (or CCC as my husband likes to call it) is one of those dishes that can be made a number of different ways. You can also use frozen pie crusts (following the directions on the package) or you can make your own. I like the homemade crust better, so I will include the recipe for the crust in this post. You can also add the veggies you want to this recipe and they can be either fresh or frozen (the fresh may take longer to cook) This is the usual way I like to make my chicken pot pie:

Ingredients:

2 pie crusts, uncooked* (see recipe below)
1 cup frozen baby limas
2/3 cup frozen corn
2/3 cup frozen green peas
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
1-2 whole carrots, peeled and chopped
1-2 (depending on size) russet potatoes, small cubed
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cooked
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
4 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup milk
salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 375ºF. Combine frozen vegetables, celery, carrot, and potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook until vegetables are heated through, then drain. 
2.Meanwhile, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat and add the chopped onions. Sauté the onions in the butter until they are getting translucent and are turning a light golden color. Add the flour and stir well. Slowly pour in the chicken broth, stirring constantly. Gradually add the milk, still stirring. Cook over medium heat until bubbly and thick. Salt and pepper to taste.
3. Roll out 1 of the pie crusts and place in pie pan. Prick bottom and sides with a fork in a few different places and cook for about 5 minutes until slightly cooked and set. Roll the other into a round and cut into thick ribbons for a lattice pie or leave plain, however you like it.
4. Mix the chopped chicken with the cooked vegetables. Add half the vegetables to the pie pan and then drizzle half the onion cream over them. Repeat with the remaining half of vegetables and onion mixture. Cover the filling with the remaining pie crust and bake for about 15 minutes or until top crust is slightly brown and the pot pie is heated through. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Pie Crust Recipe (makes two crusts)

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon dried basil (optional)
salt
1 cup (two sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
6 Tablespoons ice water

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut the cold butter into the flour mixture until the texture resembles coarse cornmeal, with butter pieces no larger than small peas (this is important!) Add the water, 1 Tablespoon at a time, stirring with a fork just until the dough pulls together and you are close to having a big ball of dough. Divide in half and roll out as directed above.