Chicken Pot Pie

Chicken Pot Pie has been a comfort food of mine for decades. It started long ago when I was a girl. On days when my mother was in town, shopping for an army of hungry girls and a farming husband, she would allow herself one little treat. She would stop at the Chicken Pie Shop located in a quiet little town just to the East of the Vineyards where we lived.

The shop was owned and run by Germans and the pies were out of this world. Homemade crust. Ooey-Gooey goodness waited under the perfectly browned crusts. The pies were placed in pink pastry boxes and tied with cotton string. She always bought 8. Just enough for a meal and Dad’s lunch the next day. Sometimes they were already cooked, sometimes they came waiting for the oven. They never disappointed. I bet the TJ and the Goddess of the Central Coast remember this place from long ago. Yummmm.

The shop was sold over the years. The magic was lost and the place finally closed up. Another gem of the past, gone forever.

Since we met, MM and I have been fascinated at the things we have in common. We both married old high school friends after reconnecting at our respective high school reunions. We both enjoyed long and happy marriages. We both took care of our spouses through some very tough illnesses, watching over them until they left us, both in 2020. We both garden. We are both owned by high maintenance dogs that happen to like each other. And, we both LOVE Chicken Pot Pies.

Last Saturday, Chicken Pot Pie was a natural choice for a cold, snowy day. This recipe, although not quite as good as the one I remember from childhood, is pretty good. It beats Marie Calendar Chicken Pot Pies (our favorite until this came along) all to heck.

You may want to invest in some single serving ramekins or disposable aluminum pie tins if you want individual servings. They freeze nicely. Enjoy

Almost the World’s Best Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients

• 1 rotisserie chicken, skinned and deboned –
• 1 bag of frozen peas and carrots
• 1/2 cup sliced celery
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/3 cup chopped onion
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon celery seed
• 1 3/4 cups chicken broth
• 2/3 cups Half and Half
• 2 (9 inch) unbaked pie crusts

Directions

1. Gather all ingredients.
2. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
3. Debone the rotisserie chicken, discarding skin, fat, and bones. Cut the meat into bite-sized pieces.
4. Melt 2 Tbsp butter and saute the celery until soft. Then, add the peas, carrots, and prepared chicken and set aside.
5. While the chicken is cooking, melt 2 Tbsp butter in another saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until soft and translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, and celery seed.
6. Slowly stir in chicken broth and cream. Add remaining butter. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until thick, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
7. Place the pie crust in a 9″ pie tin. You can also use a casserole dish of a similar size. It is not necessary to precook the pie crust. It will cook nicely.
8. Place chicken and vegetables in the bottom pie crust. Pour hot liquid mixture over top. Cover with top crust, seal the edges, and cut away any excess dough. Make several small slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape.
9. Bake in the preheated oven until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly, 30 to 40 minutes. (As this may bubble over, place a foil-covered cookie sheet underneath for easier cleanup.) Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Important note !

Normally, my finished meals do not begin to resemble the photoshopped pictures. In this case, mine turned out more beautiful because I used a pretty casserole dish instead of an aluminum pie tin. I’d recommend that change.

Of course, by adding a dinner mate that also loves Chicken Pot Pie, your meal will be seasoned with happiness, great conversation, and laughter. This recipe made four large, satisfying servings, (and we LOVE Chicken Pot Pie).

Whatever you do today, remember this. Forget what anyone has told you in the past. You CAN cook. Follow any recipe and, with a little practice, you can get on that horse and ride.

Thank you to the “Allrecipes.com” for these delightful pictures and recipe. Without you, this wouldn’t have been possible.

More tomorrow.