Chicken Pot Pie

I LOVE chicken pot pie but I have never tried my hand at it. My friend Sarah always tells me how she makes pot pie about once a week. So I decided to give it a whirl since I had a fridge full of veggies.

I found a recipe but highly adapted it as I didn't like the ones I found. I have made this several times now with a variety of veggies and it always turns out yummy!


Ingredients:

2 pie crusts -I buy the Pillsbury Crust, in the red box.

1 pound (or whatever you have leftover) cooked chicken - cubed
1 cup sliced carrots
1 cup frozen green peas or any kind of green veggie. I sometimes throw in broccoli other times green beans.
1/2 cup sliced celery
Sometimes I cube a potato and throw that in too.
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup chopped onion
2 cloves of garlic chopped
1/2 yellow or red bell pepper or a combination of both
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt (I usually use garlic salt)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
2/3 cup milk (the more fat in the milk the creamier the sauce)

Directions:1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C.)

2. In a large skillet saute carrots, celery, peppers & other veggies (except broccoli) in olive oil. Cook them until they are tender. Some people boil the veggies but they lose all their vitamins that way so I prefer to saute.

3. Meanwhile, in a saucepan over medium heat, cook onions and garlic in butter until soft and translucent. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, and other seasonings. Let simmer for about 1 minute. You want your flour/butter mixture to bubble a little or it will taste floury. Slowly stir in chicken broth and milk. Simmer over medium-low heat until thick, like gravy. Remove from heat and set aside.

4. While above sauce is thickening...Put bottom pie crust in pie plate. Cover with foil and bake for about 5 minutes. Until it just starts to golden. This will help it hold up to the liquid.

5. Mix veggies with chicken and place mixture in 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.

6. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Tips:
It is a good idea to place the pie plate on a cookie sheet or to put foil on the bottom of your stove as pot pie often overflows!

Be creative with the veggies you throw in. I just throw in whatever veggies I have in my freezer and/or fridge. Canned veggies also work but contain salt so be sure to cut back on the salt you add to the sauce or you will get a salty dish. Also, do not saute canned veggies. The main problem with canned is they tend to turn out a little more mushy than fresh or frozen veggies.

My friend Sarah throws in 2 tablespoons of soy sauce to her pot pie.
It adds a yummy Asian type of flavor.

If you make your own pie crust try throwing in some savory herbs for an additional boost in yumminess! (is that a word?)

Don't be afraid to experiment!
Happy Cooking!

I bet you envy my sweet orange countertops! Yeah go ahead, they are sweet & originals from the 70s!

Not your traditional Pumpkin Pie...It is better!

I normally do NOT like pumpkin pie. I remember as a kid I would get so disappointed during the holidays because people always made pumpkin pie and pecan pie. As I kid I detested both and would opt out of dessert, those of you who know me are saying "WOW" right now (I LOVE dessert).

As I have gotten older I have found I do like a good pecan pie and I do like this pumpkin pie.

Crust:

I use the Pillsbury refrigerated crust in the red box. It tastes as good or even better than most homemade crusts I have tasted. Put it in your own fancy pie plate, then poke a few holes in the bottom with a fork. Cover the edge of the pie with tin foil or a crust sheild. Put it on a rimmed baking sheet and throw it in the oven at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes. Just until the crust is golden brown.

Filling:

1 c heavy cream

1 c whole milk

3 large eggs plus two large egg yolks

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree

1 cup drained candied yams from a 15-ounce can or I used a yam I cooked the night earlier and threw in a little brown sugar.

3/4 c sugar

1/4 c maple syrup

2 tsp grated FRESH ginger (use the fresh stuff - trust me on this one)

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

3/4 tsp salt

While pie shell is baking whick ceam, milk, eggs, yolks and vanilla together in medium bowl. Combine pumpkin puree, yams, sugar, maple syrup, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan. Bring it to a sputterng simmer over medium heat, 5-7 minutes. Continue to simmer pumpkin mixture, stirring constantly and mashing yams against sides of pot, until thick and shiny, 10-15 mins.

Remove pan from heat and whisk in cream mixture until fully incorporated. Strain mixture through a fine mesh strainer over a medium bowl, using a ladle or spatula to press solids through the strainer. (This may sound tedious or laborous but it only takes a few seconds and is worth it trust me!)

Next rewhisk mixture and pour into prebaked pie shell. Return pie plate with baking sheet to the oven and bake pie for 10 minutes.

Remove foil or crust sheild and reduce heat to 300 degrees. Continue baking for about 20-35 mins. You will know it is done with edges of the pie are set (or insert thermometer in center until it registers 175 degrees.)

Let pie cool at room temperature 2 to 3 hours. Cut into wedges and serve!

Enjoy your new favorite pumpkin pie!!