Chicken Pot Pie

To be honest, growing up I wasn't a huge fan of chicken pot pie. I think it was the mushy bottom crust and the overwhelming ratio of vegetables to chicken, and because I was somewhat of a diva. That being said, my husband loves chicken pot pie, and in tune with my wish to become the best Mrs. Cleaver possible I tried my hand at an easy looking recipe. Thankfully, it was incredible. The sauce in the middle is creamy and thick without being overwhelming, and there are thick chunks of chicken along with an array of vegetables. I used a store-bought crust for the sake of time (don't judge me too harshly!), but even it turned out to be the perfect compliment to the inside of the pot pie.

Chicken Pot Pie
from Allrecipes.com

1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breasts - cubed
1 c. sliced carrots
1 c. frozen peas
1/2 c. sliced celery
1 chicken boullion cube
1/3 c. butter
1/2 c. chopped onion
1/3 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp celery seed
1 3/4 c. chicken broth (Low-sodium is best)
2/3 c. milk

2 (9 inch) unbaked pie crusts

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

In a large pot combine chicken, carrots, green peas, celery, and bouillion cube. Add water until covered. Boil for 15 minutes, then drain and set aside.

In a saucepan, melt the butter and cook onions until they are soft. Then add flour, salt, black pepper, and celery seed. Slowly add in chicken broth and milk as you stir. (As you add in the broth/milk mixture this will make a pasty mixture at first, but should smooth out as you stir). Simmer until thick, then remove from heat and set aside.

In a pie pan with pie crust already added on the bottom, pour in the chicken/vegetable mixture and spread evenly. Then, add the hot onion mixture over top. Cover with other crust and seal the edges. Cut slits in the top of the crust before baking to ensure that the crust doesn't bubble up (like mine did...).

Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes, or until the middle is bubbly. I found that my crust browned earlier than I wanted it to, so be sure to have foil on hand just in case. Also, some of the middle of the pot pie seeped over the edges of the crust onto the bottom of my oven (eeks!) so it might be a good idea to leave a pan underneath it. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Perfect for a rainy day when you need something to warm you up!

-D