Homemade Chicken Pot Pie 

This is an easy chicken pot pie recipe that anyone can bake.

Homemade chicken pot pie is a favorite comfort dish for my whole family.  This particular recipe came from my Memaw, she was a comfort food queen!  (Man, I miss her cookin'.) You will want to plan a whole morning or afternoon in the kitchen, but it's all worth it in the end. In the past, I've broken up the work into two days of short tasks, when I didn't have a whole afternoon to dedicate.

Usually, I bake this recipe in a 13x9x2 dish or slightly larger pan.  It makes quite a bit, which is awesome for leftovers.  If you have a family of 4 to 6, don't bother freezing the leftovers.  It will all vanish in a couple of days.

This time, I purchased aluminum mini loaf pans and baked individual pot pie servings.  The recipe filled 8 mini pans.  I planned only to have a top crust, to lower the calories and leave more room for vegetables.  These pies turned out beautifully, and I was able to share them with a dear friend.

START WITH CHICKEN & BROTH

• 4 chicken breasts
• 2 onions, quartered
• 2 stalks celery, cut into large pieces
• 1 teaspoon dried basil, thyme, oregano, sage
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 bay leaf

Place all the ingredients in a large stock pot and cover with water.  Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour.  Remove chicken from broth, reserve all the broth.  When chicken is cool enough, remove skin and bones, then shred in large bite size pieces.  (Chicken bites will get smaller after stirring them in later.)

PREPARE THE FILLING & CRUST

• 3 cups potato, cut into 3/4 inch cubes
• 1-2 cups sliced carrots
• 1 1/2 cups frozen peas
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 stick of butter
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 1/2 cup Land o'Lakes No Fat Half-n-Half
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 2 packages of refrigerated Pillsbury Pie Crusts

Cook celery, carrots and potatoes in butter until crisp tender.  Add flour and stir until smooth, cooking for 1 minute.  Gradually add reserved broth and half & half while cooking over medium heat, until sauce thickens and bubbly.  Stir in shredded chicken, frozen peas, salt, pepper.  If sauce looks too thick, keep adding broth.  It's good to keep the sauce on the slightly soupy side, because it will keep thickening as it bakes.

Now, you're ready to assemble the pie(s).  If you want a bottom crust, then use one package (both dough rolls) to line the bottom of casserole pan.  Fill with chicken mixture and cover using second package of pie crusts. Use scraps to decorate top, if you feel fancy.   Be sure to pierce the dough where needed.  Bake at 400F degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.

When I assembled the individual mini pans, I used one package of pie crusts and only covered the top. (As shown in photos.)

Check for Free Local Grocery Store coupons and save money on this recipe!