Pot Pie

I am often told that my tiny mini looks just like me.  I am also often told, during her moments of brilliance, that she acts just like me too.

So the other day my tiny mini got to bring her bike to preschool for a bike parade.  She was very excited, so she dressed herself in her exercise clothes and proudly told me she was going to beat all the boys.  I reminded her that was a parade, not a race.  And then I realized, that I had passed this mentality on to my mini.....

So I did the only thing I could do, I zipped up her vest, adjusted her headband, and sent her off on her Disney Princess bike to beat all the boys.

And, to Mr. McGhee, all my concerned readers....I did put a helmet on my tiny mini.  We just choose to leave it off for the photo.

I wanted to cook up something special for my little racer, so I decided that what she needed was to come home that night to a piping hot homemade chicken pot pie.

First step is to make your pie crust.  I doubled this recipe to make mine.  I used whole wheat flour for mine, which you will soon see was a mistake!

Pie Crust

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup shortening, chilled
• 3 tablespoons ice water

1. Whisk the flour and salt together in a medium size bowl. With a pastry blender, cut in the cold shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Drizzle 2 to 3 tablespoons ice water over flour. Toss mixture with a fork to moisten, adding more water a few drops at a time until the dough comes together.
2. Gently gather dough particles together into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for at least 30 minutes before rolling.
3. Roll out dough, and put in a pie plate. Fill with desired filling and bake.

The shortening that I used.

Mixing my ingredients.

Dough is rolled up and ready to chill.

My dough would not roll out.  So I had to basically push in into the pie plate to mold it into a crust.  It wasn't pretty, but it was tasty!

Next, you make your filling.

Chicken Pot Pie

• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cubed (I used thigh meat, it was on sale!)
• 1 cup sliced carrots
• 1 cup frozen green peas
• 1/2 cup sliced celery
• 2 potatoes, peeled and cut into one inch cubes
• 1/3 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 cup milk
• 2 (9 inch) unbaked pie crusts

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C.)
2. In a saucepan, combine raw chicken, carrots, peas, and celery. Add water (I used chicken broth) to cover and boil for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, drain and set aside.
3. In the saucepan over medium heat, cook onions in butter until soft and translucent. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, and celery seed. Slowly stir in chicken broth and milk. Simmer over medium-low heat until thick. Remove from heat and set aside.
4. Place the chicken 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.
5. 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.

Put your chicken and veggies in a saucepan.

Cover with water or chicken broth and cook for at least 15 minutes.

Once cooked, drain and set aside.

Saute your onion in butter.

Slowly add your flour and spices, stirring with each small addition.

Stir until your onions resemble this.  

Then slowly start adding your milk/chicken broth, 1/4 of a cup at a time.  Stir and mix very well after each addition.  Fancy people call this making a roux, country people call this making a gravy.  Hungry people call this delicious.

Put your chicken and veggies into your pie pan.

Pour your gravy on top.

Place your pie crust on top.  Mine is pitiful, I know!

Bake until golden.

Chicken pot pie is hands down one of the favorite meals in our house.  I love that I can make (and bake) this ahead of time and warm it up for dinner.  I have heard that these freeze well, I will try that soon.  Once I can perfect a pie crust!