Thursday, February 25, 2010

Friday is Pieday!


Hello..Hello...are you ready to eat Pie? As I mentioned before, I have decided to do 3 dessert pies and one savory pie every month. So this week we are going to make a delicious savory pie. Raise your hand if you love Chicken Pot Pie! I love pot pies of any variety...the creamy sauce, the vegetables and that tender flaky crust...YUM! Talk about comfort food, it doesn't get any more comforting than that. When I  was with my sister Mary Sue, she always made sure she had a rotisserie chicken on hand so I could make this for her..she loved it.
First let me begin by saying that this is my timesaving recipe that I never really had any measurements for until now. Also this recipe is so changeable it's not funny...use whatever veggies your family loves or maybe add your favorite herb or spice. You really can't kill this Pot Pie ;-) No time to make your crust..no problem, use a ready made. I will add, that when I do that, I always use the frozen pie crusts and never the refrigerated ones. They have a sour, fake taste to me..never liked them. If you use the frozen crusts, just sit one in the bottom of your dish and the top crust is just broken in large pieces and laid on top...it will look so rustic and homemade. Ok..for my pie you will need the following:
I am not doing those damned bullet things...I could not get rid of those little buggers!

1. 1 can Campbells cream of celery soup
2. 1 can Campbells cream of chicken soup
3. 1 can good chicken broth
4. 1 cup fat free half&half -this product is a must have in my kitchen!!!! ( can sub milk..not as rich)
5. 1 cup sliced mushrooms
6. 1/2 cup chopped onions & celery
7. 2 cups frozen peas & carrots. Cooked fresh may be used 
8. 1 cup frozen lima beans
9. 2-3 Tbl cornstarch (click for cream sauce recipe if no soups available, UK see cornflour)
10. 4 cups cooked cubed chicken
11. 2 tsp poultry seasoning
12. salt & pepper to taste 
13. 1 Tbl parsley
14. 1/2 cup shredded chedder cheese for crust ( see my sidebar for basic pie crust recipe)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees


In a large mixing bowl combine your soups, broth and H&H and pour into a large sauce pan..you could skip the bowl and mix in the pot..no problem. It will be a little thin, that's ok as we will thicken it later.
  
In a large skillet, saute your onion & celery in a little olive oil and butter until tender.
 
I added about 1 Tbl more butter here and then add the cornstarch..kind of like making a roux. Cook for just a few minutes on med heat, mixing all the time. Add mushrooms and cook 2 more minutes.
 
Add this to your cream sauce and gently simmer while stirring..you should see the sauce begin to thicken. I like a lot of creamy sauce. If your sauce is not thick enough for you, simply mix some cornstarch and cold water in a measuring cup and slowly stir into your cream sauce. Just a little at a time..don't over thicken. Add all your veggies and mix in. You can thicken with flour if you prefer..I think it tends to give my sauces too much of a floury taste..cornstarch does not impart any special taste of it's own.
I used 3 boneless chicken breast that I split to make them the same thickness to cook more evenly. Any chicken meat will work..light/dark does not matter. I season mine with salt, pepper and garlic powder...just my preference. Saute until no pink when cut . Cube the chicken in nice bitesize pieces.
                                      
                       Mix the chicken into your cream sauce.
 
Make your crust ( see my side bar ) and add the shredded cheese before the water. Roll out 1/3 of the crust and simply lay it in the bottom of your greased casserole dish. Don't worry about looks...no one will see it.
 
Roll out the other 2/3 of your dough in a circle large enough to cover your dish with extra for the edge. Pour your filling into your dish and roll the top crust onto your pie. Fold under and crimp your edge..here is where I can tell if you payed attention in pie crust class. 
Bake in a 350 degree oven until golden brown and oh so bubbly and you just can't stand it any more!
I would suggest placing a piece of foil under to catch any delicious, bubbly overflow. In my mind, it is not real Pot Pie unless it overflows a little..so rustic looking. To prevent over browning simply place a loose piece of foil over the top towards the end of baking. 
 

I cannot even begin to tell you how fabulous this pie tastes..men really love this kind of meal. The very definition of comfort food in my book. Again..please feel free make whatever changes you think your family would like...this recipe is so adaptable. It is even better the next day and I have to admit ...I ate it cold for breakfast....a real keeper! I hope you give my Pot Pie a try and please come back next Friday for Pieday!
Until next time..be kind and stay creative.

21 comments:

Stacey said...

Sounds like pie heaven to me. :)

Amy said...

Oh, this looks so good! I've never made a savory pie before- I may just try it!

Kathleen Grace said...

Oh golly, I love home made chicken pot pie! I made some last week with leftover rotisserie chicken and some frozen puff pastry for the crust. It was divine! This looks like you cook like I do, just put in what looks good! I may have to make this again:>)

outofthedark said...

Yum! (smacking my lips, dabbing the drool away with a cloth napkin)
Will be making this delicious treat this weekend for my family, Janet.
Thanks for supplying me with a new recipe to keep that daunting task of "what's for dinner, again?" discovery at bay.
xoxo

Kelly Ann said...

you did good on this one....looks yummo......

Claire said...

As I sit at the computer and gaze out at my 'girls' scratching happily in their run, I feel a tinge of guilt thinking how nice chicken pot pie would be. Shall file that away for cooler weather as it looks sooo yummy.
Janet I really need to know, do you wear one of your gorgeous aprons when you are cooking?
Your most recent apron was stunning, such beautiful fabrics and embroidered pieces. I am sure the recipient will be more than happy with it. I love aprons, mine all tend to have a chook theme to them, funny about that!

Annie said...

Yum Yum thats sounds really tasty. I must admit I did have to look up what half and half was :-)
A x

Atelier Conti said...

For someone who has only tasted Swanson's frozen pot pies, this is a revelation! I don't think I can get all those ingredients over here, but I can adapt...Thanks!

Hilary said...

Should I be this hungry at 10am?

Janet Metzger, Artist said...

Dear Claire,
You would laugh if you saw the apron I wear when I cook ;-) It is the original apron I bought years back that inspired me to create my own line...very used and much loved. Thanks for asking and thanks for everyones nice comments.

Jennifer Juniper said...

You tricked me, I was expecting a sweet pie, but I do love pot pie :)

so many memories said...

I love chicken pot pie and make it often in the winter! Our recipes are very similar. I'll have to try the cheese in the crust next time!! I'm going to try the pineapple pie this weekend!

Sarah AKA The Thriftress said...

That sounds wonderful! I never thought to put cheese in the crust or lima beans in the mix. I am definitely going to try it next time! Thanks for sharing!
Sarah

Aprons and More said...

Yummy!! My favorite! I had Chicken Pot Pie earlier in the week... Next time I will try yours!

Katy :)

Tweed Thoughts said...

Yum, yum, yum!! That was really too much Janet - I'm starving! :D

kate smudges said...

This recipe looks so delicious and not too complicated. I have to bookmark it and make it. You may have a phobia about zippers ~ I have one for making pie crust. It's one of those things I'd like to practise making this year. Thank you for a lovely post!

mar said...

Hey Janet, I actually make this for Matt and Matt and they love it, have been making it with the bisquit style, will have to try it with the "frozen" pie crust, I also found the fridge ones too....blah. Love your site. Mar

Juliana said...

How incredibly yummy!!!!! Can you PLEASE come cook for me?! ha ha just looks so delish!

I do hope you will come by and follow back to my blog if you would like. I have two blogs my main blog is A Blonde Walks Into A Blog!

Juliana said...

PS I am now following!

PG said...

It is a *very* American thing to use soup in cooking you know! I might give it a go, I've just emailed this post to myself, to give it a go when I've got more time, as it does look good!

Ana Popov said...

I took the liberty of sharing your great recipe pies with my visitors (http://anaschronicles.blogspot.com/2010/03/lets-talk-pie.html).

I hope it is okay with you.

Ana