Chicken Pot Pie

Who says pot pie isn't a treat? Trust me, you live in Wisconsin for a winter and then decide whether or not its a treat. This is a one crust pie, too, so if you make enough crust for a top and a bottom, then you can save half the dough and freeze it for your next pie. And trust me, there will be a next pie.

the fixins

CRUST

I defer to a higher power here. Check out the Cooking Junkies recipe, or try your own family recipe. But I do have two tips for this pie: tip one, try substituting chilled chicken broth for the ice water, and tip two, have a beaten egg diluted with a little water (an egg wash) on hand to brush the top with before baking.

MIDDLE

• 6 Tbsp butter

• scant ½ C flour

• 1 ½ tsp salt (I like Lawry's season salt)

• ¼ to ½ tsp paprika

• ½ to 1 tsp Bell's Seasoning

• 3 C rich chicken broth (Pacific Natural Foods free range organic)

• 4 C cooked, shredded or cubed chicken*

• Vegetables of choice . . . if you want.**

*I either use leftovers from a roasted chicken or I boil raw chicken in salted water until it falls apart. You can use any cut you'd like—whole chickens work well, but if you're looking for a leaner version, try a tray of boneless, skinless chicken breasts.

**I like a straight meat pie, but Expat likes his veggies. Carrots, cauliflower, and green beans are a nice touch and won't get overcooked if you throw them into the pie raw.

the directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Make your crust, but don't roll it out—pat it into a flat round, plastic wrap it, and stick it in the fridge. (If you made a double crust recipe, divide it and stick half in the freezer.)

Prep baking dish. I use an oblong 6 X 10 inch clear Pyrex dish that my mom gave me (I don't even know if you can get that size anymore) but a round pie dish should be okay, too, just be sure it's either deep enough or wide enough for your pie. Put your shredded chicken (and optional veggies) in the dish and set aside.

Melt butter in saucepan on a medium heat—stir in flour and spices until smooth. You're making a roux, here, so think gravy. Once the roux is smooth, stir in the chicken broth and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Once mixture boils, remove from heat. Pour over chicken (and optional veggies) in baking dish. Rinse the saucepan now so you don't have to do it later!

Take crust out of fridge and roll to about ¼ to ½ inch thick. I do this using another trick the Cooking Junkie taught me: put the crust round between two sheets of waxed paper, “pin” the loose ends of the waxed paper against the countertop by leaning against them, then roll with a rolling pin as usual. By pinning the waxed paper, you keep the dough from sliding all over the place while you roll, and by putting it between the 2 sheets of paper, you prevent it from sticking to your rolling pin. (Pretty neat, huh?)

Once the crust is sufficiently flat, place on top of the chicken-and-gravy-filled baking dish, do whatever you want to the edges, cut a few slits in the top, brush with the egg wash, and stick it in the oven on a middle rack. To prevent a bubbled-over mess, slide a cookie sheet onto the rack below the pie dish to catch any gravy drips that might dribble out while cooking.

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the crust looks nice and brown. Serve hot in bowls with big spoons.

truly scooteriffic tip: This pie can be reheated with ease—just refrigerate the leftovers in the same dish with a piece of plastic wrap. When you want to eat the rest of the pie, simple put it in the oven and set the over for 400 degrees. As the oven warms, it will bring the temperature of the dish up slowly (and safely). Heat in the oven until the pie smells fragrant and you can hear the sauce bubbling when you open the open door.

truly, truly scooteriffic tip: A splash of white wine in the gravy makes a really nice-tasting pie. Just sub out ½ cup of broth for ½ cup of whatever white you have on hand.