Country Chicken Pot Pie!

Chicken Pot Pie is such a warm and comforting dish.  It does seem that there are different ideas about what a chicken pot pie should consist of.  Should it have just white meat chicken, a flaky crust or a more substantial doughy crust, just potatoes and carrots or tons of all types of vegetables?   Therefore, this recipe can be adapted to what your family likes in a chicken pot pie.  I am going to give you what we like in ours and you can add or take away what you like. 

 Here is what you need:

3 cups chopped, cooked chicken breast meat (3-4 chicken breasts)
3 cups potatoes, peeled and diced
2 cups carrots, diced
1 cup celery, diced
1/2 cup onion, finely diced
1 cup green peas (optional)
1 cup niblets corn (optional)
5 cups water or enough to cover the vegetables by an inch
3 Knorr chicken bouillon cubes ( can use 2 Tbs. chicken bouillon powder)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. seasoned salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. celery salt
1/4 tsp. poultry seasoning
1/4 tsp. curry powder (optional)
2 Tbs. butter
1/2 cup half and half or cream
2 Tbs. cornstarch
1 pkg. refrigerated pie crusts (2 crusts)

Dice your cooked chicken in bite size pieces.  You can cook the chicken however you like it.  I like to roast mine in the oven with salt, pepper and Lawry's poultry seasoning (best stuff for chicken ever) and a pat of butter.   You can also boil them.  I like the flavor roasting them in the oven gives them for this and other 'casserole' type dishes.   Sometimes I go ahead and roast several at a time to have later in the week for other dishes.  It's a real time saver.

Place the water, bouillon cubes (can use an equal amount of canned chicken broth) in large dutch oven or pan on the stove.   Add the potatoes, onion, celery and carrots and the seasonings. 


 Bring to a boil, then turn down to simmer and cook for about 30 minutes.  Add the peas and corn.  If you don't care for peas and corn, you can add extra carrots and potatoes or if you like more vegetables you could use 2 cups of mixed vegetables. Sometimes I just use the celery, onion, potatoes and carrots.  Cook for about 15 minutes more.


Add the can of cream of chicken soup and stir in until it is incorporated.  If you do not like to use canned soups, this can be left out, just taste for salt because it might need a little more. The soup does enrich it and give it a really good flavor. 

Add the 2 Tbs. butter to the pan and stir.   Stir 2 Tbs. cornstarch into the 1/2 cup cold half and half or cream and stir until it completely dissolves and is smooth.  Pour into the vegetable mixture and stir.  Bring up to a boil and it will start to tighten up and thicken some.  Turn the heat down to low and add the chopped chicken breast in.  Taste for salt and pepper and adjust as needed.   I do add the pinch of curry to this, but it's optional.

Lay one of the pie crusts in a 2 1/2 to 3 quart casserole dish that has been sprayed with nonstick spray.

Place the casserole on a cookie sheet or large pizza pan and fill with the pot pie filling. This should be juicy.  The two crusts soak up some of the liquid.  Not enough liquid is what makes some pot pies too dry.  Leave some room in the dish, because this will bubble and can bubble right over the edge.  The cookie sheet helps save your oven if it does and makes it easier to move in and out of the oven.   You might have a little filling left over.  I usually do.

Make a little individual pot pie to have for lunch one day or if you have children, make it their 'special' pot pie in a ramekin or small baker.

Cover the top with the other crust and seal
around the edges.  With a sharp knife, make
some cuts in the top crust for venting purposes.
You can brush the top with an egg white which makes it brown nicely and look prettier.  Place in a 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes or until the top is nice and brown.

Country Chicken Pot Pie!