Chicken Pot Pie

Who can resist a nice, hearty slice of chicken pot pie?  And what if I tell you it's processed free, so your body will recognize and be nourished by all the ingredients.  Even better, right?  To top it off, it's an easy, flexible recipe that is family friendly - even my picky, non-vegetable loving kids like it.  So, here is my version of chicken pot pie without a lot of fuss or chemical additives.

1 recipe for whole wheat pie crust (can be made ahead of time)
1 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup milk
onion powder
dried basil
dried thyme
garlic powder
vegetables
cooked chicken

Make the pie crusts - you will need a top and bottom and this recipe will give you that.  Set them aside in the refrigerator for later. 

Here is where the flexibility comes in.  You want to put your cooked chicken and vegetable medley in a bowl, but use whatever you have on hand.  I typically use a frozen vegetable medley that I've thawed and any other leftover veggies lying around.  My favorites include carrots, peas, potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, corn, celery and string beans - all of which should be in small pieces.  But, use what you have.  I've even used a canned vegetable medley that is organic with no added extra ingredients, although I prefer the quality to be more fresh cooked or frozen thawed - less mushy.  As for the chicken, use leftovers cut up, a rotisserie chicken cut up, canned or home pressure cooked and canned (my favorite.)  As for the amount of each, you need about a 1-2 large cooked chicken breasts and as much veggies as you think will fly with your family.  I wouldn't use any less than one can or easy steamer bag of veggies.  The nice thing is, if you use less, your pie is a little flatter, and if you use more, your pie is a little more dome shaped on the top - all up to you and your family's taste.

Next you will make the sauce.  In a small sauce pan, melt the butter and then add the flour to make a roux.  Add the broth and milk while you continue to stir to get rid of the lumps. Next, you will add a few spices.  Sprinkle in a little onion powder, garlic powder, dried basil, and thyme - as much or as little as you want, but don't go too overboard.  Bring to a boil and cook until it thickens - this will only take a few minutes.  Once it's done, pour it into the bowl with the chicken and veggies and stir this all together. 

Put one pie crust in the pie pan, pour in your filling, and place the second pie crust on top.  I take the edges of the top crust and fold them down over the edges of the bottom and crimp them together so that no filling will bubble out.  Then, take a knife and make a few vent holes in the top crust - I usually just make an "X" in the center.  To make this really fancy, take one egg, beat it and brush a thin layer all over the top crust.  This helps it look browned and gorgeous after it's baked, but it is absolutely not necessary.  I just like the impressive look it gives.

Bake it in the oven at 400 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes.  It's just the crust that needs to be cooked and brown, so once that looks done, you are finished.  Here's what mine looked like right out of the oven.

The crust will be buttery and flaky, and the inside will be warm and delicious!  Mine is a bit of a thicker consistency, almost quiche-like on the inside because I don't like cutting into something and having the filling all run out.  You can see how it stays together as you cut slices.  The leftovers are also really good the next day.  I serve this with a nice salad.  I hope you love it as much as my family!