Ways With Chicken To A Pot Pie

 I don't know about you, but my family eats a lot of chicken. Sweetie likes boneless, skinless chicken thighs. I'm a fan of a whole roast chicken. It's been years since I've had them, but I enjoy fried chicken breasts and drumsticks. And then there are all the things you can make with already cooked chicken. Chicken Pot Pie is one of my favorites and what we had for dinner.

A few days ago our market had a special on whole chickens...$2.99 a pound. These were plump organic chickens and looked so good that I bought one...for just under $10. Once home I roasted it with some onions and Yukon potatoes and some lemons and one mandarin orange, plus herbs. Delicious! Yesterday I took the rest of the cooked chicken off the bones and then added water to the pot...and simmered it all, including the bones, into a rich broth.

Today I made pot pie, using the leftover chicken, the broth, some sautéed onions, garlic, carrot and mushrooms, more herbs, some boiled potatoes, some microwaved frozen mixed veggies and a bit of this and that. Heated together, topped with a pie dough round and baked in a hot oven just until the pie dough was golden, it made a wonderful Chicken Pot Pie for a rainy evening.

We shared it with Rainbow Girl, my great friend from Oregon, who visited for a couple of days. Good times!

Chicken Pot Pie with Pastry Topper

3-4 yellow Finn potatoes (or Yukon gold), washed and cubed

3 tablespoons butter

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

2-3 carrots, sliced into half-coins

5-6 large mushrooms, halved, then sliced

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

1/3 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

salt and pepper

1 3/4 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup milk

2  - 2 1/2 cups cooked, cubed chicken (I used chicken from a roasted full chicken)

1 - 2 cups frozen mixed vegetables

1 round (half package) pre-rolled pie dough, like ReadyCrust

 In a large pot with a lid, add the cubed potatoes to enough water to cover. Place over high heat, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cover. Continue to simmer for about 20 minutes, until potatoes are tender when pierced with the point of a sharp knife.

When potatoes are cooked, drain them, but keep them warm.

 Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

 Meanwhile, prepare the onion, carrots, mushrooms and garlic:

 Melt the butter in the pot the potatoes were cooked in. Add the onion and carrots. Over medium heat, cook, stirring often, for 2-3 minutes or until onion is beginning to be translucent. Add mushrooms and cover. Cook on low, stirring occasionally, for another 3-5 minutes, until mushrooms have released their liquid and liquid has cooked off. Add garlic and stir. Cook another 30 second.

 Add the flour, poultry seasoning, dried thyme and salt and pepper to taste to the cooked veggies. Stir for 1 minutes to allow the flour to cook a bit.

 In a large measuring cup, measure the chicken broth. Add the milk. Stir this mixture, all at once, into the veggie/flour mixture and continue stirring over medium heat until the mixture thickens slightly. It's OK if mixture bubbles a bit once it has thickened.

 Add the cubed chicken and stir to combine.

In a microwave safe container, cook the frozen mixed vegetables for 1-2 minutes to warm. Add warmed mixed vegetables to the pot with the chicken and sautéed veggies. Add the warm, cooked and drained, potatoes. Stir to combine everything, then spoon mixture into a greased round casserole. Top with pie crust and cut vents. Bake in preheated oven, in center, until the crust is golden brown and pot pie mixture is bubbling. Remove from oven.  Serve at once, including some of the crust in each serving.

 Makes 6-8 servings.