Bitter cold, snowy, icy, icky, gloomy, gray days require a little more TLC to warm the heart and soul, and nothing cures the wintertime blues like a big ol’ chicken pot pie! 😀 

My hubby had been over next door visiting his buddy, Wally, and they got talking about food. Well, next thing ya know, they all said that they’d love it if I’d make them a chicken pot pie the next time I happen to make one! We were just finishing up some homemade meatloaf and I said as soon as that was done and gone, your wish will be granted! 😀 

I couldn’t hardly wait to make a couple, as we, too, hadn’t had it in quite some time! Sooooo, two chicken pot pies coming right up! 😀 

The day I planned to make them, we got our first real snow. It was one of those beautiful snows that looked like the world was one giant snow globe and some one shook it really hard. And there I was. In the kitchen with a soft glow of light from my “pretty lamps”, snow coming down heavily turning everything white – – making chicken pot pies! It was like a real-life Norman Rockwell kind of day! Even the neighbors said the same thing!!! And Phyllis was THRILLED when she got home from work to see a whole chicken pot pie was waiting for them! Plus half of the cornbread to boot! And both were still warm!! I know! Right?!! 

Crazy fun day!! 

Both pot pies cooling, along with my Apple Spiced Cornbread to split with the neighbors! 😀 Going to be  a DELICIOUS supper! 😉 

As always, (sometimes I feel like a broken record), but please add whatever veggies you like! Swap them out or double-up on another. Just make it how you like it! Don’t want to add the cream? Just add extra milk. It’s easy to customize recipes for your own taste, so just have fun! 😀 

The purdy one for the neighbors! 😀

Before you fret over thinking that two pot pies are going to be way too much, lemme tell ya what happened at BOTH households. The neighbors, who are light eaters compared to the hubs (and me, too, sometimes!), ate half of their pie that first night!

Aaaand – – we did, too!!!

So believe me, if there are even just two people in your house, and you want leftovers for a couple of days for lunches and suppers and such, you’ll want to just make two and it WILL get eaten! 😉  You can always chance it and make a half of a batch (one pie) and freeze the other half of the cooked chicken….but I wouldn’t if I were you! Ours was gone way too fast!! 

So here’s a seriously good way to make a great chicken pot pie from scratch that doesn’t rely on canned cream soups and frozen veggies. Everything is fresh and natural, as it should be. It’s nice and creamy-thick and doesn’t run all over the place when you slice into it, too. If you like it thinner, though, you can always add just a small amount more of milk, cream or stock.

So don’t buy those awful frozen ones, or take unnecessary and unhealthy shortcuts using pre-made products. Once you make it from scratch, you won’t want to ever go back!

Hope you all enjoy, and have a most wonderful day!! ~Kelly

P.S. Don’t be scared, it’s not hard to make. 😉  

Yield: Makes 2 pies

Old Fashioned Chicken Pot Pie (Makes 2 Pies)

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Ingredients

For Chicken and Stock:

• 1 whole chicken + 1 small chicken breast (if extra white meat is desired)
• 1 rib celery
• 1 large carrot or a small handful of baby carrots
• 1 small onion quartered, or 1/2 tsp. onion powder
• 1 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 2 bay leaves, or 1 super big one

For Sauce:

• 2 sticks butter
• 1 cup flour
• 4 cups milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 1/2 cups stock from stewed chicken
• 1 Tbl. Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base
• 1 tsp. garlic salt
• 1/2 tsp. white pepper
• 1/4 tsp. coarse ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning
• 1/4 tsp. dried thyme
• 1/4 tsp. Herbs de Provence
• 1/4 tsp. ground rosemary
• 1/16 tsp. onion powder
• 4 egg yolks
• 4 drops yellow food coloring, optional

Rest of Ingredients:

• 2 ribs celery, sliced
• 2 red potatoes, unpeeled and cut into bite-sized cubes
• 1 (12 oz.) bag baby carrots, sliced thickly (4-5 slices each)
• 1 (11 oz.) can corn, drained, I like to use white shoepeg corn
• 1/2 cup frozen baby peas, unthawed
• 3 Tbl. butter
• 1 (16 oz.) carton fresh sliced mushrooms
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1/8 tsp. garlic salt
• enough pastry for 2 double-crust pies or 4 Pillsbury Pie Crust Sheets
• milk for basting pastry

Instructions

For Chicken and Stock: In large stock pot, add whole chicken and water to cover plus an inch or so. Add rest of chicken and stock ingredients except chicken breast if adding. Cover, bring to a boil, lower heat and tilt lid. Low boil for 1 1/2 hours. *Add chicken breast during last 15-20 minutes depending on size. Remove chicken to a bowl, cover, set aside to cool down. Remove lid from pot, turn up to high and boil until reduced by at least half. (Just let it do it's thing while you make the sauce, or take a break until it's done.)

For Sauce: In large deep frying pan, melt butter. Stir in flour and cook over medium heat, stirring, for 3-4 minutes. Do not brown. Slowly whisk in milk, whisking out lumps, whisk in cream and 2 1/2 cups stock from the pot that you cooked the chicken in. (*You can do this before or after you've reduced the stock.) Reduced is better, but either way does work just fine.

Turn heat off so you can add the rest of the sauce ingredients (*except the egg yolks and coloring) and stir them in well. Once added, turn heat back on to medium. Cook, stirring, until thickened. Remove from heat. Whisk egg yolks in small bowl. Slowly stir in some sauce, one tablespoon at a time, to heat (temper) the yolks. Stir constantly so you don't scramble them. Then slowly stir mixture into sauce. (It's easy, don't worry.) Stir in a few drops of yellow food coloring if desired for a prettier color.

Add pulled chicken to sauce in large bite-sized pieces.

To Finish: While adding chicken, add celery, potatoes and carrots to boiling chicken stock. Boil 10 minutes. Remove with a strainer and add to sauce.

In another frying pan, add 3 Tbl. butter. Add mushrooms and onions and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic salt. Add to sauce.

Fold in frozen baby peas. (Your filling is now done.) YAY! 😀

Line two 9" pie plates with pastry, fill with chicken/sauce filling mounding a bit in the center (overfilling a little). Top each with more pie pastry, flute edges, make slits in top to vent. (*Or you can do a cut-out in center). Baste tops with a little milk.

Bake pies in preheated 375º oven for approximately 50 minutes, or until crusts are golden browned and filling is just starting to bubble.

Remove pies and let cool on racks for at least 30 minutes before slicing.