Chicken Pot Pie
Now this is comfort food!
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tablespoon dried thyme
4 red potatoes, peeled and diced
4 carrots, peeled and diced
1 cup butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup frozen peas, defrosted
1 cup flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
3 cups chicken broth
1½ cups milk at room temperature
4 frozen pie crusts (9-inch deep dish), defrosted
Equipment: Roasting pans, stew pot, baking sheet
Natural gas stovetop and oven
Servings: 8
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place the chicken breasts in a small shallow roasting pan, sprinkle with the thyme, and cover tightly with aluminum foil.
Grease a baking sheet with oil and spread the potatoes and carrots evenly over the sheet.
Place the pans with the chicken and vegetables in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the pan of chicken from the oven. Test the vegetables for doneness and continue baking until tender as needed; remove from the oven. When the chicken breasts have cooled for a few minutes, cut them into cubes and set aside.
Melt the butter in the stew pot over medium heat; add the onions and defrosted peas and saute until the onions are tender. Stir in the flour, salt, and pepper and mix until smooth; let the roux simmer for several minutes, stirring constantly. Gradually add the chicken broth and milk, stirring until the mixture is smooth and using a whisk if necessary. Bring the sauce to a simmer (still stirring) and cook for 3 minutes. Remove from the stove and mix in the chicken, potatoes, and carrots.
Increase oven heat to 425 degrees.
Divide the chicken mixture evently between two pie crusts and top with the two remaining crusts; seal the edges well and cut slits in the top crusts.
Place the two pies on a baking sheet and bake for 35 to 40 minutes. If the edge crusts begin to brown too quicly, cover them with strips of foil. Remove the pies from the oven and let them rest for 15 minutes. Slice each pie into four pieces and serve with a green salad.
Freezing unbaked pies. We needed only four servings when we made this recipe, so we wrapped the second pie in plastic wrap and then foil and put it in the freezer. To bake the frozen pie later, we gave it 30 minutes at 425 degrees, covered the edge with foil, and finished baking at 350 degrees for 80 minutes. As before, be sure to bake it on a cookie sheet and let it rest for 15 minutes before serving.