February 4, 2009

Here in the midwest, we are careening back and forth between bone rattling cold and mild heat waves. It makes my head spin.

Today was still in the BRC category, never making it above 20 degrees, and feeling even colder because of the wind. It's 12 right now...

So, for supper I decided to make one of my all time favorite comfort foods, and one of hubby's favorites too. Chicken Pot Pie. (And NO--none of my chickens were harmed in the making of this food. lol) It's an easy dish to prepare, it's pretty healthy and very filling. And I make a big batch of it every time so that there are leftovers for hubby's lunch and maybe one more meal.

I forgot to take any pictures of it. BooHoo. It was a beauty to behold.

So--here's my recipe for Chicken Pot Pie.

To make this dish, you'll need:

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 tablespoon of Olive Oil

Garlic granules and black pepper and salt to taste.

1/2 chopped onion

2 ribs chopped celery

3 cubed carrots

3 cubed potatoes (I like red best, but tonight I used russets, because that's what I had ).

1 can of sweet early peas (OR--you can use green beans)

1 TBSP dried basil

~~Corn starch to thicken

~~ 2 boxes ready made piecrusts (the ones that are rolled up, they come 2 in a box, and for the 9x13 baking pan I use here, it takes 2 boxes). OR--you can make the piecrust yourself, if you're a real purist. Enough for 2-2crust pies.

Cut the raw chicken breasts into 1/2 inch cubes. Put it into a large skillet with the olive oil and season with the garlic, salt and pepper and cook over medium heat until the chicken is pretty done. While it's cooking, chop the onion, celery, carrot and potato. Add it to the cooking chicken pieces. Put a lid on this skillet and cook these things until the vegetables are tender. Put about a half cup of water in so it doesn't burn, and stir occasionally. Add the basil. This mixture will need to cook for about 20 minutes.

While it's cooking, unroll the piecrusts and fit them into the 9x13 baking pan. Arrange them so they are covering the bottom and you can have them up the sides of the pan. At this point, put the can of undrained peas or green beans into the bubbling skillet. The mix the cornstarch with some water and pour that into the skillet, stirring well. Sometimes I use a little Kitchen Bouquet in it to give it a rich color. If you don't know KB--it's a caramel based food additive mainly for gravies and soups. It just makes it look pretty. And be warned--a little goes a long way, so use it cautiously. lol

As soon as it starts to thicken, mix it well and turn off the stove. You are now ready to pour this concoction into the pie crust. Put the other 2 piecrusts on top and pinch the edges to make a nice pie. Cut some slits in a starburst pattern on top.

Bake this bad boy at 425 degrees for about 25 minutes. Serve it up hot with a salad if you're so inclined.

It's tasty,

it reheats well,

AND---you get a lot of bang for your buck.

Bon Apetit!