CHICKEN POT PIE

RECIPE MAKES TWO  9" PIES - COOK ONE AND FREEZE ONE!

TWO PIES SERVES: 8

INGREDIENTS:

1 – 4 to 5 pound         Chicken – cleaned, trimmed of excess fat/skin

                                     Fresh thyme

1                                   Lemon, quartered lengthwise

1 head                          Garlic, sliced horizontally across the cloves             

                                     Butter at room temperature

                                     Salt and pepper

2 boxes                        Pillsbury All-Ready Pie Crusts (2 crusts/box)

2 TBSP                        Oil

8-12                            White mushrooms, wiped clean and sliced

2 medium                   Onions, chopped

4-5 stalks                    Celery, sliced on the diagonal

2 med                          Russet potatoes, peeled and diced

4                                  carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/4” discs

1 – 10 oz box             frozen baby green peas (use 1 C of the peas, freeze the remainder for another use)

4 TBSP                       flour

2 tsp.                           Cayenne pepper flakes

2 tsp.                           salt

1 tsp.                           Fresh ground black pepper

                                    Chicken stock (from baking the bird)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 425° - Loosely fill cavity of chicken with thyme, garlic and lemon wedges.  Spread butter on chicken and shake on salt and pepper.  Place in a rimmed baking pan and bake an hour and 15 minutes.  Remove the stuffing and place chicken on a plate to cool.  (Note:  at this point you have a delicious baked chicken!) 

Pour pan drippings thru a fine sieve to remove solids.  Add about a cup of water to the pan and rinse out the remainder of the pan juices, sieving them as well.  Discard veggies and set drippings aside.

Removed the chicken from the bone and cut into chunks – I include the skin because it tastes so good – and place in a large mixing bowl.

Preheat oven to 400°

Put the carrots on to boil – after they have been cooking for 8 minutes, add the potatoes – cook an additional 5 minutes.  Add 1 C of peas and bring back to a boil.  Remove from heat and drain; add veggies to the chicken.

Heat the oil in a wok or large skillet over medium high heat – add onions and sauté for 3-4 minutes; add mushrooms and celery and cook for 3-4 more minutes.  Add to chicken mixture.  Sprinkle cayenne, salt and fresh ground pepper into mixture.

Stir chicken/veggie mixture gently to blend.  Sprinkle flour and stir to coat.  Mixture should be very thick.  Add chicken drippings, about 1/4 C at a time, blending after each addition.  Continue GENTLY blending until mixture is thoroughly dampened and ‘gloppy’ but not runny.

Line pie plates with one pastry crust.  Pile and press half the mixture into each plate and drizzle about 1/8 C of drippings over each plate.  Top each with remaining crust.  Pierce crusts 5-6 times to vent.

Bake 50-60 minutes until pies are golden brown and bubbly.  Let sit about 10 minutes before serving.

If you prefer, bake one pie and freeze the other one – let thaw in refrigerator overnight and then a couple of  hours on the counter before baking.

Freeze any remaining drippings and use as a base liquid for cooking rice or pasta.