No Kitty! That's my pot pie.

I love pot pie.  Chicken pot pie, beef pot pie, pork pot pie, even veggie pot pie.  It’s just hot, chunky, meaty (except the veggie pie) crusty goodness.   It’s a whole meal in one pan.  And they are very democratic.  Forget apple pie, pot pie has way more in common with America than some fruit tart.  Put in what you want; season it the way you want; and top it with whatever you’ve got.  Because of that, pot pie recipes seem a little pretentious.  That being said, there are some proportions to keep in mind that will help prevent pie failure.  A good basic formula for a standard deep dish pie is 6 cups solid filling, 2 cups liquid, and 3Tbl each fat and flour for thickening.  You should always sauté vegetables before assembling the final pie because this will remove excess water and improve their flavor.  The vegetables will cook down when you sauté them so you may start with more than you think will fit.  The following recipe is my chicken pot pie.  As with many of my recipes, this one is my adaptation of someone else’s recipe.  The original is from Alton Brown of Good Eats and can be found here.

Chicken Pot Pie

Total Time: 1 hour (less than half of that is active time)

Serves:  6 to 8 servings

16 oz package frozen vegetable mix, peas, carrots, or dice your own to make 3 cups.

1 to 2 tablespoons canola oil

3 tablespoons butter

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped celery

1 1/2 cups chicken broth (homemade is best or use low sodium canned)

1/2 cup milk

3 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

2 cups cubed cooked chicken

1 package puff pastry or single pie crust

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Toss frozen vegetables with canola oil and spread evenly onto a sheet pan. Place into oven and cook until golden brown.

In a large sauté pan heat 3 tablespoon of butter.  When foam subsides, add the onion and celery.  Sweat (cook out some of the water but not browned) onions and celery, 3 to 5 minutes.  Sprinkle with the 3 tablespoons of flour.  Continue to cook another minute or two.  Whisk in the chicken broth and milk and cook until thickened. Add the thyme, salt and pepper. Toss the browned vegetables and the chicken. Pour into a shallow baking pan or deep pie dish, and top with 6 to 8 circles of puff pastry or pie crust. Place into the oven and cook until puff pastry has browned and the mixture is hot and bubbly, about 25 minutes.