Chicken Pot Pie . . . from scratch

One of my favorite comfort food meals is Chicken Pot Pie.  As a child, I would beg my mom to buy lots of those frozen chicken pot pies for lunch when I was home for the summer . . . and I would eat one every day if I had my say.  I still could!

I've given up the frozen pot pies and have moved up to semi-homemade chicken pot pie, using Campbell's Cream of Chicken Soup, chicken, vegetables and a refrigerated pie crust.  So much better than the frozen ones.

Even better is made from scratch chicken pot pie for those days you want to linger in the chicken and make something special.  Semi-homemade is awesome, but made from scratch is super awesome!

Try it when you have some time on your hands for cooking something special . . . make a pie crust from scratch if you have lots of time on your hands.

Ingredients:

• 1 rotisserie chicken OR 3 cups cubed cooked chicken
• 1/3 cup butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 stalks celery, sliced
• 1-1/2 cups sliced carrots
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
• 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 cup frozen baby peas
• 1 refrigerated pie crust
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Remove chicken from rotisserie chicken and cube; set aside.

In large saucepan, melt butter. Add onion and garlic; sauté and stir 3-4 minutes. Add celery and sliced carrots; cook and stir 3-5 minutes longer until crisp-tender.

Add flour, salt, pepper, and thyme; cook 2-3 minutes until bubbly. Add broth, stirring well, then add evaporated milk. Simmer, stirring frequently, until sauce thickens.

Add Monterey Jack cheese and stir until melted. Remove from heat and add peas and chicken. Pour into 2-quart round casserole dish and top with pie crust. Seal crust to edges of casserole and cut slits in top crust to vent steam.

Brush crust with 1 tablespoon milk and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake for 40-50 minutes until crust is golden brown and filling bubbles. Cool 10-15 minutes before serving.

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