Double-crusted Chicken Pot Pie

I guess my dissertation on winter food will continue... my family loves chicken pot pie. I mean, they have a crazy obsession for chicken pot pie. If I need those boys to help me out around the house... I dangle a chicken pot pie for dinner and poof, the boys show up. So with their semesters starting and hubby in Alabama, I wanted to make pies that they could stick in their freezers and pull out on a cold day and bake for themselves. 

Start with 2 T. of oil and 2 T. of butter into a large pan. I use vegetable oil but any oil will work. Add diced celery, 2 stalks and onion, one large. Saute until they are translucent.

Add 5 cups of chicken stock, bring to a boil. And three diced potatoes and cook until tender, approximately 10 minutes. At this point add the vegetables you want in the chicken pot pie. I add frozen peas, carrots, corn and green beans.

Cook another 5 minutes to heat the frozen vegetables.

Add cooked chicken, salt and pepper to taste. I poached chicken breasts. Cooked chicken is a must around my house and either I roast or poach chicken breasts.

          

In another pan, I melt 2 t. butter and add 2 t. of flour to make a roux. Once the flour and butter are mixed and have a couple of minutes to cook off the flour taste, I add to the chicken pie filling. This step will thicken the sauce.

Lastly, I add 1/4 to 1/2 c of heavy cream. The cream makes the chicken pot pie not only delicious but takes it over the top. Cook the filling until thick, approximately 5 to 10 minutes.

At this step you can do any number of things with the filling. But I want to make pies for the family to freeze for the family, so I have to let the filling cool completely. 

Next, I take mini pie pans and line with pie crust. I used refrigerated pie crusts and once I cut the appropriate size for the top, I used the scraps to line the pie plate.

Add filling

Top with another pie crust and crimp the edges to seal the crust in. 

 

Brush with an egg wash or cream and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

At this point, I am freezing the pies, unbaked. But you can bake them and then freeze them or you can just bake them and eat them.

Once frozen, the family can remove from the freezer and bake covered in foil for 35 to 40 minutes or until the filling is bubbly. 

I love my family and love to gift them with home cooked food. They know that I love them when they open their freezers. 

Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients

• 3 whole (6 split) chicken breasts, either roasted or poached
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
• 2 cups yellow onions, chopped (2 onions)
•  3 Russet potatoes
• 5 cups chicken stock
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup of butter or one half stick
• 2 cups medium-diced carrots, blanched for 2 minutes
• 1 (10-ounce) package frozen peas (2 cups)
• 1 1/2 cups frozen corn
• 1 1/2 cups of frozen green beans
• 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
• 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of heavy cream
• Kosher salt, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste