Homemade Chicken Potpie - Well Sort of ...

Here is a recipe for one of my favorite foods in the whole world - Chicken Pot Pie.  This recipe also freezes very well.  When I have a freezer cooking day this is always on my list of dishes to make.  Enjoy!

I transfer the mixture to foil pans in order to freeze them

1/4 cup butter
1 tsp. minced garlic
3/4 cup chopped onion, celery, and carrots
1/2 cup flour
3 tsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
4 cups of chicken broth
1 (15.5) oz. can of peas, drained
1 to 3 cups of cooked chicken (cubed or shredded)
1 package of store brought rolled up pie crust (usually 2 crust come in a pack)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to temperature on pie crust package (usually anywhere between 400 - 420 F depending on the crust you purchase.)

2. In a skillet melt butter and stir in the garlic, onion, celery, and carrot until tender.

3. Mix in flour, sugar, basil, and pepper until absorbed.

4.  Stir in chicken broth and bring to a boil.  Continuously stir so you won't get any sticking.

5. Reduce heat and stir in peas and chicken.  Allow to simmer a few minutes.

6. Transfer into a 9 X 13 baking dish.  Cover mixture with pie crust.  Allow crust to go over the edges of your dish.  Make sure for the first few minutes of baking that you put aluminium foil around all the edges of the crust so they don't burn.  After you notice the center of the crust browning take the foil off.  Allow crust to cook completely.

7.  After crust is done then take out and allow to sit and cool.

Freezer Cooking Tip:
I purchase aluminum pans from the dollar store for my freezer cooking.  Transfer mixture to a pan and allow it to completely cool.  Next cover with the pie crust.  Do not cook the pie crust but freeze with the uncooked crust.  Cover with plastic wrap then with aluminum foil.

I place the pie crust on top but do not cook the crust if I am freezing my pies.  Then I wrap with plastic and foil

When ready to take out the freezer you don't have to thaw it out before placing in the oven.  Place in the oven at 350 F.  Then as you see it is pretty much thawed out you can increase the temperature to 400 or 420 to brown and cook the crust.