Pioneer Woman's Chicken Pot Pie

I have tried a lot of chicken pot pies, and I had yet to find the perfect one.. until now. Some were made with biscuits, others lacked flavor and that creamy gravy. But this.. this is THE chicken pot pie recipe. It has delicious soft vegetables, a creamy flavorful broth, and a buttery flaky crust! I will never make another one. It is seriously that good! Now, I have heard a lot about preparing and then freezing meals, but I have never took the dive and tried it, until now. This recipe is actually recommended to make ahead of time and freeze. The first time I made it, I had cream, celery and pie dough left over. Of course, it felt like a waste of money. We loved it so much, that I made it again the next week, using enough ingredients for 2! It was so much easier, the portions are just right for 2 batches and I love that I have nice, delicious chicken pot pie in my freezer waiting for me to feel like having a lazy dinner and not wanting to cook!

Ingredients (for 1 pie):

3 celery stalks

3 medium carrots, peeled

1 large yellow onion

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) of butter

2 cups cooked shredded chicken breast

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups low sodium chicken broth or stock

1 chicken bouillon cube

1/2 cup frozen peas

1 cup heavy cream

2 sprigs fresh thyme

1 teaspoon salt

black pepper, for seasoning

pie dough, store bought or homemade (homemade recipe below)

Directions:

1. Begin preheating the oven to 400 degrees and by dicing the celery, carrots, and onion into small, fine dice. 

2. Melt the butter in a dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. Add the celery, carrots, and onion. Saute the vegetables for a few minutes, until translucent. 

3. Add the chicken and stir to combine. Sprinkle the flour evenly over the top and stir to combine. Cook for a few minutes, gently stirring. 

4. Pour in the chicken broth and stir. Add the chicken bouillon cube and stir. The mixture should start to look like a creamy gravy, but still runny. Next, stir the frozen peas in.

5. Pour in the cream and stir. Allow the mixture to cook over low heat, for about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, so the mixture can thicken. Season with thyme, salt and pepper. Be sure to taste it and make sure it is seasoned good!

6. Pour the mixture into a deep pie pan, or small casserole dish. (If you are freezing one, the foil pie pans work great!

7. Place the crust onto the top of the pan, pressing the edges down (it doesn't need to be prefect) and place a few slits in the crust to make sure the mixture can let out steam. 

8. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the mixture is bubbly and the crust is golden brown. Let the pie cool for 10 minutes before eating (this will help the mixture to thicken some as well). 

Thyme Pastry Dough

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup cold butter (1 1/2 sticks)

1 egg

2 1/2 tablespoons cold water

1/2 tablespoon distilled white vinegar 

1 spring of fresh thyme leaves, thinly diced

Directions:

1. Combine the flour and salt in large bowl. Use a pastry cutter or 2 forks to gradually work the cold butter into the flour until it resembles small pebbles, this should take about 3-4 minutes.

2. Lightly beat the egg with the fork and add it to the mixture. Next, and the old water and vinegar and stir until combined. (This can be made ahead of time and refrigerated at this point)

3. When ready to use the dough, cover a clean surface with a small amount of flour, and in the thyme and knead the dough to mix it in. Then, begin to roll out the dough1 inch larger than the pie pan. 

Comment if you made this and loved it! 

Photo Source: lydias cozy corner
Recipe Source: foodnetwork.com