Chicken Pot Pie

Let's see how many times I do a Chicken Pot Pie post now until next April.

This is a family favorite. I have been making this recipe since Feb. 2010. I found it on RealSimple.com. Over the years the only thing I have changed is the amount of milk I use to make the sauce. Be forwarned. This will boil over in the oven.

Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients -
1 pound meat from roasted chicken
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 onions, chopped
4 carrots, diced
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 cups 1 percent milk
1 10-ounce package frozen mixed vegetables
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 9-inch pie crust

Method -
Heat oven to 400° F.
Remove the chicken meat from the chicken carcass. Save those bones for stock!
Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. 

Add the onions and carrots and cook, stirring, until they begin to soften, 6 to 8 minutes (do not let them darken). 

Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
Add the wine and cook until evaporated, about 5 minutes. 

Add the milk and simmer until the sauce thickens 2 to 3 minutes. 

Stir in the chicken, peas, thyme, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
Transfer to a shallow 1 1/2- to 2-quart baking dish.
Lay the crust on top, pressing to seal. 

Cut several vents in the crust. 

Place the pot pie on a baking sheet and bake until bubbling and the crust is golden, 30 to 35 minutes.

The crust is the Pate Brisse recipe from The Silver Palate cookbook, which I got as a shower gift for my wedding. This is the only crust recipe I use.  

Pate Brisee -

Ingredients
1-1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt
1 pinch granulated sugar

5-1/2 Tbsp (2/3 stick) sweet butter, chilled

3 Tbsp vegetable shortening, chilled
1/4 cup ice water

Method-
Sift the flour, salt, and sugar together into a bowl; add butter and shortening and cut them into dry ingredients with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture is like coarse meal.
Sprinkle on and blend in enough of the ice water to make a workable dough, mixing water in lightly with a fork.
Turn dough out onto your work surface and, using the heel of your hand, smear the dough away from you, about 1/4 cup at a time. Scrape up the smeared dough into a ball, wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
I love this crust!

The crust was decorated with leaf cutouts and a squirrel. 

An autumn theme!