Chicken Pot Pie ~ Dairy Free & Easy to Make

I've been craving chicken. I'm usually eating fairly cheap since I'm not feeding a family or a daycare these days and make up something delicious such as a soup or stew on Sunday and eat on that the first half of the week and then I figure something else out the rest of the week (PBJ anyone?). Lately though I've been thinking about Mom's Chicken Pot Pie. YUM.

Today I tried a new pie crust for this recipe. I cannot make a pie crust worth a hill of beans and so usually I just buy a refrigerated pie crust. This time, I grabbed the WeWalka brand of refrigerated pie crust. This company prides itself on having no artificial colors or flavors, no high fructose corn syrup, no hydrogenated oils or bleached flour. The packaging said it was flaky & Lard Free. Sounds good to me! The pie crust came out light, didn't have that "off taste" that the pie crust I usually buy (whether frozen or refrigerated) has and rolled right off the parchment it was packaged on without being sticky or stuck together. I found it at HyVee for $3.29 by the canned biscuits. These specialty doughs also include pizza crust (these looked good), a bistro pizza crust, a flatbread and a puff pastry. Sign up for their newsletter for coupons & recipes (at bottom of their website).

Mom's Chicken Pot Pie

This is a family recipe that I've tweaked some. I've added sage to the recipe and mixed veggies. It's chock full of veggies. The original recipe was served at my Mom's restaurant many years ago and was a favorite of her diners. It's still one of my favorites and my daycare kiddos loved this.

Begin by poaching 2 chicken breast halves in water. When done poaching remove from the water and set aside to cool before cutting up or shredding. You will want about 1 1/2-2 cups of diced chicken when done. RESERVE 1/4 cup of broth for your roux.

Filling:
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed into 1" pieces or there about. Today I actually sliced mine up pretty small as my potatoes were small and then I just cooked them carefully so I didn't over cook them.
1/2 bag of mixed veggies, or carrots & peas.

Boil until just done. I usually cook the potatoes until softened, add the veggies and cook according to the package. Pour your veggies and water in a colander and let drain.

Pie Crust:
I used the WeWalka pie crust this time but have also made a crust from the Betty Crocker cookbook or bought a frozen deep dish piecrust. This makes a deep dish piecrust and you only need 1 crust. If you use a frozen one put it out to thaw about 20 minutes. If you use a refrigerated one like the one I used today set it out to warm up about 20 minutes approximately.

Sauce:
Note: I use Almond Milk due to a sensitivity to dairy. I've also used cows milk, oat milk, soy milk and coconut milk. I prefer a almond milk that's unsweetened and doesnt have vanilla in it. I find the alternative milks tend to thicken up faster than the cows milk.

Before starting your roux, combine in a bowl:
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 cup milk (see above)
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp poultry seasoning
1/4 tsp sage

In a 4qt saucepan add the following in this order & by these steps.
2-3 Tab butter (don't use margarine please)
Melt & add 1/4 cup flour
Stir to form a roux (this is a thickened soft paste).

Pour the milk & broth mixture into your roux and stir till it thickens. Be sure to stir your sauce till it's thick. It will be quick with the alternative milks. Pour in the veggies/chicken and then add to your pie plate. This is a deep dish pot pie. Heads up:  A regular pie plate may not be deep enough for this pie. Top with your pie crust, flute the edges (my edges always look terrible) and pop in the oven at 350 for 1 hour. After 20 minutes start keeping an eye on your crust to make sure it doesn't burn. If it starts getting really dark take a piece of foil and cover your crust. You don't want to burn the crust.

Tip: This filling actually freezes up very nicely. When you want a pot pie then you'll just thaw the filling and grab the pie crust or make one and once the crust is warmed up top the pie and bake.

YUM! Enjoy ~ Tina "The Book Lady"

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