Chicken Pot Pie

Sometimes I don't have any soups around to make my Easy Chicken Pot Pie, and so I need to go from scratch and make Chicken Pot Pie using a white sauce. I have to say it is even better than the easy version, though a bit more time consuming. Your family will love it! You can make this ahead of time and let it chill in the fridge until you are ready to cook it in the evening. You may need to allow a little more cooking time if it is cold. If you feel your crust is getting too brown you can cover lightly with foil and allow the pie more time to get hot and bubbly.

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup onion
1/4 cup green pepper
1/4 cup flour
2 cups chicken broth (you can use water with 2 bouillon cubes)
1/4-1/2 cup cream or half and half (if you have it and want it, or use milk)
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese (optional)
2 chicken breast, cooked and shredded
1 1/2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
1 small potato, cubed (optional)
3 dashes poultry seasoning
dash of garlic powder
pepper to taste
2 pie crust (see Pie Crusts for a great recipe)

Heat oven to 425 degrees.

Saute onion and green pepper in butter in medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add flour and allow to cook for a few minutes, stirring constantly, (the longer you brown your butter and flour mixture the more flavorful your sauce will be).

Remove from heat and add broth and cream,stirring until well mixed.

Place back on medium heat and add cheese, mix well. When cheese has melted, add bouillon cubes, chicken, vegetables, potato and seasonings. Bring to a low simmer, stirring constantly and allow sauce to thicken slightly. This will just take a few minutes.

Once sauce is thickened pour into prepared pie crust. I use a deep dish pie plate. If your pie plate is not big enough, then just pour it onto a greased casserole dish and cover with your crust! Easy no fuss way to have pie!  Make vent slits in top crust. Bake pie on a cookie sheet so you don't have any accidental spills in your oven.

Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Then LOWER temperature to 350 degrees and continue cooking for another 45-55 minutes. Pie is done when crust is browned and you can see bubbles coming out of vent openings.