Chicken Pot Pie

I've never eaten a lot of chicken pot pie, and, quite frankly, the first time I made it was Boxing Day a couple of years ago, using leftover turkey.  It bubbled and browned away in the oven after my holiday guests left, and I took down all the Christmas decorations.  I was so delighted to devour this yummy meal, sitting on the couch under a cozy blanket while watching a Harry Potter movie marathon.  Pure bliss! 

Chicken pot pie is such a wonderfully cozy meal that can be interchanged with anything.  You can use turkey or pork instead of chicken, or eliminate the meat altogether and create a hearty vegetarian pie using vegetable broth instead.  You can use a pie dough on top, or, my favorite, puff pastry, which is usually residing in my freezer.  It is basically a "leftovers" meal where you dump all leftover vegetables and meat into a dish.  I do not add milk or cream to mine and it still tastes wonderful.  Go ahead and change yours up a bit and add some dairy and extra veggies.

Chicken Pot Pie

1/2 c butter or margarine
1/2 c flour
1 tsp salt
pepper to taste
2 T onion - finely chopped
3 c chicken broth
3 c chicken - cooked and diced
2 carrots, chopped
2 stalks of celery - sliced
2 potatoes - cubed
1 c frozen or fresh peas
1 c corn kernels (frozen or fresh)
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed

Preheat oven to 400F.  Melt butter or margarine in a saucepan over medium heat.  Blend in flour, salt and pepper and onion.  Cook the flour for a minute to remove the "flour taste."  Gradually stir in the chicken brother - add a little at a time and stir as you are making a thick bechemel-type sauce.  Cook, stirring constantly, until thick and smooth.

Chop all chicken and vegetables, and add to the sauce.  Mix well and pour into a casserole dish.

Cover with a sheet of puff pastry, and make slashes into the dough to allow the steam to escape.  Bake in a 400 degree oven for about 30 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and chicken mixture hot and bubbly.