From My Kitchen: One Crust Chicken Pot Pie

There's a chill in the air, which can only mean one thing: It's chicken pot pie time! I happen to love, love, love chicken pot pie, although I don't think my mom ever made it when I was growing up.

The WBH used to eat those cheap frozen pot pies, but yuck! So I started to search for a good recipe that didn't take all day to make. This one was my winner. And I'm happy to report that Jeff wouldn't even think about eating one of those frozen cheapies anymore.

This is the basic recipe, but my pot pie is rarely the same twice. I tend to use up whatever veggies I have on hand, and it's all good. This is the perfect way to use up any leftover turkey you might have the day after Thanksgiving. I often make a large batch of filling and freeze half. Since there's only one crust and it goes together fast with a baking mix, you can put one of these babies in the oven in no time if you have the filling on hand.

Here's my freezer tip: Pour the filling into a large Zip-loc freezer bag and place the bag in the pan you'll use to bake your pot pie later. Put the pan with the bag of filling into the freezer. When the filling is frozen, remove it from the pan and put that pan back in the cupboard. You now have a block of frozen pot pie filling that is guaranteed to fit your pan when you're ready to use it.

I do recommend thawing the filling before topping the pot pie with a crust and baking. On good days I'll remember to pull it out of the freezer ahead of time. On bad days, I'll throw it in the oven while the oven preheats and I get my crust ready. If that doesn't quite do the trick, I'll rely on the microwave.

This recipe came from an old church cookbook, so a big shout out to the ladies of Holy Family! Don't forget to double it if you want to put some in your freezer.

One Crust Chicken Pot Pie

Makes one 9" square pan

Filling

1/3 C. margarine or butter

1/4 C. Bisquick baking mix

1/3 C. onion, chopped

2 bay leaves

1 1/2 C. chicken broth

2/3 C. milk

2 C. chicken or turkey, cooked and chopped

1 large baking potato, peeled and chopped

2 carrots, sliced*

1 stalk celery, sliced

1/2 C. frozen peas

salt & pepper to taste

*You can leave out the fresh carrots and use a 10-oz. package of frozen peas & carrots instead

Crust

1 1/2 C. Bisquick baking mix

4 Tbsp. hot water

3 Tbsp. margarine or butter, softened

Boil all veggies except onion and frozen peas until tender, about 10 minutes. Heat 1/3 C. margarine or butter over low heat until melted. Stir in 1/4 C. Bisquick, onion, and bay leaves. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is bubbly. Remove from heat. Stir in chicken broth and milk. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Stir in chicken, and ALL veggies. Salt & pepper to taste. Heat through.

Pour chicken mixture into an ungreased, 9-inch square pan. You can use a 9-inch pie plate or an 8-inch square, too. I always make mine in an 11x7 glass pan. It will taste delish no matter what the shape! Remove and discard the bay leaves, if you can remember. I never remember. I just tell folks that getting a bay leaf is good luck, but not if you try to eat it.

Mix crust ingredients until dough forms. Smooth dough into a ball. Sprinkle a little Bisquick or flour on your countertop and roll the dough to fit your pan. Place dough over chicken mixture. Cut slits in center of crust.

Since this has a tendency to boil over, I always set my pot pie dish on a baking sheet while it cooks. Bake at 425 for 25 minutes, until the crust is golden brown.

Mmmmm, chicken pot pie! Your kitchen will smell amazing and your family will love you for it.

Enjoy!