Growing up we regularly ate those frozen individual chicken pot pies that you reheated in the oven. It didn’t occurred to me until I was in my twenties that I could create those comforting flavors from scratch. This recipe is straightforward, completely homemade, and even tastier than the frozen dinners of my childhood.

As always when it comes to pie crust, you’re better off making the dough a day or two before you make the pie and letting it rest in the refrigerator. You can make it the day of, but be sure to let it chill for at least a couple of hours. You can also make the filling the day before, and store it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to bake. If you prefer, you could also make these in individual ramekins or muffin tins for mini pot pies, but you will need to monitor the baking time carefully to avoid burning.

Savory All Butter Double Pie Crust: Makes top and bottom crust

Equipment:

• Food processor

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 tsp kosher salt

• 1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cubed

• 1/2 cup cold water + more as needed

Method:

1. Pulse the flour and salt together in a food processor a couple of times to mix.

2. A few cubes at a time, add the butter to the flour mixture, pulsing in between each addition. Continue until all the butter is added and the mixture takes on a sand-like texture.

3. Add the water a few tablespoons at a time, pulsing several times between each addition. Pulse until the dough begins coming together in a ball. Only add the the full 1/2 cup if the dough is too dry to come together. Slowly add additional water as needed to bring the dough together.

4. Remove the dough, form it into two equal sized disks, and wrap them in plastic wrap. Store the dough in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, but preferably overnight or a couple days before baking.

Homemade Chicken Pot Pie: Makes 6 servings

Equipment:

• Rolling pin

• Large sauté pan

• 9in. pie dish

Ingredients

• 1 batch savory all butter double pie crust (recipe above)

• 4 TBS. unsalted butter

• 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces

• 3 medium carrots, peeled & sliced

• 1 stalk celery, cleaned & sliced

• 1 small yellow onion

• 1 medium yellow potato, diced

• 1 1/4 tsp. kosher salt

• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder

• 1/2 tsp. dried thyme

• Freshly ground black pepper to taste

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

• 1 cup chicken broth

• 1/2 cup heavy cream

• 1/2 cup frozen peas

• 2 TBS. minced fresh flat leaf parsley

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Remove the pie dough from the refrigerator and allow it to warm for about 20 minutes before rolling.

2. Heat the butter in the large sauté pan over medium heat until fully melted and bubbly. Add the chicken, onions, carrots, celery, potato, salt, pepper, thyme, and garlic powder. Cook for 8-10 minutes, until the chicken is fully done.

3. Stir the flour into the chicken mixture and continue to cook and stir until all the flour is mixed in and slightly golden with no white chunks (about 2 minutes). Pour in the chicken broth and heavy cream and continue to cook until the mixture thickens. Add the peas and parsley and cook one more minute. Remove from the heat and allow the mixture to cool for 15-20 minutes before filling the pie.

4. Roll out the pie dough and line the bottom of the pie dish. Pour the cooled filling into the pie dish and then top with the second disk of pie dough. Seal and crimp the edges. Cut a few slits in the middle to release steam. (TIP: Place the pie on a cookie sheet to prevent any oven spills).

5. Bake on the bottom rack of the oven for 30-35 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the pie is bubbling. Allow the pie to cool for 15-20 minutes before cutting. Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from The Wholesome Dish