Thursdays Are For Cooking

As the weather is beginning to lean toward bouts with chill winds and sometimes stinging precipitation, a classic dish that your Mom might have made is in order. This recipe comes from Betty C., and is not at all fussy. Mom might have said she fixed it because it was so easy, especially with all those canned soups that the MmmmGood! twins were advertising on TV, never mind the frozen foods, right around the time the Mickey Mouse Club came on the tube.

This recipe should serve six people.  If you have, or expect to feed, a hungry crowd, might be a good idea to make two pans of it. Add the cut veggies and a salad on the side, plenty of beverages, and for dessert, plain old classic apple pie with a daub of vanilla ice cream, or pumpkin pie with whipped cream.

Classic Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients:

1/3 cup butter

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup chopped onion

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

1 ¾ cups chicken broth

2/3 cup milk

2½ to 3 cups cut-up cooked chicken or turkey

1 box (10 oz) frozen peas and carrots

1 package (15 oz) refrigerated pie crusts, softened as directed on box

Directions:

1 – In 2-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in flour, onion, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is bubbly; remove from heat. Stir in broth and milk. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Stir in chicken and peas and carrots; remove from heat.

2 – Heat oven to 425°F. Roll 1 pie crust into 13-inch square. Ease into ungreased 9-inch (2-quart) glass baking dish. Pour chicken mixture into crust-lined dish.

3 – Roll remaining pie crust into 11-inch square. Cut out designs with 1-inch cookie cutter. Place square over chicken mixture. Arrange cutouts on top crust. Turn edges of pie crust under; flute edge.

4 – Bake about 35 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.

Additional Tips:

For a pretty finish to the crust, brush it with an egg wash (beat an egg with 1 tablespoon water) and sprinkle lightly with a coarse salt.

Use the small cutters to create steam vents in the top crust or just cut slits in the pastry with the tip of a paring knife.

For a lump-free white sauce, use a medium wire whisk to stir in the flour and then to constantly stir the sauce as you pour in the broth and milk.

To roll the pie crust rounds into a square, place the pastry on a lightly floured counter, pastry cloth or sheet of parchment paper. Then, carefully press the pastry into more of a square shape before rolling it into a 13-inch square. next, fold the dough in half and lay it into half of the baking dish. Finally, unfold it and gently press it into the corners of the pan to create the bottom crust, being careful not to stretch it. The dough should extend just a little over the edges.

Swap in 1 1/2 cups of any frozen vegetable combo for the peas and carrots, slicing larger pieces (like broccoli or cauliflower) into smaller pieces so they blend more evenly in the sauce.

Category: Economy