A pot pie for every tastebud!

One of my husband's favorite cold weather dishes is a chicken pot pie.  For me, it's the perfect one pot meal!

Here is my version along with alternatives for my vegetarian readers and non mushroom lovers (all for you Shea! :))  

Chicken and Mushroom Pot Pie

Ingredients

·         1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts chopped into chunks

·         2 cups chopped button mushrooms

·         1 cup frozen green peas

·         1 cup sliced carrots

·         1/2 cup sliced celery

·         1 chopped yellow onion

·         3 tablespoons butter

·         3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

·         1/2 teaspoon salt

·         1/4 teaspoon black pepper

·         1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning

·         1 3/4 cups chicken broth

·         1 cup milk

·          Olive oil for cooking

·         2 refrigerated pie crusts

 

Directions

1.    Preheat oven to 425 degrees

2.    Season chicken with salt, pepper and poultry seasoning to taste.  Sauté in a saucepan with olive oil over medium heat until chicken is cooked through.  Remove chicken and set aside

3.    Add a little more olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter.  Add chopped onion and sauté until translucent.  Add in carrots and celery and continue to sauté for about 2 minutes, then add mushrooms and stir together until soft.  If it starts to get dry, add more olive oil as needed.

4.    Add chicken back to the pan along with the peas and 2 more tablespoons of butter.  Add in flour, ½ teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper and stir to coat.  Slowly stir in chicken broth and milk. Simmer over medium-low heat until thick. Remove from heat and set aside.

5.    Roll crust into a pie pan.  Place chicken mixture in crust

6.    I like to take a small cookie cutter and cut two pieces out of the center of the top crust (a cute way to vent steam!) 

7.    Take the top crust and cover the pie and crimp edges with fingers.

8.    Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Vegetarian option:  Grill some portabella mushrooms and use them in place of the chicken and add 1 bag wilted spinach to substitute for the 2 cups of button mushrooms

Vegan option: Same as above but use non dairy butter and plain soy milk along with a vegan friendly crust such as this one: http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=11462.0

Mushroom substitute:  Replace 2 cups of mushrooms with one of the following: 2 cups wilted spinach, sautéed zucchini or roasted eggplant

A special thanks to Jessica at Kitchen Belleicious for featuring my recipe as part of her 2011 recipe challenge!  Click on over to see more!