Chicken Pot Pie

This chicken pot pie recipe is AWESOME.  I'm grateful to a friend for sharing it with me a couple years ago.  It's changed my life. :)  A few things to note:

-It does take some time to chop all the veggies, sometimes I do it the day before to spread out my time. (I also use my Pamp Chef food chopper - so fast!)
-I usually add some extra veggies/potatoes to make 3 pot pies instead of two.
-Sometimes the day before or that morning, I'll put chicken breasts in the crock pot for several hours on LOW with a little bit of water or chicken broth.  Then the chicken is nice & tender, pulls apart easily and I can put it right into the recipe. (saves time!!)
-I use refrigerated pie crust on bottom and top, but that's just because I love crust :)
-I usually make three pot pies, and give one of them away.  It's always fun to think about who in your life needs a chicken pot pie that week :)  I highly recommend this -- a chicken pot pie can brighten someone's day!


Aunt Kathy's Chicken Pot Pies

1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrot
2 potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
1/3 cup melted butter
2 cups chicken broth
½ cup flour
1 cup half and half
4 cups cooked chicken (see crockpot tip above)
1 cup frozen tiny peas
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
Pastry
pie plates

Saute first 4 ingredients in butter in a skillet over
medium heat until tender.  Add flour; stir until
smooth.  Add chicken broth and half and half and cook
until thickened and bubbly.  Stir in chicken, peas,
salt, and pepper.

Put chicken mixture into two pie pans.  Cover each
with pastry.  Cut some slits for steam to escape.

Label and cover to freeze at this point OR

Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees for 50 minutes or
until crust is golden brown.  (cook longer if frozen)