Chicken Pot Pie

I've been making these pies for a few years now. With the store-bought pie crusts, they're really easy to put together and taste great. I often add other veggies (frozen peas or broccoli) in addition to the ones listed. I've also made beef pot pies - substituting leftover pot roast and beef broth for the chicken/chicken broth. These are also great with leftover roast turkey or chicken but work equally well with the canned chicken I used tonight. This is also a great way to use up leftover veggies after a holiday meal. But since I want to have pot pies more frequently than I have leftovers, I make them with things I have around all the time.

I've made this using homemade pie crust - then I put it in individual pie plates so that we each get a whole pie (it makes four pies if you're using your own crust) but the store-bought crusts are so quick and delicious that I usually just use those.

Jeremy's quite a fan of this and it reheats fairly well in the microwave... the crust doesn't stay crisp but it's still delicious. We usually get two meals out of this - each of us eats for dinner and then we each get a lunch.

Recipe:
3 carrots
4 stalks of celery
1 large onion
2 cloves garlic
2 tbs. olive oil
2 tbs. margarine
2 tbs. AP flour
1 can (12.5 oz) of chicken, drained
1 tsp. dried thyme leaves
1 tbs. dried parsley flakes
1 pinch cayenne pepper
salt and pepper (approx. 1/4 tsp. each... adjust to taste)
1 c. chicken broth
1/2 c. milk
1 package Pillsbury pie crust

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Chop carrots and celery. Dice onion and mince garlic.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil and veggies. Saute until beginning to soften. Add margarine, thyme, parsley, cayenne, and salt and pepper. When melted, add flour and mix. Cook for 1 minute. Add milk and chicken broth. Stir to combine. Add chicken. Lower heat to maintain a simmer. Filling is done when the liquid is thickened and coats a spoon.
3. Unroll one pie crust in a 9 inch pie plate. Spread filling evenly. Top with the other crust. Cut four slits in the top.
4. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until crust is golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool for 10-15 minutes. Slice and serve.