Happy Great American Pie Month

and we are celebrating with Chicken Pot Pie

Who says pie has to be sweet to celebrate?

Not me.

And Chicken Pot Pie is just as worthy of a celebration as any pie I know.

Well, except Grammy’s coconut pie.

Or chocolate.

Or banana caramel.

But I’m going to wait and share those later during “Pie July.”

That should give you something to look forward to.

In the meantime, we are going to make Cindy’s Chicken Pot Pie because well, I have no idea where I got this recipe.

I think it started with one my mom used to make, and I decided to modify it.

You know, because I’m just a kitchen chemist like that.

Speaking of being a kitchen chemist, be watching my social media accounts soon as I literally take to the kitchen on my live feeds.

Also something for you to look forward to.

I may have even bought a lab coat and goggles for the live news feeds.

It will be fun to be testing recipes and you will be right there in the kitchen while I do.

Because the good Lord knows I spend a lot of time testing them now.

The problem with an oldie but goodie like Chicken Pot Pie, is that I have been making it so long, I don’t really have a recipe.

You know what I mean?

Who else out there just starts throwing a bunch of stuff in the pot? Or the bowl?

So, when I get ready to share it with you, I have to stop, measure and bake.

Wait.

Did we just create a new kitchen mantra?

Moving on because I know you are ready to get to the end of this blog post and see the divine creation we are going to create today.

And we are going to start with a lesson in roasting chicken.

Now, if you ask my family and friends, I can roast some chicken.

But I can’t take credit because my cooking idol, Ina Garten, aka the Barefoot Contessa, is the one who showed me the way.

Now, I roast breasts all the time.

Qualifier: I roast chicken breasts all the time, for a number of reasons.

Sometimes I stuff their bodies and roast with veggies.

Sometimes I roast chicken breasts to put in chicken and spaghetti.

Or make chicken salad.

Or just to put on top of a big Caesar salad.

Any way you roast your chicken breasts, and for whatever way you want to serve them, this is the most foolproof way to do it.

And delicious.

For today’s recipe, we are going to roast 3 chicken breasts, laid out on our jellyroll pan in a 450 degree preheated oven.

Coat them with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon of Kosher salt and ½ teaspoon of black pepper.

Roast them for 30-40 minutes, until they are white and tender.

I cut this piece open so you could see how juicy and tender it is.

While our chicken breasts are roasting, peel and cube 2 large baking potatoes.

To that, add 2 cups of whole carrots, cover in water and boil for 30 minutes or until they are tender when you cut them with a knife.

Don’t cut your carrots before you boil or they will just be little round carrot mushes.

If that’s a word.

After potatoes and carrots are tender, drain and take a knife and cut through each carrot, cutting them in half.

Now we are ready to mix the pot pie guts.

Yes, this is the good part.

Drain one can whole kernel corn, one can French-style green beans and 1 cup frozen sweet peas with the potatoes and carrots.

Okay, now we are really ready.

Cube your chicken and toss in the bowl with the veggies!

To the veggies and chicken add one can Cream of Chicken, one cup sour cream, 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon of black pepper.

Now we are ready for the secret ingredient.

Whipping cream.

Isn’t that really the secret ingredient to life?

That and butter?

Butter as we know, IS life.

But I digress.

Next, add 4 tablespoons of whipping cream and mix well. This is what gives it the creamy yummy flavor, and you can use milk, but I prefer whipping cream.

How’s this for chicken pot pie guts?

And here we all are at the great pie crust debate…to make homemade or not to make homemade?

Who am I kidding?

I’m a roller…roll it out and put it in your pie plate.

Incidentally, we cook in bulk at my house, always have, so I don’t know how to make this recipe for just one chicken pot pie.

Good news: it makes enough for two.

So, you just need one? Take one to work, your neighbor or have it two nights in a row.

Like I said before, I won’t judge you.

I put about 3 cups of filling in each pie crust.

After we get the top crust on, give it about 4 slits with a knife and THEN…

With any pie crust you make, brush an egg white across the top. This will give it it’s rich brown color and flaky crust.

To quote my late great friend and mentor, Paul, “get you some of this.”