Happy National Pie Day!

In honor of National Pie Day (1/23/11), and the fact that the temperature outside is in single digits, today I turned out my classic chicken pie. I used to live off the store-bought frozen pies - Willow Tree was my favorite - but between the cost and the amount of sodium in them, I came to my senses switched back to homemade. This is a recipe that I've tweaked here and there over the years and is one of my all time favorites.

This is a great recipe if you have leftover chicken in the fridge and you can also vary the types of veggies. I just typically use whatever is in my freezer or leftover from the night before.

I started to dig in before I snapped a pic - whoops!

Ingredients:
4 tbsp unsalted butter
4 tbsp all purpose flour
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
4 cups of low sodium chicken stock
2 cups of milk
1/2 tsp rosemary
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt
3 cups of frozen veggies (typically peas, green beans & corn)
3 cups of boneless chicken, cooked & cubed (you can use a rotisserie chicken or leftover baked chicken)
1 store-bought pie crust (I've made my own before, but this is pretty convenient)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and start sauteing the onions and garlic in the butter in a large saucepan. Once the onions are translucent, add in your flour into the pot to make a roux which will thicken the sauce you are building. Be sure to stir the roux frequently, because it WILL stick if you don't watch it! Let it cook until it is a light brown color, then add in your chicken stock, milk, rosemary, pepper and salt.

Let the sauce cook on medium heat for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. You'll want the sauce to thicken a sufficient amount before adding your veggies and chicken.The sauce should coat the back of a spoon evenly and when you swipe your finger down the back of the spoon, the sauce should hold it's line - that's how I know when to add in the good stuff.

Does that look good or what?!

Add your veggies and chicken to the sauce and let it cook for another 10 minutes. When everything is thoroughly heated, transfer the mixture to a 2 1/2 quart casserole dish. Top the dish with the pie crust, crimping the edges to ensure a proper seal. Puncture the crust with a fork to allow the pie to vent. Bake the pie at 400 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.

I typically serve this over white or brown rice, the ultimate comfort food combo for a freezing winter day. Joe and I used the ends of the bread from last week to sop up the extra sauce and there are plenty of leftovers for dinner this week...yum!

-"Jess" A Pinch