Chicken Pot Pie

After an emotional week - both ups and downs comfort food on a crisp spring day sounded like it was needed. I used a plant based “cream cheese” this time because of my daughter’s dietary needs. But I have made this with regular cream cheese and it is also great. You can make your pie crust or buy Pillsbury - I will die on the hill that there is no ready made crust that is any better. We prefer chunkier veggies and more of them so there is less “cream” in the pot pie. This only took 20 minutes to prepare - including the chopping. It was on the dinner table within the hour. We served this with biscuits. My next challenge is to create this in a vegetarian version. 

INGREDIENTS:

• Sauté oil (olive oil, avocado oil, or veggie broth). 
• 3 chicken breasts, cut into chunks or bite size. 
• Salt
• Pepper
• Garlic powder
• Onion powder
• 4 celery stalks, chopped into bite size
• 4 large carrots, peeled and sliced bite size
• 1 brick of cream cheese
• 2 heaping tablespoons of flour
• 1/2 cup of vegetable broth or chicken broth. 
• 2 pie crusts

Recipe:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. 
2. Heat sauté oil in a large pan over medium heat. Place chicken in to sauté. Stir sporadically for about 5 minutes. 
3. Place celery and carrots in with the chicken. Sprinkle the salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder to your liking. Give a good stir. Cook for another 3 minutes. 
4. Add cream cheese and stir until it is all melted and incorporated. Add in the flour and give a good stir. 
5. I usually add another sprinkle of spices from above. 
6. Add the chicken broth and stir until incorporated. 
7. Lay one pie crust in the bottom of a pie pan. Pour the chicken mixture into pie crust. Lay another pie crust on top. Make a few slits in the top of the pie. 
8. Place pie on a cookie sheet or something underneath it in the oven so it doesn’t make a mess in your oven. 
9. Bake for 20 minutes at 425. Turn down to 375 and bake for another 20 minutes.
10. Let sit on the counter for about 5 minutes. Then serve!