Recipe from one of my "sister wives," Elena Boiardi!
Elena made this while we were at the beach with 9 adults and 10 children. I can't remember if she made 5 or 6 pies, but all of the pies were eaten for dinner and then for leftovers for lunch the next day. The prepared pie crust, pre-chopped veggies, and rotisserie chicken make this recipe a breeze. All of the adults and children loved it. It's great to make for just yourself, your family, or for a crowd. Most chicken pie recipes that I have made have frozen carrots and peas in them, and I love the change from peas to celery in this recipe. This was by far the easiest (and yummiest) chicken pie I've ever made, and I will be making it over and over again all year long!
Ingredients
3 tablespoons butter
1 pint of pre-chopped onion, carrot, celery (or you can chop it yourself using one small onion, two carrots, and two celery stalks)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups chicken broth (you can make your own by using 100 Days of Real Food's Crockpot Chicken Stock)
2 cups chopped rotisserie chicken (you can chop beforehand and use the carcas for the above chicken stock)
1/2 cup half n half
1 to 1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 to 3/4 tsp pepper
(salt & pepper depend on how salty your rotisserie chicken is)
2 prepared pie crusts (I use Pillsbury)
Method
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Line a pie plate with one of the prepared pie crusts.
Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, and celery and cook until softened but not browned, about 10 minutes. Stir in flour and cook for one minute. Add chicken broth slowly, stirring constantly, and bring to simmer. Stir until thickened. Add chicken, half n half, salt and pepper and cook for a couple of minutes until just heated through and half n half is incoporated.
Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, and celery and cook until softened but not browned, about 10 minutes. Stir in flour and cook for one minute. Add chicken broth slowly, stirring constantly, and bring to simmer. Stir until thickened. Add chicken, half n half, salt and pepper and cook for a couple of minutes until just heated through and half n half is incoporated.
Pour chicken mixture into pie plate lined with the crust. Arrange second crust on top and cut slits into the top of the pie. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until pie crust is golden brown and filling is bubbling. Let pie rest for 10 minutes, then serve.
Happy Cooking!
