Man are we getting dumped on up here! Lots of new snow on top of lots of old snow. And more coming. And did I mention the wind?! Lots of wind. Kelly & Gilbert built an igloo in the backyard & Eric & I enjoyed snow shoeing on some local trails but I’m still anxious for the snow to go away! The only thing to do about it is curl up with a good book in front of a nice warm fire and eat some good, filling comfort food!

Kelly loves pie in any form and is always trying to get me to make some. I try to avoid the calories & the work involved of doing pies from scratch. I shocked and pleasantly surprised both Kelly & Eric when I suggested we make a savory pot pie for dinner.

Savory pies are a very old, traditional comfort food.  During Roman times the pastry part was used as a method of keeping the savory fillings moist during cooking and to keep the filling from spoiling. The pastry was too dense and hard to be eaten; only the filling would be consumed by humans.

The 1301 Oxford English Dictionary describes pie as “a baked dish of fruit, meat, fish, or vegetables, covered with pastry and frequently also having a base and sides of pastry. The term “pie” got its beginnings from “magpie”, a bird that collects a variety of different objects. Medieval pies usually had a variety of foods in the filling, often a combination of several types of meat and fruits. As pies evolved, one primary ingredient became more common. The chicken pot pie was the first frozen pot pie available in the US, developed by the Swanson company in 1951. This version is a little more work and a lot tastier than the frozen pot pies from the grocery store.

Chicken Pot Pie  (adapted from Midwest Living) 

Makes: 6 servings  Prep 30 mins  Bake 25 mins

Ingredients:

Directions:

In a large skillet, brown the chicken or turkey. Drain off the fat and set it aside. Crumble the sausage filling and brown it, draining off the fat and setting it aside with the chicken or turkey.

In the same pan, melt the butter and saute the carrots for about 5 minutes. Stir in the 1/3 cup flour, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, the pepper, and the thyme. Add the broth and the milk.

Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Stir in the chicken or turkey and sausage, then the thawed peas. Mix thoroughly and set the filling aside while keeping it warm.

Prepare the crust by combining the 2 cups flour, the celery seed, paprika, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in the large bowl of an electric mixer. Cut in the shortening until the pieces are the size of small peas.

Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the water at a time over the dough mixture until a ball begins to form that cleans the sides of the bowl. Turn the dough out onto a pastry board covered with wax paper. Divide the dough into thirds. Form 2/3 of the dough into one ball and the remaining 1/3 into another ball. Roll the bigger chunk of dough between pieces of wax paper to 1/8-inch thickness. Ease the pastry into a 2-quart casserole dish. Trim the pastry to 1/2 inch beyond the edge of the casserole dish. Add the excess pastry to the second ball of dough and roll it to about an 1/8-inch thickness. Transfer the chicken mixture to the pastry lined casserole dish.

Add the top crust and fold the edge of the bottom crust over the edge of the top crust. Flute the edges and cut steam vents in the top crust.

Bake the pie in a 450° oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until the pastry is a golden brown. Serve hot.

Enjoy some good, old-fashioned comfort food with a new twist.  ~Linda

Chicken Pot Pie  (adapted from Midwest Living) 

Makes: 6 servings  Prep 30 mins  Bake 25 mins

Ingredients:

Directions:

In a large skillet, brown the chicken or turkey. Drain off the fat and set it aside. Crumble the sausage filling and brown it, draining off the fat and setting it aside with the chicken or turkey.

In the same pan, melt the butter and saute the carrots for about 5 minutes. Stir in the 1/3 cup flour, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, the pepper and the thyme. Add the broth and the milk. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Stir in the chicken or turkey and sausage, then the thawed peas. Mix thoroughly and set the filling aside while keeping it warm.

Prepare the crust by combining the 2 cups flour, the celery seed, paprika, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in the large bowl of an electric mixer. Cut in the shortening until the pieces are the size of small peas. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the water at a time over the dough mixture until a ball begins to form that cleans the sides of the bowl. Turn the dough out onto a pastry board covered with wax paper. Divide the dough into thirds. Form 2/3 of the dough into one ball and the remaining 1/3 into another ball. Roll the bigger chunk of dough between the pieces of wax paper to 1/8-inch thickness. Ease the pastry into a 2-quart casserole dish. Trim the pastry to 1/2 inch beyond the edge of the casserole dish. Add the excess pastry to the second ball of dough and roll it to about an 1/8-inch thickness.

Transfer the chicken mixture to the pastry lined casserole dish. Add the top crust and fold the edge of the bottom crust over the edge of the top crust. Flute the edges and cut steam vents in the top crust. Bake the pie in a 450° oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until the pastry is a golden brown. Serve hot.