Easy PEASy Chicken Pot Pie.

It ain't pretty, but it tastes that way! Yes, that is an aluminum pie plate from a store bought crust. I'm no Martha. (Also, if you like pretty crusts, don't let an unseasoned shopper buy your pie crusts for you. They come home cracked, LOL.) Tastes the same though, and saves you doing the shopping (Wee!)

There's frozen peas in this recipe. Wanna know why there's no peas in the picture? They're camera shy (nyuk nyuk!) Actually, I forgot them (and they're my favourite part! I like the pop they make in your mouth.) If this tragedy happens to you, just nukerwave them and serve 'em on the side (with a teensy little bit of butter and salt.) Charles (my other-half) says he like em better that way now, so there ya go!

Necessary food stuff to make one Large pot pie:

Standard store bought pie crust
1 can Campbell's cream of celery soup
1 tsp butter
and 1 tsp cooking oil
Three chicken thighs
2 medium-sized carrots (peeled and diced)
4 medium-sized potatoes
3/4 cup frozen baby peas
1 small (or half a medium) onion
1 small clove of garlic
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning (or adjust to taste)
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon white vinegar (weird I know, but trust me!)

I also add a half of a small jalapeño pepper (no seeds & minimum veins for a little bit of heat.) Try it if you like a medium heat.

Last but not least is an ingredient worth searching out (in my humble opinion)
3/4 tsp of this seasoning I love:

It's an unusually intoxicating Hungarian spice-blend bought at specialty shop by my m.i.l. called "Pride of Szeged: the world's best chicken rub seasoning" If you can't find it just add a little pinch of dried Basil and Oregano (they keep the other spices a secret!)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400.

2. Peel potatoes & carrots, chop them (medium dice), chop the onions (medium dice), celery and garlic (fine dice.) Keep ingredients separate from each other. Chop chicken into medium small pieces & put back in fridge. Even if you don' t normally use chicken thighs, please consider giving them a chance. They are much more tender and moist. Try 'em these even if you normally like white, just one bite? ;0)

2. Put a medium-sized sauce-pan on filled with water (slightly salted with a tbsp of the onions in) to boil the potatoes.

3. Boil the potatoes 'til tender, while you prep & pre-bake the pie crust. Poke holes into the bottom crust with a fork or knife and put it frozen into preheated 400 degree oven and bake until browned (takes about 7 minutes.) Leave the top crust out to defrost a little.

4. Prepare the filling, by adding 1 tsp butter & 1 tsp cooking oil to a decent-sized frying pan. Set the pan to medium high. Add carrots first & cook for about three minutes or so (stirring often to prevent burning.)

5. Turn down the heat to medium & add onions, celery & seasonings. Cook until onions are clear & carrots are tender (Keep on stirring those seasonings can burn.) Add and garlic at the last minute & stir.

6. Move veggies to outside of pan & put a little oil in the middle turn pan up to medium high (I put it on high, but I'm a whacko.) Let the pan heat a tiny bit (30 seconds or so); then, add chicken pieces to the pan & brown them. When the chicken is almost cooked, turn the heat down to medium low. Now add the can of cream of celery soup (put a little water 3 tbsp in the can & mix--dump that into your pot pie filling. ) Time for the peas too. Heat until just warmed through (2-3 minutes should do it.)

7. Pour the filling into the Pre-baked crust & add the uncooked top. Cut vent holes in the top & pinch/fork the edges together.

8. Turn your oven onto broil (do not preheat; chuck it in there right away.) Broil the top of the pie crust. My oven takes 8-10 minutes, but you may want to watch yours while you broil 'til lightly golden. Turn off oven & let it coast for 5 minutes (unless you have the broiler from hell; I wouldn't wanna make you burn dinner!)

Serve hot on a warm plate. (Goes great with a side-salad.)

:0) Mel