Chicken Pot Pie

This is the epitome of comfort food! Pot pie is usually on the fall menu at our house... just the time of year when a dish like this is most appreciated. Maybe we have been out cutting fire wood or raking up leaves or digging the last of the potatoes... then we'll come in to hot pot pie, fresh salad and sourdough bread, it simply tastes wonderful!

There are some other reasons to serve pot pie: First, it is economical - we were not able to raise chickens this year so we are being stingy with our bought chicken. This recipe feeds our family on about 4 cups of chicken.

Secondly, it gives the cook a chance to be creative. In the top crust, I will sometimes carve a scene of a hen with chicks, sometimes a proud cock, sometimes just swirls and curls like in the picture. When I used this recipe for venison, I carved a buck jumping a fence. Maybe it's silly, but I find it fun. Pie dough is a rather interesting medium. :-)

CHICKEN POT PIE

3 large potatoes, cut into 1/2" cubes

3 large carrots, diced into 1/2" chunks

1/3 cup butter or olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

4 stalks of celery, sliced

1/2 cup rice flour

3 tbsp chicken soup base (gluten free)

salt and pepper to taste

1 small clove of garlic, minced

4 1/2 cups hot water

1 cup frozen peas

4 cups diced, cooked chicken

1 Tbsp dried parsley

gluten free pie crust

METHOD:

-Put potatoes and carrots together in a pot. Add water and cook untill just tender. Drain and reserve to add later.

-Heat the butter or olive oil in a heavy sauce pan or fry pan. Add the onion and celery and cook until tender.

-Add the flour and stir into the vegetables so that it absorbs the extra fat and moisture. Add the soup base, salt and pepper and garlic to the pan and cook on low heat for 5 min.

-Turn up heat to med-high. Add the hot water (can use water from cooking potatoes and carrots) while stirring the vegetables. Bring to a boil and decrease heat to low and cook until thickened. -Add the cooked potatoes and carrots, along with the frozen peas, chicken and parsley. Heat until bubbly. Pour into casserole or baking dish.

-Top with pie crust, following direction is pie crust recipe. Cut slits for steam to escape - or carve a scene :-). Bake at 400 degrees for 35 minutes or until lightly browned and gravey is bubbling.