Homemade Chicken Pot Pie

My hubby loves pot pie… both the pie version and the noodle version (Chicken Pot Pie With Homemade Noodles). Well, I’ve shared the noodle version, so here’s the pie version. The crust is so flaky with the perfect density. Not hard at all and worth the extra time.

Homemade Pot Pie Filling
1 cup diced carrot
1 cup diced onion
1 cup diced celery
1 Tbs butter
3 medium potatoes cubed and cooked
1 rotisserie chicken, breast meat removed and cubed
1 cup chicken stock
1 Tbs flour
1/2 cup cream
1 Tsp fresh thyme
salt & pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 °F. In a sauce pan heat the butter and add the carrots, onions and celery and thyme. Cook the Mirepoix (carrots, onions, celery) low and slow until the vegetables are rich and tender. At the same time in a separate pot cook the diced potatoes until just fork tender then drain and set aside. Next add the flour to the Mirepoix and stir while cooking for a few minutes. Add the chicken stock and allow the sauce to begin to thicken. Last stir in the chicken, cooked potatoes and cream. Remove from the heat until the crust is done.

Homemade Pot Pie Crust
3 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
12 Tbs diced unsalted butter (cold)
1/3 cup Vegetable shortening (cold)
1/2 cup iced water (cold)

Make sure the butter, shortening and water are very cold. This is the key to a flaky crust. In a food processor, pulse the flour, salt, baking powder, cubed cold butter and shortening until they come together like little pearls. Next add the cold water while the processor is running and the dough will begin to come together. Once the dough comes together, remove it to a well floured surface and knead about 8 to 10 times. When it comes together wrap it in cellophane (plastic wrap) and refrigerator for 10 minutes. Return the dough to the floured surface and cut it into two pieces. Roll the first one out to the circumference of your pie plate. Roll the crust gently onto the rolling pin to transfer to the pie plate.

Fill the pie with the filling to the top making sure not to over-stuff. You should have enough filling for two pies. Roll out the second crust and in the same way transfer to the pie plate covering the pie completely. Cut away the excess dough and use to make decorations. Cut little leaves and score with a knife to make the veins. Place on top and cut the vents to resemble the stem of a leaf.