by Mountain Mama

The weather is changing.  The leaves are just starting to fall.  Yep, fall.  Here it comes.  I can’t wait to light the first fire of the season.   

It is too hot in the summer to turn on the oven very often, but in the fall you can double your efforts by letting the oven help heat your home.  That’s what I do.  Now that there is a nip in the air I feel completely justified in baking a pie.  Especially this one.  Mountain Mama’s Chicken Pot Pie.  

If you have been reading this column for a long, you might remember a recipe for squirrel pot pie back in 2013.  It has been a while but the recipe might be better for most of you.  I do not recommend hurting, hunting, killing, or eating a squirrl unless you absolutely have to.  And if you do then we have a lot bigger problems on our hands than the squirrel.  

Bake this chicken recipe and enjoy it with your family.  Light that first fire of the season while your at it.  And stash the squirrel recipe away for a really rainy day.  

• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves – cubed
• 1 cup sliced carrots
• 1 cup frozen green peas
• ½ cup sliced celery
• ⅓ cup butter
• ⅓ cup chopped onion
• ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon celery seed
• 1 ¾ cups chicken broth
• ⅔ cup milk
• 2 (9 inch) unbaked pie crusts

• Gather all ingredients and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C.)
• Combine chicken, carrots, peas, and celery in a saucepan; add water to cover and bring to a boil. Boil for 15 minutes, then remove from the heat and drain.
• While the chicken is cooking, melt butter in another saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until soft and translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, and celery seed
• Slowly stir in chicken broth and milk.
• Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until thick, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Place chicken and vegetables in the bottom pie crust. Pour hot liquid mixture over top.
  

  

• Cover with top crust, seal the edges, and cut away any excess dough. Make several small slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape.
• Bake in the preheated oven until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.