Chicken Pot Pie

I love a good, creamy (semi-) homemade chicken pot pie...Hello comfort food, especially on a cool, Fall day! I made this recipe up a few years ago after experimenting in the kitchen and just throwing stuff together and it turned out wonderful. This recipe makes enough for two pies. You could eat one (or both) and freeze the other for another time, or give one to family or friends. 

Ingredients:

- 2 bone-in split chicken breasts

- garlic salt

- season salt

- 1 bay leaf

- black pepper

- ground thyme 

- celery salt

- 5 carrots, peeled and chopped

- 1 1/4 cup frozen baby sweet peas

- 1 can cream of mushroom soup

- 1 can cream of chicken soup

- chicken broth (saved from boiling your chicken breasts)

- 4 frozen pillsbury pie crusts. 

* The pie crusts comes 2 to a package. I bought 2 deep dish (for filling) and 2 regular size (for topping).

Place chicken in pot and add enough water to just cover the chicken. Season the water with a good amount of garlic salt, season salt, black pepper, celery salt, ground thyme and 1 bay leaf. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 30 minutes, or until chicken is done.

Take chicken out of broth, let cool and chop into chunks or shred. Set aside.

Strain chicken broth and put back into pot, add chopped carrots, a little salt and pepper, and about 1 tsp sugar. Bring to a boil and cook carrots 10 to 15 minutes on medium high heat. (This makes the carrots, very flavorful and tender.) Remove carrots with slotted spoon. 

*Reserve chicken broth for later.

In large bowl, add cooked chicken, carrots, frozen peas, cream of mushroom soup, cream of chicken soup, 1/3 cup of reserved chicken broth and salt and pepper to taste.

Mix together and pour into your 2 deep dish pie crusts.

Remove frozen regular pie crusts from pan and center upside down on top of filled pies. Let thaw a few minutes, crimp edges together.

Bake at 375' for 30 to 45 minutes. About half way through, brush 1 tbsp of softened butter on each pie. Makes for an even better, buttery crust!

Let cool about 10 minutes before serving. Mmm, soo good!

It doesn't come out in a pretty pie slice, but sure does taste yummy!