Chicken Pot Pie

Freezer Instructions:

First, thaw the chicken pot pie filling, and the pie crust.  (If you would like to season the filling to your taste, heat up on stove and season with more salt, pepper or thyme:)

Next, loosen the pie crust edge with your thumb, and turn the pie crust upside down on a piece of wax paper.  Your goal is take the pie crust out of the pan.  

Then, pour half of the pie filling into the empty pie tin, and replace the pie crust on top of the filling.  I placed one hand underneath the pie crust, and put one on top. Then slowly plopped it down over the pie filling.  It might rip, but the goal is to cover the filling.  It really won't affect the taste that much, just the look.  Repeat with the second pie crust.  Also if you would like to have crust on the bottom and top, you could leave the crust in the pan........make another crust for the top...........or buy another crust for the top.  You choose, but there are options:)

Last of all, cut two slits on top of the pie crusts and bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.  When I baked mine, the edges of my crust were really brown.  Depending on your oven, you could lessen the cook time or cover the crust with tin foil at the last.  The goal is to brown the crust and have the filling bubbling.  That is when you know it is done.  

Ingredients
Cooked Chicken:
One 2- to 3-pound chicken fryer, cut up
Chicken Pot Pie:
3 celery stalks
3 medium carrots, peeled
1 large yellow onion
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth or stock
1 chicken bouillon cube
1/4 cup white wine, optional
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 cup heavy cream
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 teaspoon kosher salt, or more as needed
Black pepper
1/2 recipe Thyme Pastry, recipe follows
Directions
For the chicken: Start by putting the chicken in a pot and covering it with water. Bring the water to a boil, and then reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 45 minutes, and then remove the chicken from the pot. Set the chicken aside to cool briefly.

Shred the chicken with 2 forks, reserving the bones. For the stock, return the bones to the pot and boil for 20 minutes. Remove the bones from the pot and discard.

For the pot pie: When you're ready to use the Thyme Pastry, remove from the freezer and allow it to sit on the counter to thaw slightly, about 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Begin by finely dicing the vegetables. Slice the celery stalks into narrow strips, then slice in the other direction to create a fine dice. Repeat this process with the carrots, and the onion.

Melt the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots and celery. Saute until the vegetables start to turn translucent, a couple of minutes.

Add 2 cups of the shredded chicken and stir to combine. Sprinkle the flour evenly over the vegetables and chicken, and stir to combine. Cook for a couple of minutes, stirring gently.

Pour in the chicken broth, stirring constantly. Stir in the bouillon cube and wine if using. The flour will combine with the chicken to create a delicious gravy. Next, add the peas.

Pour in the cream and stir. Allow the mixture to cook over low heat, thickening gradually, about 4 minutes. Season with the thyme, salt and pepper, and remove from the heat. Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed. Be sure it's adequately salted!

Pour the chicken mixture into a deep pie pan or small casserole dish.

Roll out the pastry so that it's 1 inch larger than the pan. Place the crust on top of the chicken mixture and cut small slits in the top. Press the crust gently into the sides of the dish to seal. I don't worry about making a perfect edge on my chicken pot pie because a) it looks more rustic and b) I'm lazy, hungry and I want to eat.

Bake until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbly, about 30 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Here is a link to the recipe that will give you the pie crust filling recipe.  It uses lots of butter and is really yummy!!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/chicken-pot-pie-recipe/index.html