Savor(y) Every Moment

It's National Pie Day!  What would National Pie Day be without savory, poultry or meat pies included in the celebration?  I can remember coming home from school on cold winter days and the aroma of Chicken Pot Pie wafting through the whole house.  It was a complete meal within itself.  Between me, my brother and three sisters there were never leftovers.

When my children were little we had a cheer we'd repeat every time I prepared Chicken Pot Pie for dinner.  It went like this: "Chicken Pot Pie, Chicken Pot Pie, Chicken Pot, Chicken Pot, Chicken Pot Pie!  My daughter is away in college now and my sons are in high school, but when they come home and catch a whiff of that familiar aroma they repeat the same cheer from their childhood, only now their voices are much deeper and they say it under their breath.

With the combination of flavors including rosemary, roasted vegetables and tender chicken pieces enveloped in a golden crust, whats not to celebrate?  Here's my recipe for Chicken Pot Pie.  Feel free to cheer!

Chicken Pot Pie   
3 chicken breasts (bone & skin attached)
1 T kosher salt
1 stalk celery
1/2 bell pepper
1/2 onion
1 tsp granulated garlic
2 tsp poultry seasonings
(2) 9' refrigerator pie crusts
1 can cream of chicken soup with herbs
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup chicken broth (reserved from cooked chicken breasts)

Wash chicken, put in pot with next six ingredients and enough water to cover.
Bring chicken to a boil. Cover. Turn down heat and simmer for 12 minutes. Turn off heat.

MEANWHILE:  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Veggies                                                          
4 red potatoes washed and cubed into bite-size pieces          
1 celery stalk sliced same size as potatoes   
2 carrots sliced same size as other veggies  
1/2 cup of cut green beans fresh or frozen    
1 T extra virgin olive oil                         
2 stalks of fresh rosemary cut in half
1 cup mushrooms sliced same size as other veggies

Spices
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp granulated garlic
1/2 onion powder
1 tsp poultry seasonings
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Toss veggies with spices and olive oil in a bowl.  Spread on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Roast for 15 minutes.  Remove from oven.  Discard rosemary.  Turn oven down to 350 degrees.

 Remove chicken from pot and let cool enough to handle.  Remove skin and bone and chop into pieces the same size as the veggies and place in a bowl along with veggies.  In a separate bowl combine cream of chicken soup, sour cream and reserved chicken broth and blend well.  Pour mixture over chicken and mix with a spoon to coat. Adjust seasonings if necessary.

Roll out one pie crust and place into a deep baking dish.  Pour chicken mixture onto bottom crust.  Roll out second crust and lay on top of chicken mixture.  Crimp crusts and make eight small slits on top crust.  Brush with egg wash and place in oven for 50 to 55 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.