HOMEMADE CHICKEN POT PIE

Steps:

• 1. In a large pan (Dutch oven type or at least 5 quarts) cook chicken until tender. Remove to a platter to cool before removing skin and bone. Then cut up with kitchen shears or with a knife. If you prefer you can just shred it by hand.
• 2. Pour chicken broth from the pan (straining if necessary) and save the broth. Add 2 cups of reserved chicken broth back to your pan. Then add potatoes and carrots to this broth. Cook covered until vegetables are tender. This will take approximately 10 minutes to cook. Tip: Make quick work of carrots by slicing already peeled petite carrots. (Keep remaining chicken broth in case you need to add some later).
• 3. Stir in onions and cook for a minute or two. Note: If you prefer, you can saute the fresh onions in a little oil or butter ahead of time, but sauteing is optional. If you are using dried onion flakes simply add them along with your other vegetables.
• 4. Stir in butter, flour, and salt. Gradually stir in English peas and chopped chicken. As you are stirring all of these ingredients together, everything will thicken up nicely. Usually, there is no need for additional broth. But if your mixture seems too thick, add more chicken broth 1/4 cup at the time. You don't want your mixture to be watery.
• 5. Spray 9 inch pie pans with PAM or use butter to grease them. Divide pie mixture evenly among the two pans.
• 6. Top with pie crust. Cut slits in the top and crimp edges.
• 7. Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven long enough to brown the pastry.
• 8. Note: You can also prepare smaller individual pies if you like. Since they make two pies you can eat one now and freeze the other for a later meal. They freeze really well. You can bake and freeze them or you can freeze them without the pastry. Then add the crust at a later date and bake as directed. When I bake and freeze them, I thaw them in the refrigerator a full day ahead and then heat them covered with foil in the oven. These are a great "made ahead of time" Sunday dinner. Another great use of these Chicken Pot Pies... if you need to have some homemade "TV dinners" prepared for your family in case you'll be away. Just leave instructions they can easily follow. The already baked pies can also be reheated in a microwave.