Chicken Pot Pie

A family favorite from The Good Housekeeping cookbook. I now use puffed pastry instead of a rolled pie pastry – faster and yummier. – Terry

Ingredients

• 1 4-5 lb roasted chicken, skinned and boned
• 1½ cups chicken broth
• 1½ lbs small white onions, peeled
• 2 cups carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 cups celery, diced
• 5 tablespoons butter
• ⅓ cup flour
• 1 cup half and half
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• salt to taste
• 10-oz package frozen peas, thawed and drained
• 1 pie crust for 2-crust pie, or 1 sheet puffed pastry
• 1 egg yolk (if using pie crust)
• 1 teaspoon water (if using pie crust)

Instructions

1. Cut up chicken into small bite-sized pieces.
2. Bring broth to a boil. Add onions, carrots and celery; cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain vegetables, reserving broth.
3. Melt butter in a 1½ quart saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour until blended. Gradually stir in half and half, reserved broth, 1 tsp salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, just to boiling.
4. Pour over vegetables in pot. Stir in chicken and peas and pour mixture into a greased13x9x2″ baking dish.
5. Preheat oven to 400° F.
6. Prepare pie crust (or defrost sheet of puffed pastry for a half hour) and fit loosely over chicken mixture. Trim to overhang by about 1″ and make fluted edge. If using pie crust, beat egg yolk with 1 teaspoon water in a small bowl. Brush pie crust with beaten egg. With point of knife, make several slits in crust.
7. Bake pot pie for 40 minutes or until browned and bubbly.