Chicken Pot Pie

We enjoyed a roasted chicken dinner with family last night and as usual I had lots of leftovers. And so I decided to make pot pie today.

Filling ingredients:
6 tbsp butter
1 large onion, diced
3 carrots diced
3 celery stalks diced
1 cup sweet peppers diced
1/2 cup flour
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 cup milk
1 tsp chopped thyme leaves
1/4 cup sherry
3/4 cup green peas, fresh or frozen
2 tbsp chopped parsley
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3 cups cooked chicken

In large skillet melt butter, add onions, carrots, sweet peppers and celery and cook until onions are translucent, about 10 min on med heat. Add the flour, stirring and cooking for 1 min more. Whisk in the chicken stock and the milk, decrease heat to low and simmer for 10 min stirring often. Add the rest of the filling ingredients and stir well.

Divide the mixture among six 10 oz ramekins and if you are like me and don't have ramekin dishes you just use the small deep dish aluminum pie pans. Or if you want to use regular size pie pans that would work too.

Pie crust ingredients:

1 1/2 cups flour, 1/2 tsp salt, a dash of pepper, 1/2 cup chilled and cubed unsalted butter, 1/4 cup chilled and cubed vegetable shortening, 4 tbsp ice water

Combine the flour and salt in food processor,add the chilled butter, pulse 5 times to combine, add the shortening and pulse a few more times, then slowly stream in ice water 1 tbsp at a time, pulsing after each addition until dough sticks together. Remove dough and mold into ball. This dough can be made ahead of time and stored in fridge.

Roll out dough and cut 6 circles to fit your ramekins. I like the 'rustic' look and so just placed the rounds on top of the ramekins..you can tuck in the edges and press down with a fork to give them a nice look. Brush with egg wash...1 egg whisked with 1 tbsp water.

Bake in a 400 degrees oven for 30 min or until golden and the filling is bubbling. Cool for 5 min before serving..serves 6.