Like I told you in my last food post, I'm kind of a recipe hoarder. I think recipes are meant to be shared, but when it comes down to it, I suddenly feel a pang of selfishness overcome me. Also, my mom guilts me for sharing "family recipes" when really, I think she just pulled them from other cookbooks and forgot which ones, so she decided to call them her own.

That's all beside the point, because today I am sharing with you my very favorite recipe when you need something homestyle and cozy to the core. Chicken pot pie from scratch.

With a perfect, flaky crust, rich cream sauce, and tender chicken and veggies, it'll be the best home cooked meal you'll have this winter. Let me just dive right in...

First, start with the crust. A good crust recipe will serve you well for years and years. The one I use is good for sweet pies, savory pies, mini pies stuffed with whatever you want, etc... I highly recommend it. via Simply Recipes 

Crust Ingredients

2 1/2 C flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter - VERY cold and cubed
6-8 T ice cold water

Directions

Mix the dry ingredients together in a stand mixer or food processor. Slowly add the cold butter (sometimes I cube my butter and then toss it in the freezer for 10 minutes or so) cubes and watch them become pea-sized and give the mixture a rough, uneven texture. Do not over-mix. You want those chunks of butter as they'll add nice flaky layers when baked. Then, add the ice water, tablespoon at a time just until incorporated. The dough should look dry and crumbly, but hold together if grabbed into a fist.
Dump mixture onto a clean surface and knead gently by hand until it holds its shape - do not knead too much! Separate the dough into two equal sized mounds and shape them into discs. Wrap each in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 48 hours.
Remove 10-15 minutes before you'll be using it to let it soften enough to make rolling easier.

Once you're ready to get your pot pie going, roll one of your discs into a large rectangular shape so it covers at least the bottom of a 9x13 pan, but try to get it large enough to cover the sides of a 9x13 if you can. Preheat your oven to 325. Line the 9x13 with the crust, pressing it down, along the edges, and into the corners of the pan. Pop the crust-lined pan into the oven for about 15 minutes - just until it's no longer "raw." While it's baking, roll your other disc out into a 9x13 rectangle. This piece will cover the pot pie. Set aside. Bump your oven up to 375 once you remove your pre-baked crust. (The reason you pre-bake the bottom crust is so it doesn't stay raw once you put the wet filling in)

Sauce Ingredients

1/4 C butter
1/4 C flour
2 C chicken broth
1/2 C whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 C grated parmesan

Sauce directions

In a medium pot, melt butter. Blend in flour, then slowly incorporate chicken broth, slowly stirring until thick. Add whipping cream and salt and pepper to taste. Should be creamy and not too runny in texture. Add parmesan and cook a couple minutes longer, stirring. Set aside.

Pot Pie Ingredients

3 C cooked chicken (about 2 breasts)
1 12-14oz package of frozen veggies (in a steamer bag if you'd like to save time)
1 10-12 oz bag of frozen broccoli florets (in a steamer bag if you'd like to save time)
1-2 russet potatoes, peeled and diced

Pot Pie Directions

Have your chicken ready to go. When I cook mine a day or two before, I only season it with salt and pepper and maybe a hint of garlic powder. Once it's been cooked, just dice it and set it aside.
Steam all your veggies, except your potato(es) which just need to be peeled and diced. They can be thrown in to the pot pie raw.

In the pot with your sauce, add the chicken, veggies, and potato(es). Mix until well combined. Pour the mixture into your pre-baked crust and spread evenly. Cover the 9x13 with top crust and trim the edges. Bake at 375 until the the crust is golden, about 30 minutes (give or take). Enjoy!