Chicken Pot Pie

This is comfort food at it's best!  Need I say more?!  =)


Filling:
3 TBSP unsalted butter
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 large russet potato, peeled and diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
6 oz carrots, sliced
4 oz celery, sliced
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 purchased rotisserie chicken or 2 whole, bone-in chicken breasts roasted
4 oz frozen corn
4 oz frozen peas
1/4 cup chopped, fresh parsley
sometimes I add steamed green beans or snow peas as well

Sauce:
1/2 cup (1 STICK) unsalted butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
A dash or two of Frank's Hot Sauce
salt and freshly ground pepper

Crust:
1 Pkg (17.3 ounces/2 sheets) Puff pastry, defrosted or 2 Pillsbury ready made pie crusts
1 egg

To Make The Filling:
Melt the butter in a large saute pan set over medium heat. Add the onion and potato; saute for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, carrots and celery, and saute about 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Stir in the crushed red pepper and add salt and pepper to taste.

While the vegetables are sauteing, skin the chicken, pull the meat off the bones, and shred the meat or cut into bite-size pieces. Stir the peas, corn, parsley and chicken into the vegetable mixture. Set the filling aside.

To Make The Sauce:
Melt the butter over medium heat in a large saucepan. Add the flour and whisk until smooth. Whisk in the chicken stock and cook the sauce over medium heat until it thickens to the consistency of a cream soup. Add the hot pepper sauce, salt and pepper to taste. Pour the sauce over the chicken filling and stir to combine.  Set aside.

To Make The Crust:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.  Unfold a sheet of puff pastry or pie crust on a lightly floured surface. Use a floured rolling pin to roll the dough out slightly. Measure the diameter of the pot pie bowls, and cut out dough rounds that are slightly larger in diameter. Repeat with the second pastry sheet to make 8 circles in all for 4 pot pies.  Place one dough round in each individual 1 1/4-cup capacity oven-safe bowl or aluminum tin, pressing dough onto the bottom and sides.  Add creamed chicken filling three-quarters of the way to the top.  Lay the remaining dough rounds on top of the pot pies.  Whisk the egg in a small bowl.  Brush the dough lightly with the beaten egg. Bake the pies for 45 minutes to an hour, until golden brown. Serve immediately.

**You can freeze any leftover pies and/or filling for up to 6 months for a quick fix dinner.