Chicken Pot Pie with Early Summer Vegetables

Chicken Pot Pie is one of those essential foods that everybody loves. Throughout the year you can utilize a variety of veggies in your pot pie depending on what is in season at your local farmers market and in your garden.I was at a cookout this weekend where they made Beer Can Chicken. It was super tasty and I knew the leavins' in the pan and on those bones would be perfect for a pot pie. Then my Mom brought home some Cabbage, Onions and Crookneck Squash from her garden in Nelson County - perfect additions. I rounded it out by going to the Tuesday farmers market where I picked-up more peak season veggies including Yukon Gold Potatoes, Broccoli and Green Beans.

The combo came together perfectly. I'm just going to toot my own horn here (love that ridiculous saying) and tell you this is the best chicken pot pie I've ever made. It is pure pleasure in a pan.

Yield: 1 Large Pot Pie, Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

• Leftover Chicken Bones from 2 Whole Birds or Numerous Chicken Breasts*

• 1 Quart Chicken Broth

• 1 1/4 Cup Milk

• 6 Tbsp Butter

• 6 Tbsp Flour

• Juice 1/2 Lemon

• 2 Small Yellow Squash, chopped into chunks

• 1 Small Onion, diced

• 1 Yukon Gold Potato, large dice

• 1/2 Small Bunch Broccoli, Florets chopped off and divided

• 1 Cup Cabbage, shredded

• 1/2 Cup Green Beans, cleaned and chopped into 2 inch pieces

• 4 Large Fresh Sage Leaves, chopped

• Leaves from 5 Fresh Stems Thyme

• Fresh Ground Sea Salt

• Fresh Ground Black Pepper

FOR CRUST

• 2 Cups All Purpose Flour

• 1/4 Tsp Salt

• 1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil

• 1/4 Cup Cold Milk (I use Non-fat)

• *If you don't have any leftovers just roast a couple of fresh pieces as you normally would, or try my recipe for Lemon Butter Rosemary Chicken.

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large stock or soup pan submerge chicken bones in Chicken Broth. Bring broth to a boil then reduce to a slightly bubbling simmer over low heat. Allow bones to cook down into the broth for about an hour. Throughout the process check the chicken and scrape loosened pieces of chicken off the bones with a fork or spoon into the broth.

2. After an hour remove chicken bones from broth into a large, shallow pan. Strain broth through a fine mesh strainer into a medium bowl. Set strainer aside with chicken bones. Add Milk to the broth bowl.

3. After removing broth, rinse out large stock pan with water to ensure no small bone pieces remain. Place the pan back on the burner and heat Butter over medium low heat. When the Butter melts and begins to bubble, add Flour to create a roux and whisk consistently to work out any lumps. Allow the roux to cook for about 1 minute until it is light brown. Pour the Broth into the roux and continue to whisk. Bring the mixture to a low boil over medium high heat. Allow to bubble for a couple of minutes to thicken sauce, stirring occasionally.

4. Reduce sauce to medium low and add Lemon Juice, Squash, Onion, Potato, Broccoli, Cabbage, Green Beans, Sage, Thyme, Salt and Pepper.

5. Allow to cook for about 10 minutes to thicken sauce and cook veggies. Stir occasionally.

6. While the veggies are cooking in the sauce, begin pulling remaining chicken off the bones. Also pull any good pieces of chicken out of the mesh strainer being sure to avoid any small bones, gristle and pieces of skin. Add all pieces of chicken into the veggies and sauce. I take my time with the process to ensure I get the best pieces of chicken but none of the icky bits. By the time you’ve cleaned the chicken 10 minutes will likely have passed. Remove the pot pie mixture from the heat and set aside to cool a little.

7. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and begin to prepare crust. In a large bowl combine all ingredients for No Fail Pie Crust (omitting the sugar since this is a savory pie), being careful not to over work dough. Lightly flour a flat surface and roll out dough into one large rectangle to fit an 8″ x 11.5″ glass baking dish (depending on the volume of chicken and veggies you add, you may need a slighter larger pan and will just need to roll the crust out a little more thin).

8. Pour creamy pot pie mixture into the glass baking dish. Layer crust on the top. Cut slits in the crust to allow bubbles from sauce to vent through during cooking.

9. Bake in preheated oven for about 45-55 minutes or until crust is a golden brown.

10. Remove from the oven and serve warm. Enjoy!

Stirring veggies and gravy in the pot