Chicken Pot Pie Recipe

If you asked me three weeks ago if I'd ever cook again, I probably would have burst into tears and asked you, "When??" In fact, a similar scene took place in my kitchen after a fellow new mommy friend brought us a chicken pot pie during our scary, exhausting, terrifying, emotionally trying, tiring, worry-filled first week home. It was delicious. And she made us apple crisp too - also delicious.

Anyway, my amazing mom was here to help out for the millionth time later that same day and I remember saying to her, "How did she have time to make a whole meal and dessert?? She has a new baby too! I'm never going to be able to cook again!" (Side note, her baby is 7 weeks older than Baby J and she had obviously moved past the emotionally and physically tumultuous place that I was in. Not that it's not a huge accomplishment to have a happy, healthy, well-fed baby and a full meal prepared and delivered to a friend. Because it is. Trust me.)

At 2 days shy of the 3 week mark, I'm happy to report that I cooked. My friend's pot pie was so good (hello perfect fall comfort food!), that I decided I had to have it again ASAP. In typical Colleen fashion, I took pieces of several different recipes to make this my own.  I didn't make my own crust which I am slightly ashamed of, but I do have a newborn at home. Baby steps - ha!

Thanks to my child crying and being generally inconsolable for 3-5 hours starting at 5pm every night, we didn't actually get to enjoy this until 9:00.  We were so famished that I completely forgot to take a picture until after we had finished our first helpings.

Chicken Pot Pie

1 box pie crust
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 onion
1 Tbsp. Kerry Gold unsalted butter
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 potatoes
4 carrots
4-5 stalks celery
1 can cream of celery soup

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease and flour a 9" pie dish. Chop onion, carrots, celery, and potatoes into bite sized pieces and set aside, separately.

Bring a pot of water to a boil. While waiting for the water to boil, rinse chicken breasts, season with salt and pepper and cut into cubes. Add butter and olive oil to a skillet and place over high heat. When a drop of water sizzles in the pan, add the onion and cook until translucent (about 2-3 minutes). Reduce heat to medium high and add chicken. Cook until no longer pink in the center.

When water starts to boil, add chopped potatoes. Boil for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, add carrots and celery and boil for 5 more minutes. Veggies should no longer be raw but should not be soft either. Drain water from pot and add cooked vegetables to a large mixing bowl.

Add chicken and onion mixture and can of soup to the bowl of cooked vegetables and mix until combined.

Add crust to the greased pie dish and flatten against the sides. Pour contents of bowl into pie dish. Cover with second crust, cut away the excess and cut slits in the top to allow steam to escape. Bake for 30 minutes or until crust is golden brown and contents are bubbly.  Enjoy!