Chicken Pot Pie.  Seriously one of my favorite comfort foods. And it has to be this recipe, from the Betty Crocker A New Cookbook for a New You Cookbook.  Believe me.  I’ve experimented with others and always come back to Betty.  (I mean, come on, just look at that photo of the “new” Betty…she must know a thing or two about chicken pot pie!)  Of course, I’ve adapted it a little and simplified it a bit (by using a store-bought-ready-to-roll-out pie crust and already cooked chicken), but it’s still Betty’s and it’s still the best.

I’ve had this cookbook for a really long time.  Maybe even a wedding present (that would be 1984)??  Whenever it was, it has been used a lot.  Apparently somebody left the book on a still hot burner of an electric stove once. Lol. And the front cover has fallen off.  The back cover is just about to fall off.  It’s really great for basics.  I make her Hollandaise, Beef Stroganoff, Chili (she calls ground beef “hamburger”), Macaroni and Cheese (with Velveeta…oy!) and Meat Loaf.  There are great charts (turkey roasting timetable) and tips (egg sizes).  There’s a section at the back all about newfangled “microwave cooking”.  Hilarious.  “This cool, convenient new way of cooking simplifies life.  It saves time.  It doesn’t heat the kitchen…There’s nothing magical about microwaves.  They are simply electromagnetic waves of energy, similar to radio and television waves.”  Anyway, you get my point…I’ve had this cookbook for a very long time!

Okay.  The recipe.  You’ll want to make this.  And then you’ll want to make it again and again.

Betty’s Chicken Pot Pie

INGREDIENTS

1/3 cup butter (Betty says you can use margarine or chicken fat too)

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup chopped onion

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1-3/4 cups chicken or turkey broth (one 14-oz. can)

2/3 cup milk

2 cups cut-up cooked chicken or turkey

1 10-ounce package frozen peas and carrots

Refrigerated all-ready pie crusts (come in packages of two)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 425°.

Heat butter in saucepan over low heat until melted.  Blend in flour, onion, salt & pepper.  Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth and bubbly; remove from heat.  Stir in broth and milk.  Return to heat; heat to boiling, stirring constantly.  Boil and stir one minute.  Stir in chicken and frozen vegetables; set aside.

Fit one of the pie crusts into a 9-inch pie plate.  Trim any overhanging dough to fit edge of plate.  Pour chicken filling into pastry.  Place second pie crust over filling.  Roll edges under and crimp or flute top crust and bottom crust edges together to seal. Cut slits in center of top crust to allow steam to escape.  Cook uncovered until crust is brown, 30 to 35 minutes.  Makes 6-8 servings.