Homemade Chicken Pot Pie

Sometimes we all need a little comfort food, especially around the holidays if we are far away from home cooked meals with the family. Matt and I decided it was time to bake a chicken pot pie last night, something that he grew up with as a kid (and something new to my "homemade" repertoire). We had two recipes to decide between: Matt's mom's and a lighter, more veggie filled option from Real Simple magazine. We did our best to combine the two, with the result of a slightly lighter, hearty, delicious home cooked chicken pot pie that any family would LOVE!

Ingredients for one 9" pie (we doubled it and froze one pie for later):
2 chicken breasts (grilled or boiled and cubed)
2 carrots, diced (we used a few handfuls of baby carrots)
1 onion, diced
2-3 celery stalks, diced
a handful (or 2) of green beans, cut into thirds (if fresh)
(you can add whatever veg you like; corn, peas, you name it!)
2 Tbsp. butter (we used the 1/2 and 1/2 butter/smart balance blend)
~2 Tbsp. olive oil
2-3 Tbsp. flour
1/2 c. white wine
1/2 c. chicken broth
1/2 c. skim milk
1/2 c. lite cream
1/8 tsp. thyme
salt and pepper (to taste)
2 Pillsbury pre-made pie crusts (thawed)

Directions: Pre-heat oven to 415 degrees
Cook chicken in a dash of olive oil and sprinkled with salt and pepper. Do not overcook. Cube or cut to desired size and set aside.

Dice up veggies (or pull from can or freezer). Saute veggies in olive oil until they begin to soften. Do not let darken. Add flour to begin thickening. Add white wine and cook off (about 5 minutes). Add chicken broth, stir in and let simmer for a minute. Stir in butter, salt, pepper, and thyme. Add milk and cream and let simmer until your desired thickness. You can always add a bit of flour to thicken more or add more milk/cream/broth if you want more sauce. Add cooked chicken and stir all together, letting simmer.

Put bottom pie crust into pie plate (or square glass pyrex), and add mixture to the crust. Place top pie crust on top and fold/pinch edges to seal and make decorative :) Slice venting slits in top. Put in oven for 30-40 minutes. Cover edges if browning too quickly.

Enjoy!! I know we can't wait for leftovers tonight...and the frozen pie in the freezer!