DOUBLE CRUST CHICKEN POT PIE

 I've watched the America's Test Kitchen episode featuring this recipe twice, and I finally decided I needed to try it.   Personally, I find a lot of their recipes to be very complex, filled with lots of prep and steps before you finally get to the reward of eating the finished product.  It's probably why I've waited so long to try this one.  It comes complete with a crust recipe, but I'll be honest, I chose the shortcut of buying the pre-made package which includes two crusts.  It tasted wonderful, and it saved a whole lot of time and effort.

Be forewarned, there's a bit of prep.....cutting up veggies and shredding chichen, but once those steps are finished, it comes together fairly quickly.  Bake time is 45 minutes total, with a time for it to cool.  They said 45 minutes, I felt it would be cold by then, so I waited 25 minutes, and I was able to get it out of the pan with no problem and it was still warm.

INGREDIENTS:

4 Tbsp. unsalted butter

1 onion, chopped fine 

2 carrots, peeled and cut into ¼ inch pieces

2 celery ribs, cut into ¼ inch pieces

½ tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

6 Tbsp. flour

2 ¼ cups chicken broth

½ cup half and half

1 small russet potato, peeled and cut into ¼ inch pieces

1 tsp. minced fresh thyme

1 (2.5 lb) rotisserie chicken, skin and bones discarded, shredded into bite size pieces

3/4 cup frozen peas

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 package frozen pie crusts 

DIRECTIONS:

Adjust rack to lowest position and heat oven to 450 degrees.  Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat.  Add onion, carrots, celery, salt and pepper and cook until vegetables begin to soften, about 6 minutes.  Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, until golden.  1-2 minutes.  Slowly stir in broth and half and half and bring to boil over medium high heat.  

Stir in potato and thyme (if you're using dried thyme, use 1/2 tsp).  Reduce heat to medium and simmer until sauce is thickened and potato is tender, about 8 minutes.  Off heat, stir in chicken and peas.  

Transfer filling to a dough lined 9" pie plate.  Loosely roll remaining dough around a rolling pin and gently unroll it onto the filling.  Trim overhand to 1/2" beyond lip of plate.  Pinch edges of top and bottom crusts firmly together.  Tuck overhang under itself and crimp dough around edges.  Cut four 2" slits in top of dough.

Brush top of pie with egg.  Place on a rimmed baking sheet.  Bake at 450 degrees until top is light golden brown, 18-20 minutes.  Reduce oven temp to 375 degrees, rotate sheet and continue baking until crust is deep golden brown, 12-15 minutes longer.  Let cool on a wire rack for about 25-30 minutes.  Serve.  

Enjoy!