Easy Chicken Pot Pie

It has been far too long since I've posted a recipe so here is one of my very favorites.

Easy Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients:

4 teaspoons olive or vegetable oil

1 cup chopped onion

4 boneless chicken breast halves cut into 1-2 inch cubes

4 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons thyme

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon paprika

4 carrots, peeled and chopped

4-6 medium red potatoes, cut into 1 inch cubes

2 (14.5 oz) cans of diced tomatoes (I like the Delmonte diced oregano, basil kind)

4 cups of chicken broth (I use bullion cubes because they add more flavor)

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 cup of frozen corn kernels

1-2 (9 inch) refrigerated roll-out pie crust (Pilsbury is the best)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Prep all ingredients first.

Heat oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add chicken and saute for 5 to 7 minutes, until browned on all sides. In a large stock pot heat 2 teaspoons of oil, add onion and saute for 2 minutes. Add cooked chicken to the onions. In a small bowl combine flour, thyme, salt, pepper, and paprika. Add flour mixture to the chicken and stir to coat. Stir in carrots, celery, potatoes, tomatoes including the juice, chicken broth, and Dijon mustard and mix well. Bring mixture to a boil. Cook until vegetables are tender. Stir in corn and immediately transfer to a large casserole dish. Place pie crust on top of the casserole (you might need to use 2 depending on how long your casserole dish is) and pinch around the edges to seal the crust to the dish. Prick the surface 1 to 3 times with a sharp knife or fork to allow steam to escape during cooking. Place casserole dish on a baking sheet and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the crust is golden. Let rest for about 10 minutes or you can eat it immediately.

*If you don't want to use the pie crust or you don't want to wait an extra 10 minutes or so you can make Bisquick drop-biscuits (my second favorite to the pie crust) or the refrigerated canned biscuits. After stirring in the corn, cook for a few minutes more and serve the pot pie stew over biscuits.

I've made this several, several times and the cooking depends on how thick your carrot and potato cubes are. I've served it over biscuits and cooked it with the pie crust. Both ways are fantastic. For a cold autumn or winter night, this comfort food is awesome!

For This, I Am Grateful That I Can Remember

Today marks the 8 year anniversary of the attack on the World Trade Center. It feels like it happened decades ago. We all have our own memories but this is what I remember the most...

I was sleeping when my brother, Tommy, woke me up suddenly. He was calling for me to come downstairs. At that time, Alex and I lived in a town home and Tommy had stayed the night and had crashed on the couch. It was kind of an overcast day, if my memory serves me right.

I remember sitting in shock on the stairs leading down into the living room as I watched the footage of the first plane hit the first Tower. It was around 9 am PST so the action was already in motion by the time we were aware of it on the West Coast. I remember thinking that it was so movie like while both Tommy and I quietly listened to figure out what was going on and what the newscasters were saying.

Then the second plane hit the second Tower and you could hear and feel the shock of the reporters who were absolutely dismayed at what was going on. I wouldn't be surprised, if at first people thought that a plane had lost control by accident and collided with the building. I did, at least. I guess I couldn't believe at that time that someone would purposely plan so much destruction of human life. I was hoping that mechanical error was the true answer and not that Man could be that evil, but when the second plane hit, it became apparent instantly that this was not the case. At this time we didn't know exactly how many (or how few) people were on board each plane or in each Tower. I was immediately moved to tears and sadness by the massive amount of lost lives. So yes, I cried. I wept openly. I wept for those on the plane that lived the last moments of their life in terror. I wept for the people busy at work who were taken by surprise by the high-impact collision that would soon take their lives. I wept for the countless number of families that would never see their loved ones again. I wept for all the boys that I worked with or ever knew because I felt that soon they would be pulled into a war the likes I had never seen. I wept because a tad bit of my innocence was forever gone.

I remember the push for donating blood, although, I didn't understand why. Maybe people need to feel like they could do something, something to make them feel less helpless in an out-of-control situation. Maybe.

I remember that I called my Dad that morning and told him that I felt like packing up my bags and going... somewhere but I knew that I would just be driving to drive and I would have to come back home eventually. I remember calling my Mom but I don't remember the conversation.

I remember the American flag being flown by almost every home.

I remember the silent and empty skies that followed for the next week.

I remember the panic, the speculation, and the genuine fear of not knowing or comprehending what was next. But most of all, I remember that for a short time our nation put aside all its differences, all our problems, all our past hurts, and for a brief moment in time we acted together as a caring community. For this, I am grateful that I can remember.