Best comfort food ever

Because it’s the holidays, and because I’m only human, I must share a recipe that I unfortunately came up with this week. (Thank you, Emily, for posting recipes on your blog, this is all your fault.)

This week I’ve been sick like the dog and unable to do anything worthwhile. But, like all poor sad souls with severe head colds, I wanted comfort food. And what, I ask, is the most comforting of all comfy sick person foods? Why, Chicken pot pie, of course.

And so, much to my scale’s dismay (because it’s been three days and we still haven’t recovered), I assembled the most decadent, fattening, over the top Chicken pot pie you’ve ever tasted. My man said it made Marie Calendar’s taste like paste. Even with my current inability to taste I couldn’t stop eating it.

So here you go, Annie’s Most Sinful Chicken Pot Pie, or The Pie Your Scale Will Hate, or How To Gain Five Pounds In One Meal And Not Feel Bad About It Because It Was So Good Chicken Pot Pie. (I know some of those words shouldn’t have been capped, but the pie is really that good.)

Crust: (Needs to chill in fridge for at least an hour) I think this recipe will make about two small 9″ pies. I made it in a 10/10 polish pottery deep casserole dish. A 9/13 casserole would work as well. Spray the pan.

2 1/2 cups flour, 1 cup softened butter, 8 oz softened cream cheese, 1/2 tsp salt. Blend butter and cream cheese. Add salt and flour 1/2 cup at a time, separate into balls (one slightly larger than the other) and chill. When ready, roll dough between wax or parchment paper nice and thin (it’s a little fragile) and very carefully place bottom crusts. Poke all over with a fork. Bake bottom crust in oven 10 min, 350. Set aside. (Don’t worry if the crust shrinks a little. It will all work out.)

Filling:

2 cooked chicken breasts, cubed, 1 cup peas, 1 cup carrots sliced or diced, 1 cup celery diced, 1 cup corn. Boil in chicken broth 15 minutes or until tender. Drain.  Lightly salt and pepper mixture. (You can substitute water with a few chicken boullion cubes for the broth.)

Gravy:

1/3 cup onion, 1/4 cup butter, 1/3 cup flour, 1 1/2 cups chicken broth, 2/3 cup milk (I add a little heavy cream to the milk), 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, 1/2 tsp celery seed, dash garlic salt, dash Accent (optional). Melt butter, add onion, cook till tender. Add flour, make roux, add chicken broth, milk and seasonings. Bring to a boil and simmer over med-low heat stirring until thick.

THEN:

Put filling in bottom of crusts. Pour gravy over top (don’t overdo it). Add top of crust, try to make it connect, then cut two slits. Bake 30 minutes at 350. Cool 10-14 minutes before serving.

This is so good, your husband will immediately want to whisk you away to the bedroom to make passionate love to you because of your ingenious culinary talents. He’ll also do the dishes.