Ingredients

• 3 boneless chicken breasts or 4 chicken thighs generously seasoned with salt, pepper & spike (spike optional).
• 2 tablespoons oil
• Vegetable medley of potato, onion, carrot & celery – roughly chopped about ½ cup each.
• ½ cup frozen peas
• 1 can cream of chicken soup (cream of celery or cream of mushroom work great, too)
• 1 cup chicken broth or stock (I use low sodium)
• Splash of milk or half & half
• Pre-made pie crusts (2 to a box)
• 1 egg beaten

Directions

• Turn the oven on to 425 degrees
• Place pie crust in pie pan or small casserole dish, crimp edges at the top and bake at 425 until slightly blond but crisp. Remove from the oven & set aside.  Place on a large baking sheet covered lined with aluminum foil.  It will camp out here for a few minutes.  Turn oven down to 375 degrees.
• Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, add oil and brown one side of the seasoned chicken until golden, turn the meat over and add the chopped vegies right on top. Cover and cook for 5 to 10 minutes.  Peek at this once or twice and move them around a bit, then cover again.
• While the chicken & vegetable mixture is on the stove, in a smaller bowl add the soup and chicken stock (I dump the soup mixture in the bowl, then put the stock in the can and stir it up to get the remains of the soup, and add it to the bowl), then add the splash of milk or half & half - possibly 1/4 cup.
• Now check the veggies & chicken - with a sharp knife or fork test to see if the veggies mostly yield to the knife, you want your knife to slice into the carrot or potato, but not be mushy, still somewhat crisp.  Check the chicken, should be barely done and tender.
• Remove the chicken from the pot and place on a plate to cool a bit.  Add the soup mixture to the skillet.  Stir the veggies and soup mixture gently.  Taste now and add more salt, pepper or spike if needed.
• When chicken is cool enough to handle, chop into chunks and add to the mixture and gently stir.  Now add the peas.
• Carefully pour filling into the pie crust.  It might mound up which is fine, that will make for an impressive hefty pot pie.
• Top with the remaining sheet of pie crust.  Arrange & adjust the edges to somewhat overlap with the cooked portion below, and crimp together carefully.
• For a glorious glossy brown color, brush on the beaten egg (or milk will do in a pinch).  I also like to add some decoration if I have extra pie crust.
• Bake at 375 for 20 to 30 minutes.  Basically your ingredients are pre-cooked so you’re looking for color & beauty here.  Pull out and let rest before you cut into it - unless you’re starving, then cut into it.  But if you let it rest, it will firm up and scoop onto your plate as the picture shows, rather than something soupy.  If you can’t wait though, soupy is still delicious.  No doubt about that.