Chicken NOT Pie

I admit it: I'm a sucker for the classics. While perusing the web, last week, I came upon a classic recipe on Pilsburry.com that I had to try vegetarian style. Of course this version of Chicken Pot Pie was completely experimental. The properties of chicken and chicken broth are a little different from those of chicken substitute and vegetable broth. I wasn't sure how it would turn out. It took two attempts to get it right.

The first time I used Morning Star Meal Starters. Morning Star is a great brand but it's simply wrong for this particular recipe. The pie turned out  just okay for my husband and myself. The kids refused to eat it. The second time around I used Quorn Brand chicken substitute. The results were phenominal. So get ready, vegetarians and carnivores, alike. You're in for a real treat!

Introducing Chicken Not Pie.

What I Used

2 Refrigerated Pie Crusts (top and bottom)

1/3 Cup Butter

1/3 Cup Chopped Onion

1/3 Cup Flour

½ Teaspoon Salt

¼ Teaspoon Pepper

1 ¾ Cups Vegetarian Vegetable Broth (one 14 oz. can)

½ Cup Milk

2 – 2 ½ Cups Quorn Brand Chicken Substitute

2 Cups Mixed Vegetables

How I Prepared It

Preheat oven to 425. Generously spread olive oil on a 9-inch, glass pie pan. Lay bottom pie crust in the bottom of the pie pan and press into place.

In a 2 quart sauce pan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until tender. Stir in flour, salt and pepper until well blended. Gradually stir in broth and milk, continuing to stir until bubbly and thickened.

Stir in “chicken” and mixed vegetables. Remove from heat. Spoon mixture into the curst-lined pan. Top with second crust. Seal edge and flute. Cut slits in several places in top of crust. Cover edges with strips of tin foil.

Bake 30 – 40 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Let stand 5 – 10 minutes before serving.

How It Turned Out

Amazing. This was the best pot pie I have ever had, hands down. My four-year-old loved it, my husband had a huge second helping and so did I. I didn't feed it to my toddler. She had made it quite clear she wanted macaroni and cheese. I wasn't up to going against her.

Pros: It's incredibly good, portable for potlucks, good for leftovers, relatively simple to prepare.

Cons: It's a little time consuming.

How does it rate? 4 out of 4 stars. This is one of those recipes that friends and family will ask you to share. It's simply an incredible, easy to make, classic dish that your whole group will love.