Chicken Pot Pie

Just for starters, I have never actually made chicken POT pies. I have just made one or two larger pies. I always try to make my own crust even if I am pressed for time. I have to give credit to Better Homes and Garden's New Cook Book Tenth Ring Bound edition because that is were my base recipe came from. I made my own variations, of course. 

Ingredients:

• Variety of fresh or frozen Vegetables*
• 1/2 Cup Chopped Fresh Onion**
• ***
• 1/4 Cup Butter****
• 1/3 Cup All-Purpose Flour
• 1/2 Teaspoon dried Sage, Marjoram, and/or Thyme, Crushed*****
• 1/8 Teaspoon Pepper
• 1 Tablespoon New Mexican Green Chile Powder^
• 2 Cups Chicken Broth
• 3/4 Cup Cubed Chicken or Turkey^^
• 1/4 Cup Snipped Fresh Parsley^^^
• ^^^^

Instructions:

1. Make crust and set aside.
2. Cook Vegetables.
3. In a cast iron skillet^^^^^, cook onion in butter in butter until tender.
4. Stir in flour, salt, spice (s) of your choice, Green Chile powder, and pepper. 
5. Add chicken both and milk all at once. Cook until thick and bubbly. Add vegetables, chicken, and parsley. This is your filling.
6. Fill prepared pie shell and top. Slit holes in the top to let steam escape. 
7. Bake at 450 degrees Fahrenheit for 10-15 minutes or until top crust has lightly browned.

Notes:

*You can use either fresh or frozen though I would recommend fresh and feel free to use any vegetables in your fridge. This is a great chance to eat those vegetables that you bought because you thought that you would eat them and haven't.

**I would definitely recommend fresh. If you don't have a fresh onion on hand, do NOT use dehydrated onion, use a substitute such as celery or carrots and onion powder.

***You can put mushrooms in, but I would never force you to ruin than in your amazing dish with terrible food. I personally would never tell you to use or eat any type of Fungi.

****Yes, you need a whole 1/4 cup of butter. In some recipes you can skimp on the butter, but not this one. You need all of that liquid. Never ever use margarine in anything you eat or cook.

*****You can always use fresh, but use a couple of tablespoons instead of a teaspoon.

^This is optional, but Green Chile makes everything better. You can use more or less depending on how spicy you like your food. I probably wouldn't use more than 2 tablespoons because it will overpower the dish.

^^This is a great dish to make with all that leftover turkey. I made turkey pot pies today.

^^^If you don't have fresh parsley, leave this out. It isn't essential to the dish, but it definitely adds to the flavor.

^^^^You can put pimento if you prefer. I never have and it still turns out great, but if you want to try it, go for it.

^^^^^You don't have to use a cast iron skillet, but I always do. You can use a nonstick skillet or saucepan.