Leaky Chicken Pot Pie

Today for Food Friday I'm going to give you a recipe for a new twist on a comfort food favorite - Pot Pie!

My family loved this unconventional pot pie recipe that I adapted from Under the High Chair.  It's an easy one to make and only takes about an hour!  It's a good use of leftover chicken, too, if you're the sort to clean a chicken roast and freeze the leftovers.

Shopping List:
1 lemon
3 leeks
small carton of heavy cream or whipping cream
ground chicken (or you can use leftover shredded chicken from a roast!)

From the Pantry:
garlic
butter
chicken stock
tarragon or other dried herbs
frozen peas and carrots
salt and pepper
pie crust

Here's the recipe!  Enjoy!


---

1 lb of ground chicken, cooked, or about 4 cups of roast chicken leftovers, shredded
2 tsp dried minced garlic (original recipe calls for 8 cloves of garlic, peeled, squashed and blanched)
3 leeks
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
2 cups chicken stock
1 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon or 1 tsp dry (we use a the Parisian herb mix from Pensey's instead)
1 lemon
1/4 cup whipping cream
salt
1 tsp or more of ground pepper
1.5 cups frozen peas and carrots
1 pie crust

---

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).

Wash leeks well and slice into 1/2-inch (1-cm) sections (we use the bottom 8-9 inches of each leek)

Zest lemon and juice it, if using a whole lemon, and use 1 tbsp lemon juice and 1 tsp grated lemon rind

Heat butter in large skillet on medium heat. Add leeks and garlic and sauté for about 3 minutes or until leeks soften. Stir in flour and cook until pale gold, about 4 minutes, adding more butter if needed.

Stir in chicken stock, tarragon, lemon juice and rind.

Bring to boil. Add cream, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes or until thick and glossy. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Stir in vegetables and chicken.

Place in a 6-cup baking dish (I use our 9x9) or individual baking dishes.

Top with pie crust.  You can also use a puff pastry sheet if you prefer.

Bake pie for 30 to 35 minutes or until pastry is golden and mixture bubbles.  I usually set my baking dish or dishes on a cookie sheet to catch any overflow.