Chicken Pot Pie - from Scratch!

This delicious and savory from scratch chicken pot pie is comfort food at its best!

Now that it's fall, it's time to bring on the comfort food! It's supposed to rain every day this week, and I can think of nothing better than eating all my favorite foods and staying warm and cozy in my house. I actually made this chicken pot pie way back in July, when it was way too hot to be cooking anything, and I've saved it for you until peak comfort food season. It was the first time I ever made my perfect homemade pie crust, and I was kind of shocked at how amazing it turned out. The crust is perfectly buttery and flaky, the filling is savory and delicious, and the whole thing is just the essence of comfort food. Best of all, it's easy enough that you could probably squeak it out on a weeknight, instead of needing to spend the whole day in the kitchen. This is one of the best meals I've made in a long time (and I've already made it twice since) and my whole family loved it too!

Chicken Pot Pie

for the crust:
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup cold butter
1/2 cup buttermilk (or milk plus a splash of vinegar)

for the filling:
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
1 cup chicken broth
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 bag frozen mixed vegetables
1 teaspoon salt (more or less to taste)
freshly ground pepper
1 egg
1 tablespoon water

To make the pie crust, in a medium bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, mix together the flour and salt. Grate the cold butter into the flour mixture, and cut in using a pastry blender or the paddle attachment, until the pieces of butter are no larger than pea sized. Add the buttermilk, and mix until the dough just starts to come together. Turn out onto a floured surface and gently work into a ball, handling as little as possible. Divide the dough in half and shape into discs. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least twenty minutes, or until ready to use.

To make the filling, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. When the butter is melted, whisk in the flour to form a paste. Let cook 2-3 minutes, until golden. Slowly add the chicken broth, followed by the milk, whisking constantly and adding a little at a time to form a smooth sauce. Stir in the shredded chicken and frozen vegetables and heat through. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Preheat the oven to 350. Roll the bottom half of the pie crust out to fit your pie dish, and press gently into the dish. Pour the filling into the pie crust and spread evenly. Roll out the top crust in an even layer, and cut vents as desired, or form into a lattice (this is an excellent tutorial, if you haven't done a lattice crust before). Place the top crust on top of the filling, cut off the excess crust, and fold or crimp the edges together. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and water. Brush the egg mixture over the top of the crust, spreading evenly. Bake 55-60 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling and thick. Let cool slightly before slicing and serving.