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Dan's Pot Pie and Oil Pastry

Everybody loves Dan's pot pie (turkey or chicken--it's great either way!). He made one for a sick friend and they begged for the recipe, but he told them he "just does it by feel." Well, that's what makes him such a good cook. However, he wanted to give me a bit of help, so this is his recipe with my approximation of ingredients. The best you're going to get, I think!

Dan's Famous Pot Pie

This is how *I* make pot pie.

I pre-cook all the veggies in a large pot. (I was going to include a small amount of rice in this one to help as a glue, up to you). Once they are warmed through I add the chicken and herbs. Stir stir stir….

I add in a small amount of thickened stock/gravy. It shouldn’t be soupy! Nice and thick and just a little wet. It should stick together somewhat.

We make it in a big Dutch oven. My ratios are a bit different than his--I keep the meat to maybe 1/3 of the overall ingredients; he's closer to 1/2. Obviously he's better at this, so trust him. I just can't help putting in more veg! (or I don't add right--I don't claim to have "the feel.")

ingredients:

leftover chicken (usually from a baked whole chicken; we eat one meal and use the leftovers for pie)

any leftover veg you have handy (I know, really specific)

Carrots

Celery

Potato (mashed is fine--see his note about rice)

Beans (why not?)

Broccoli

Onions

Garlic

Frozen corn

Frozen peas

Frozen mixed veg

~anything but peppers, eggplant, tomatoes~

Cook in a pie shell. Homemade, store-bought, whatever you like (oil pastry recipe follows). I paint the top with some oil or butter first; Dan does not. Again, follow his tips and you won't go wrong! And yet I insist on improvising!

Heart Association Oil Pastry

2 1/4 C AP flour
3/4 t salt
1/3 C cold (skim) milk
1/2 C plus 1 T oil

(To prebake a one-crust pie, bake 12-14 minutes at 450F. I'd also use less salt for that.)