Comfort Food: Mmmm, Chicken Pot Pie

Growing up I thought Chickien Pot Pie was only possible via Marie Callender. My mom is a terrific cook, but pot pie is not in her repertoire (perhaps because she is from the Northeast, thus, a different style of comfort food?). My husband and his people are Southerners, and chicken pot pie figures very much in their cooking. This recipe is courtesy of his grandmother, as copied down by his mother.

4 cups cooked chicken, chopped (I usually boil my own, but a Rotisserie can be used)

1 can cream of mushroom soup

Chicken broth - enough to fill the soup can

4 boiled eggs, sliced

1 1/2 cups self rising flour

1/2 cup melted butter

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Granny didn't add anything else. My mother-in-law adds a can of peas-n-carrots combo. My sister-in-law adds a bag of frozen veggies

Place chicken (and veggies, if you're so inclined) in a lightly greased 9x13 dish. Blend soup with broth and pour over chicken. Arrange egg slices over all that.

Combine flour, melted butter and buttermilk. Pour evenly over chicken mixture. Bake uncovered at 350 for about an hour, or until crust rises and is golden brown.

If you really like biscuits, make it just like this! The topping is the fluffiest biscuit you've ever had, and it's delicious.

But if you like pastry, then you want to use Puff Pastry instead. Thaw for the recommended 40 minutes and then roll out so it's the right length for the pan.

Now.

Here's what I do: it is just as easy to make 2 Chicken Pot Pies as it is to make one, so make 2, freeze one, BOOM! You are now ahead dinner-wise. So my recipe looks like this:

1 rotisserie chicken, chopped. These cost the same as a cut up chicken, but so much less work

2 cans cream of mushroom soup

1 can chicken broth

2 bags of frozen mixed veggies - I don't adore veggies, so this is a good way to get them in

4 boiled eggs, sliced - seriously, I don't know why this is so good, but it totally makes the pot pie!

2 frozen pie crusts

1 package Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry

Mix the soup and broth in a large bowl. Add the chopped chicken and veggies and stir. Pour into the 2 pie crusts. Arrange the hardboiled egg slices on top. Place the thawed puff pastry on the top, and tuck the edges under. Wrap one in foil and freeze for later or deliver to a friend who needs dinner. Bake yours at 350 for 45 minutes.