Chicken Pot Pie

If I had categories, I would put this one in Leftover Chicken. My mother had a lot of leftover CostCo chicken, so she made this very yummy chicken pot pie for dinner.

Chicken Pot Pie

Pie crust ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chilled unsalted butter, diced into 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 cup vegetable shortening, chilled
3 to 4 Tbsp ice water

Filling ingredients:
6 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 large onion, diced
3 carrots, thinly sliced
3 celery stalks, thinly sliced
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 cups milk
Leftover Chicken meat
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1/4 cup dry sherry
2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Egg wash:
1 egg whisked with 1 Tbsp water

Directions:
1 Prepare the pie crust dough. Combine the flour and salt in a food processor. Add the chilled butter cubes and pulse to combine. Add the shortening and pulse until the dough resembles a coarse cornmeal, with some pea-sized pieces of butter. Slowly add ice water, a tablespoon at a time, pulsing after each addition, until the dough sticks together when you press some between your fingers. Empty the food processor, placing the dough on a clean surface. Use your hands to mold into a ball, then flatten the ball into a disk. Sprinkle with a little flour, wrap with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 2 days, before rolling.

2 Prepare the filling. Preheat oven to 400°F. In a large skillet, melt butter on medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, and celery, and cook until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring, one minute more. Whisk in 2 1/2 cups of the chicken stock. Whisk in the milk. Decrease the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring often. Add the chicken meat, thyme, sherry, parsley, salt and pepper and stir well. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Place the warm filling into a casserole dish.

3 Prepare the crust. Roll out dough on a lightly flour surface to a little less than a quarter-inch thick. Lay the dough round on the pot pie filling. Fold the excess dough under itself and use the tines of a fork to press the dough against the edge. Cut a 1-inch vents into the pie. Use a pastry brush to apply an egg wash. Line a baking sheet with foil, place the pie on the baking sheet. Bake at 400°F for 25 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and the filling is bubbling. Let cool for at least 5 minutes before serving.