Chicken Pot Pie

My big girl turned five and chose chicken pot pie for her birthday dinner. I keep Marie Calendar's in the freezer for quick dinners and realized it had been too long since I made the homemade variety.

Here's what I do:

*5 TBSP. butter, divided

*1 small onion, chopped

*1 stalk celery, chopped

*2 medium carrots, chopped

*1 medium potato, chopped

*1 can chicken broth

*1 chicken bouillon cube

*1/4 tsp. pepper

*1/4 c. flour

*2/3 c. milk

*1/3 c. cream

*2 c. cooked chicken, diced

*1/2 c. swiss cheese, shredded or 3 oz. cream cheese

*1/2 c. frozen peas

*Pie crust (frozen, refrigerated, homemade)

Peel and chop onion, celery, carrots and potatoes into bite-sized pieces. In a large saucepan, melt 1 TBSP. butter over medium-high heat. Add onion and celery and saute for a minute until soft and translucent. Add carrots, potato, chicken broth, bouillon, and pepper and simmer until veggies are cooked through. In a small saucepan, melt 4 TBSP. butter and add flour, stir until bubbly. Add milk and cream and whisk until thickened. Whisk milk mixture into veggies and stir until well-incorporated. Add chicken and cook on low for a few minutes. Add cheese, stirring to combine. Add peas and remove from heat. Pour into pie crust, cover with remaining crust, use knife to make vent slits in top, and bake at 400 for about 35 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest 5-10 minutes before serving. I always put the pie (pan) on a baking sheet just in case any bubbles up and over, and it makes it a lot easier to remove from the oven.