Chicken Pot Pie with Cheese Crust

Taking a small break from the trip pictures for a little food posting, well, because it feels weird to go too long without food.  This particular food post is for one of my all time favs, chicken pot pie. 

I'm generally not a casserole dish loving kind of girl and I almost never make them...except chicken pot pie.  If you hate chicken pot pie because you associate them with those frozen ones in the tin,  know that homemade chicken pot pie is only a distant relative of the frozen kind, a third cousin twice removed really. 

When you make it yourself, the food chicken veggies can remain independent entities rather than morphing into one food. 

 I made individual pot pies but the recipe will make one full size one as well.

Chicken pot pie with regular 'ole crust is good stuff, but I got to thinking about what would happen if it was topped with the homemade Cheese Its I posted last year. Are you picking up what I'm laying down here?

Mostly cheese, a little bit of flour.  This crust is not for the faint-hearted or the lactose intolerant.  Or those who don't like cheese if such people exist. 

Chicken pot pie traditionally has a top and bottom crust.  I wasn't too sure how this "crust" would fare as a bottom crust so I just topped each of the individual pies with the crust.  The recipe is pretty rich so I'd say that just one crust is more than enough. 

The cheese crust recipe was plentiful enough to have leftovers to make actual Cheese Its, or as we made in this house, puppy Kong stuffers.   One of these fit perfectly into a Kong and kept someone busy for a little while.  

Yes, puppies LOVE Cheese Its as well so this recipe keeps everyone in the house happy. 

"I need Cheese-its" face. 

Chicken Pot Pie with Cheese Crust

Pot Pie Ingredients
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast cubed into 1/3 inch pieces

1.5 cups diced potatoes
1 cup sliced carrots
1 cup frozen green peas
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup milk

Cheese Crust Incredients
1 cup flour
4 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small squares
8 oz bag grated strong flavored cheese such as extra-sharp cheddar or parmesan
pinch of salt
Ice water

Directions: 

1. Prepare cheese crust by combining all dry crust ingredients in food processor, and pulse until crumbly. 
2. Add ice water, a tablespoon at a time, until dough comes together. 
3. Form into ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill in the freezer for at least 30 minutes. 
4. Lightly grease baking dish, pie pan or individual pie pans.
5. In a large saucepan, combine chicken, carrots, and potatoes. Add water to cover and cook over med for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, drain and set aside.
6. In the saucepan over medium-low heat, melt butter.  
7. Stir in flour, salt and pepper and cook for 2-3 minutes stirring constantly.    
8. Slowly stir in chicken broth and milk. Simmer until thick. 
9. Add cooked chicken, carrots and potatoes along with frozen peas.  Stir to coat and spoon into prepared baking dish/es.
10. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
11. Lightly flour rolling mat or table and roll out cheese crust  to 1mm thickness with a rolling pin.
12. Using a rolling cutter or kitchen shears cut dough into piece large enough to cover pot pie dish. 
13. Bake dish for 25-30 minutes or until crust is golden brown and crisp on top. 
14. Remove from oven and serve hot.