Freezer Food: Chicken Pot Pie Tutorial

Now, before I get rolling and you start thinking, "I've read this somewhere before..." I have to confess I've already done this recipe, and not too long ago!  But this is a little different spin, so stick with me.

The school year is beginning for lots of families right now, and with that often comes extracurricular activities, after school meetings, clubs, lessons, and more.  Time for cooking dinner is nearly non-existent, but the desire to have a homemade dinner together doesn't go away for most families.  That's why I love freezer cooking!

We feel it's very important for our family to sit down together every night, have a family meal together, and talk about how everyone's day went.  When you spend the majority of the day going many different directions, this time together gives us the opportunity to hear about successes and failures, and identify how we can help each other.  

For me personally, one of my successes is serving a healthy, substantial meal to discuss all those other things over!  So in the moments that feel a little less crazy, I put together some meals to put in the freezer for later.  Chicken Pot Pie is one of my favorite freezer meals to use, because it's nice enough to not feel so much like a "casserole," but it still has all the elements:  protein, veggie, grain, and creamy gravy!

The method here is a little different than the traditional chicken pot pie on this site.  Instead of doing one pie at a time, this is a bulk-cooking method which allows you to make many pies at a time.  

You start by making several pie crusts.  I recommend this recipe, since it's the most simple and easy to work with, and can also be made on a large scale.  Remember you'll need a double pie crust, but you can make all of the bottom crusts at the beginning, fill the pies, and make a new batch of dough later.

Start the filling with some cooked chicken.  Or turkey.  Or pork.  Or whatever cooked meat you want to use.

Fill to the top with plenty of veggies.  Use a big bag of frozen!  It's easier!

Next you need gravy, and plenty of it!  Start by melting the butter in a large pot.

Whisk in some flour,

then pour in plenty of chicken broth.  Don't worry about the clumps--just whisk and whisk and they'll go away!

Cook, stirring constantly, until the gravy is thick and creamy.

Pour a generous amount over each pie.

Top with a second pie crust, trim, seal and flute the edges, cut vents for steam.

Now, instead of baking, wrap in plastic wrap (and again in foil to prevent freezer burn) and put in the freezer.  Remember not to stack them until frozen, lest you ruin your beautiful artwork!

When ready to bake, preheat oven and place frozen pie directly in oven (can place on baking sheet to prevent spillage) and bake as with regular chicken pot pie, adding 15-20 minutes baking time to prevent a doughy middle.

Freezer Chicken Pot Pie 
(Recipe makes one pie.  Multiply the following quantities for desired number of pies.)

1 prepared double pie crust
2 cups cooked and chopped/shredded chicken, turkey, pork or other meat
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 cups (one 12 oz can) chicken broth, milk, or water

Prepare pie crust, leaving top off.  Fill crust with chicken and veggies.  Melt butter in large pot.  Whisk in flour.  Add broth and stir continuously until smooth and thick.  Pour gravy over veggies and meat.  Top with second pie crust.  Seal and cut slits to vent steam.  Cover and refrigerate or freeze.  When ready to bake, preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Bake for 60 minutes, or until entire top crust begins to brown, adding foil around edges of crust if it becomes too dark.  Allow to cool 15 minutes before cutting and serving.