Deep Dish Chicken Pot Pie

Original Recipe from Kraft Food and Family Magazine

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1 inch pieces
1/4 cup zesty Italian reduced fat salad dressing
4 oz cream cheese or Neufchatel cheese
2 Tbsp flour
1/2 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
1 pkg (10 oz) frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
1 pie crust for 9 inch pie

Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Cook chicken in dressing in large skillet on medium heat for 2 minutes.  Add cream cheese; cook and stir until melted.  Add flour and mix well.  Add broth and vegetables; simmer 5 minutes.

Pour mixture into deep dish pie plate.  Arrange pie crust over filling and flute edges.  Cut four slits in crust to allow steam to escape.

Bake 30-40 minutes or until crust is golden brown.


Tips and Hints:
*With our crew, and because I like to have leftovers, I double this and make it in a 9x13 glass baking dish instead of in a pie pan.
*Instead of cutting up and cooking fresh chicken, you can use leftovers or a rotisserie chicken.  Lightly coat the saucepan in salad dressing, and saute the chicken in the dressing for a minute or two to flavor.
*I prefer Philadelphia brand cream cheese for recipes--it melts better and has a better flavor.
*I make a homemade pie crust for this, but you can use refrigerated or frozen pie dough to save time.

Slow Cooker Variation
Mix all ingredients, except pie crust, (cook chicken in dressing or use pre-cooked chicken) in slow cooker.  Heat on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.  Serve over warm biscuits.

Western Casserole

1 pound ground beef

1 can kidney beans

1 can corn

1 can condensed tomato soup

2/3 cup milk

2 tsp chili powder

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Brown ground beef; drain.  Return to pan and add beans, corn, soup, milk, and chili powder.  Stir well and heat to boiling.  Simmer 10-15 minutes or until slightly thickened.  Stir in cheddar cheese and heat until melted.  Serve over warm corn bread.

Thoughts and Tips:

*You can also pour the soup mixture into a casserole and top with corn bread batter.  Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes until bread is done.

*If you don't like kidney beans, substitute another type of beans such as pinto or Great Northern.

This is another quick and easy, one pan meal.  I usually use a Jiffy mix for the cornbread; bake it in an 8x8 pan or two packages in a 9x13.


Slow Cooker Variation
Pour all ingredients except cheese into a slow cooker.  Cook on low 5-6 hours or high 2-3 hours.  Add cheese and let sit 10-15 minutes until cheese melts.