Chicken Pot Pie

It's about time I add this since I combine several different recipes plus my own alterations making it a pain every time I go to make this.  Not a personal favorite of mine, but a favorite of everyone else in my family: it is requested for birthdays and cheered at the inevitable "what's for dinner?" question, which makes it a winning meal in my mind. I often double the filling and freeze some for a quick dinner.

Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients:

• 1 home made pie crust or 2 store bought (delicious both ways, but homemade is too rich with 2 crusts.

Filling-enough for 2 8x8 pies or 1 9x13

• 3 cups cooked shredded chicken
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 4 carrots, diced
• 3 stalks of celery, diced
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• 1 can/ 2 cups chicken broth
• 4 Tbsp butter
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 cup frozen green beans (the haricot vert are my favorite here)

Directions:

Heat olive oil in large pot, add veggies, salt & pepper and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.  Empty veggies into a bowl and mix with chicken, set aside.  Melt butter in pot and stir in flour; cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Slowly whisk in milk and chicken broth; try to avoid lumps.  Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the thyme, veggies, and chicken; add the green beans. (this part can be done ahead of time and frozen for 2 months or refrigerated over night until ready to use)

Preheat oven to 375.  Grease a large casserole or 8x8 pan.  Gently unroll one pie crust if using 2 crusts.  Fill will half of filling. Freeze or make a second pie.  Roll second pie crust on top and pinch edges together.  Bake at 375 for 45-55 minutes, until top of crust is golden brown and filling is bubbling.

Cherry Amaretto Ice Cream

Ever since we went to Italy and tried so many amazing Gelatos, I haven't been able to get the "cherries and milk" flavor out of my head.  It was so good.  Also, I love cherries and as I was savoring delicious ripe cherries this summer it made me long for it even more.  So I got inventive.  The base is my simple, unfussy ice cream maker basic and then I added some cherries that had been sprinkled with sugar.  It was Spencer's suggestion to add a bit of almond extract and that really made the ice cream.  Not exactly like we had in Florence, but good enough to satisfy my longing.  

• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 1/2 cup fresh cherries, pitted and sliced small, with about 1/2 tbsp sugar sprinkled on top

Mix together the whole milk and sugar with a whisk until the sugar is dissolved, about 1 minute.  Stir in the vanilla and almond extracts.  Gently stir in the heavy cream.  Pour into ice cream maker.  Add cherries during the last 5 minutes.  Transfer to a container and let rest in the freezer for 1-2 hours before serving.