Gravy Chicken Pie

British Pie Week continues here on Recitherapy and we don't regret participating ONE BIT! We've got a RIDICULOUS recipe here for you today!

But before we continue... let me brag a little on one of my friends and a Recitherapy reader, Shelley! Shelley is a wife and a NEW MOTHER and somehow found time this week to make her family our Spanakopita! In her words, "It was so easy and there's pictures, it's lighter than other spinach pies!" Shelley's pie looked amazing! Here it is:

Perfect, Shell!! Well done and thanks for showing me this... makes my heart happy and puts a smile on my face! Friends, always always always let me know when you've successfully made one of our recipes and send me photos! I love it.

Moving on! I know the name of this pie is a little silly, but it only seemed appropriate for what it was. Also you'll think it's basically chicken pot pie, and it sort of is... but the gravy we used and the way we did the crust makes it a little different.

Let's talk about how easy this one was to make! I "crock-potted" my way all the way til the baking process... set it and forget about it is the name of this game. SO- let's get started.

Ingredients for the crock pot section:

• 5 chicken tenderloins (or 3 breasts)
• 3 chicken bouillon cubes (dissolved in 3 cups of boiling water and sprinkled/stirred with cornstarch)
• olive oil
• seasoned salt
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• half large onion, diced small
• 3 large carrots, chopped how like
• roughly two handfuls haricot verts, green beans
• 2 potatoes, diced small, skin on
• 1 can sweet corn, drained
• 1 can young peas, drained- reserve a few for serving decoration

Ingredients for crust:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup plus 2 Tablespoons Crisco shortening... yes you can use butter if you prefer but I like to stick to my mom's original recipe
• 6-8 Tablespoons cold water
• a few sheets phyllo dough
• olive oil

Ingredients for gravy:

• 2 large spoons butter
• 1 cup boiling water
• 2 large spoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 Tablespoon sugar
• 2 large spoons soy sauce

So in the bottom of your crock pot, drizzle olive oil, add half the minced garlic and all the diced onion. Place the chicken on top of that, yes it can still be frozen, top the chicken with the rest of the minced garlic and lightly sprinkle with seasoned salt. Then add all the vegetables EXCEPT the corn and peas. Pour the chicken broth with the cornstarch over the top and close the lid. Turn it on "high" for four hours or on "low" for six. During the last hour, break apart the chicken with a large serving spoon and toss in the corn and peas. Mix well and put the lid back on. At this point, let's make your dough for the crust and start preheating the oven.

The crust is truly the easiest. Preheat your oven to 475 degrees. Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl and mix well. Cut in the shortening with two knives or a pastry cutter if you have one until the mixture is pea-sized balls. Add in a few tablespoons of cold water at a time until you can form the mixture into a ball that holds together well. Split the mixture into two parts, one part being a little larger than the other. The larger portion will be the base of the pie and the smaller will be part of the top crust.

Now get out your casserole baking dish and let's lay the foundation crust. On a well floured surface, roll out the base dough as large as need be to cover the base and some of the sides of the baking dish. Remember how to transfer it easily to the dish? Once it's rolled out, place the rolling pin at the top and roll the dough onto the pin until you can lift it completely up. Then starting at the bottom of the dish, simply unroll the dough onto the dish and press gently into the bottom. Score it with a fork to let air in during baking. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until slightly golden. Remove it and set it aside. Turn your oven back to 425 degrees. Also now is the time to get your phyllo out of the freezer, let it rest for a few minutes then before it's too warm, unroll it so it's laying as flat as possible.

Now let's make your gravy! In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the butter. Once melted add in the boiling water and the dry ingredients (it's helpful if you mix the dry ingredients together first in a coffee mug or something). Whisk whisk whisk so there's no lumps. Once it starts to bubble a little, add in the soy sauce and whisk some more. It'll thicken fairly quickly and form that funny little film on top but don't fret, it whisks right out when you need it to.

Now in a big mixing bowl, transfer all the crock pot goodness and pour that gravy all over it. Mix it well with that big serving spoon and transfer it all to the crust filled baking dish.

Once it's transfered, start laying a few bits of phyllo on the top, lightly olive oiling each sheet before adding the next. I think I only did 3 bits of phyllo here. THEN, roll out your other smaller portion of homemade crust as thin as you can get it before you can't roll it onto the pin. Roll it on the pin and unroll it over top the 3 bits of phyllo. Add a few slits in the top of it to allow air flow. Then top THAT with 3 or 4 more sheets of phyllo, again, oiling between each sheet. Tuck the edges in and oil the top once more.

Now bake it for 30-40 minutes, until that phyllo is golden and flaky. Tada!!! When you slice into this, it will literally be oozing with that savory brown gravy and it will break your heart.

I suggest whipping up your favorite mashed potatoes and a second helping of that gravy for serving. We served ours English style (in honour of the week) and we topped each portion with the potatoes, a HEAPING ton of gravy and a spoonful of peas. SO delicious and irresistibly comforting.

Invite over a few friends and serve this with a tall pint of Guinness. There's SERIOUSLY sometimes nothing better for the soul than a comfort food pie with beer and friends.

Oh... and a really fine husband. ;)

 How fun is British Pie Week!! Loving this fun challenge and can't wait to make ANOTHER pie tonight... onwards!

XOX