Ingredients

Crust
• 3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• 1 cup lard, chilled
• ¼ cup butter, chilled
• 8 to 11 tablespoons icy cold water
Pot Pie
• 3 cups water
• 3 chicken bouillon cubes
• 1 teaspoon basil
• ½ cup celery, chopped
• ½ cup onion, diced
• ½ cup red pepper, diced
• ¼ cup baby carrots, sliced
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 6 small potatoes, cubed, cooked
• 2 cups frozen peas
• 2 cups chicken breast, cooked and cubed
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon flour
• 2 cups half and half
• ½ cup crispy sautéed mushrooms

Instructions

Crust
1. In a large bowl combine flour and salt.
2. Cut lard and butter into small chunks and add to flour mixture.
3. Toss gently with a large spoon to coat the lard and butter with the flour mixture.
4. Working quickly, use your fingers to press the flour mixture and lard and butter together. Lift flour from the bottom of the bowl as you mix.
5. The pie dough should look crumbly with pea-sized lumps of lard and butter.
6. Add 6 tablespoons of icy water. Stir gently with a fork.
7. Add icy water one tablespoon at a time until the mixture is sticking together—but not wet.
8. Form three balls by pressing the dough together lightly.
9. On a floured surface, roll out the dough just larger than the size of your pie dish or baking dish.
10. Lay the crust over the top of the dish filled with chicken pot pie filling. (There is no bottom crust.)
Pot Pie
11. In a large saucepan, put water, chicken bouillon cubes, basil, celery, onion, red pepper, carrots, and black pepper. Simmer until vegetables are par cooked.
12. Put potatoes in a medium saucepan and cover with water. Cook until par cooked.
13. Add potatoes and frozen peas to vegetable mixture and simmer for 4 minutes.
14. In a very large bowl, place cooked chicken.
15. In a medium saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour until bubbly.
16. Add 1 cup half and half. Simmer until mixture is warm then pour over chicken.
17. Pour remaining cup of half and half over the chicken also. Stir.
18. Pour vegetable mixture over the chicken mixture. Stir.
19. Into two pie dishes scoop by the cupful the mixture, dividing evenly.
20. Simply lay the pie crust over the top, trimming the edges. Do not worry about making it look tidy. It has a rustic look!
21. Bake at 450 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until the crust on top is golden brown. Because the filling is already very hot, the pie crust is all that needs to bake.
22. Serve with a large spoon. The filling is juicy, almost runny. This gives the pot pie a lighter taste.