it is always a good time for some firsts...

So today I figured why not try a few new recipes... I had tried to make Chicken Pot Pie before (epic fail .. the "gravy" was more like water). But after some research and a good started recipe in the good ol' Pioneer Woman cookbook.. I have it all figured out






Oh and BIG tip.. you can prepare BOTH of these recipes ahead of time (ie nap time.. after bedtime the night before) and just refrigerate until you can pop them in the oven.. both of these I prepared in about 20-30 minutes while my son played with his friends!




First start with :::::

3 stalks of celery
3 whole carrots peeled (or a half of a bag of these carrot stick things)
1 cup frozen peas
1 yellow onion

1 pie crust (I cheated and bought the store kind..)
1 stick of butter (really only need a half of it though)
1 cup (or  8oz) of heavy cream
2 cups of chicken stock (low sodium please!)

1 tsp salt
1 chicken bouillon cube
1 tsp thyme
pepper to taste
1/2 cup of all purpose flour (sorry forgot to photograph)

'

1 whole chicken cut up into bite size pieces : I usually just use chicken breast or cheat and use a store bought rotissaire chicken... you could also be super old fashioned and just make your own chicken broth with the whole chicken and spend all day in the chicken etc... but I have too much other fun things to do!

So gather all these ingredients..... AND one of these::::

A small food dicer.... SO handy... 

If you do not have one of these go to target and buy one for $10.. best $10 you will have ever spent.. you must have one of these for this recipe.... Well I lied.. not really but you can use that excuse for your husband! 

So once ingredients are all out.. prepare veggies (ie wash and dice into bigger pieces)...

 put a pot, skillet whatever onto the stove on medium high and melt 1/2 stick of butter ...

Go ahead and use that little handy food dicer...

Oh and use your best friend in the kitchen... 

A garbage bowl.. I got this tip from Rachael Ray. Instead of walking back and forth to the trash can or the sink with your scraps and trash.. or tripping over the trashcan while it sits beside you while you peel carrots.. simply take a big bowl and deem it your GB, Garbage bowl.. Saves lots of steps and hassle! You will fall in love quick!

So take all those diced veggies and toss them into your melted butter pan

So pretty all those bright colors :)  Go ahead and let them cook for a few minutes, stirring slightly until the veggies start to get translucent then add the chicken bites 

let that cook for a few more minutes to let the chicken brown and warm a little.. 

Add the flour and constantly stir the flour in to let it cook out a little (forgot to photography step.. sorry new at this!)

then add the chicken broth and bouillon cube. stir stir stir (the flour will thicken the stock into a nice gravy)

please ignore my lack of manicure.. true sign of a real homecook

Go ahead and add the cream and peas... remember to stir in the cream to not scald it.. turn the pan on low and let it simmer and thicken a little

by now your kitchen should smell of yummy pot pie filling!

Now take a fun colored deep casserole dish

It MUST be colored and pretty for this dish.. Just kidding.. but it does need to be a deep round pie dish or casserole pan but you can use this for yet another reason to go to Ross and grab a fun kitchen item.. you can tell your hubby the recipe  maker said so!...   Anyway so on...

Add "filling" to the bowl.. sorry missed photo op yet again

Top the casserole dish with the handmade (ahhh store bought) pie crust and pinch to the side

Make sure you cut slits in the top to allow the steam to escape!

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until the crust is nice a brown!

And yes it was SO SO yummy! Perfect after a long day of playing or a long evening on a golf course...

Onto a  yummy side.. In all reality you could just go ahead and serve the pot pie alone but I have been dying to make a sweet potatoe casserole on my own. It was my favorite thing ever made while living in NC and I finally found a recipe that sounds similar to Mrs. Helens... So... Here we go::::

 PS I skipped the whole ingredients shot before putting the sweet potatoes in the oven to bake.. too hard to remember

So you will need 3 cups (or a few good sized sweet potatoes) already baked and yummy.. I really could just eat these on their own but I must refrain.. though I need make a few extra for our enjoyment for later....

let the cooked SP (sweet potatoes.. sorry my fingers get all jumbled spelling out "P O T A T O E S" ) cool then peel and plop in a bowl for mixing!

just gimmee a fork now please!

Grab the rest of your ingredients

2 eggs stirred
1/2 stick melted butter
1/2 stick room temperature butter
1/2 cup of milk (sorry added too much in the measurer)
1/2 cup of brown sugar
1 cup of pecans
 1/2 cup of sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup all purpose flour


Combine eggs, melted putter, milk, sugar, salt, and vanilla in the bowl with the SP's and mix with a hand mixer till well incorporated...  add to yet another fun casserole dish... any shape is fine.. just something oven safe :)

For the topping... Add the pecans, flour, brown sugar and the room temperature butter into a small bowl and combine well. 

go ahead spread ontop of the SP mixture...

I like to add a few more bits of butter on top.. butter = flavor

bake at 325 for 30 minutes

I went ahead and put these two recipes in together and just left the temp lower!

Comes out SO SO SO yummy