In the evening when my husband and I are relaxing after our little pumpkin goes to bed, we usually unwind by sitting on the couch and watching a little bit of TV. Whether it’s a movie, one of our favorite shows (that we pre-record to fast forward through the commercials), or something on one of our favorite stations, HGTV or DIY Network. One night, we were watching House Hunters. This particular episode was about five guys in their twenties who were looking to buy a house with a bunch of bedrooms so they could all still be roomies together. Amazingly, what interested me the most in this show was when they were talking about the food they ate. One of their favorite meals was called, “Chicken Pot Awesome.” We laughed, and said, “What in the world is that?” Well, when they explained that it was simply chicken pot pie with a bunch of bacon added in, we both gaped at the TV and said, “Wow! That sounds AWESOME!” Hence, the chicken pot awesome name.
I decided right then that I had to make this for the hubster…shoot, and for myself too, because it sounded amazing. Normally, he doesn’t get all that excited about food…but after a weekend of helping his brother move to Texas, I wanted to make something special for him when he got back. I’d kept it a secret all weekend, but when he called to chat on his lunch break the day of his special dinner, I spilled the beans. And honestly, I can’t remember a time I’ve heard him get that excited about a meal, because I told him we were also having Bananas Foster for dessert. And trust me, it was worth it. We’re sitting there at the table in silence, gobbling down all of the awesomeness. This is something I will definitely be making again in the future. And again…and again…you get the point.
Chicken Pot Awesome Recipe:
1 pound chicken, cut up into cubes
1 pound bacon
1 bag “steam in a bag” mixed veggies (peas, carrots, corn and green beans)
1 stick of unsalted butter
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon celery seed
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cut up bacon into smaller pieces, cook in skillet until crispy, remove from pan. Add chicken and cook in bacon grease until lightly browned and cooked all the way through. Cook vegetables in microwave, according to package directions. In a saucepan over medium heat, cook onions in butter until soft and translucent. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, and celery seed. Slowly stir until mixture becomes thick. Slowly stir in chicken broth and milk. Simmer over medium-low heat until thick. Remove from heat and set aside. Place the chicken and bacon in bottom of pie pan. Pour hot liquid mixture over meat. Cover top with crust, seal edges, and cut away excess dough. Make several small slits in the top to allow steam to escape. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.
