Canning Chicken Pot Pie

      Why not take some time to can up a chicken pot pie base.  It's a time saver and always great to have on hand for quick and easy dinner prep.  One quart jar fits a 9" inch pie dish.  You will be thickening this base once opened to heat and eat.  You also need to decide if you want to use store-bought pie crust or make your own.  I'm thinking of having smaller foil tin rounds on hand so I can do smaller, individual pot pies.  No matter how you slice it - its a great time saver and an even better addition to your canning pantry. Enjoy! Diane  
Yield: 6 Quarts 

Ingredients:
Sauté on Stovetop:
3 Tablespoons butter 
3 Cups onion, diced
3 Cups carrots, diced 
2 Cups potatoes, peeled & diced  
1 Cup celery, diced 
1 Cup red bell pepper, diced

Add in once vegetables are lightly browned:
4 Quarts Chicken Broth
1-2 Tablespoons Organic Better then Bullion Roasted Chicken, optional
1 bay leaf, remove before jarring 
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons salt
dash of cayenne pepper powder

Stir in at the end, before jarring contents: 
6 Cups Raw boneless/skinless chicken, cubed into 1" inch chunks
1 cup peas, frozen
2 Tablespoons bottled lemon juice 

Directions:
     Place butter in stockpot on stovetop over medium heat. Once butter is melted, add in your diced vegetables. Sauté for about 5 minutes.  Add your broth and seasonings and bring everything to a boil; reduce heat and simmer about 10 minutes (until vegetables are tender.)  Remove from heat and stir in the remaining ingredients. Make sure to remove your Bay leaf.  
     Ladle 2 cups of the hot stew mixture into each quart jar followed by 2 cups of the hot stew broth into each jar leaving 1" inch headspace.  Remove air bubbles and adjust liquid level if needed.  
       Process Quarts in your Pressure Canner for 90 minutes according to your canner type and altitude.  

     Want to turn your Quart of Chicken Pot Pie Base into a Pot Pie!!? 
 
Make your pie crust;
make sure to make your crust at least an hour in advance as the dough will need to chill in your fridge!  Pick your favorite Double-Crust "Flaky Pie Crust" recipe ready to make one 9" inch pot pie, you can use store bought pie dough too. 
Here is a link to an easy flaky double-crust: King Arthur Flour Classic Double Pie Crust 
make sure to omit the sugar when you make a pot pie crust!! 

Make your Roux; 
You will drain liquid from Quart jar into a large measuring cup.  You should have about 2 cups of liquid.  In a large saucepan melt 2 Tablespoons of butter and add in 2 Tablespoons of flour.  Mix these two together until the flour starts to brown and smell a bit 'nutty'...you're making a roux; the thickener for our stew.  Once roux is browned, slowly stir in the liquid from your measuring cup, raise heat to high and keep stirring as you add in all the liquid at a boil.  Once the liquid is thickened into a "gravy" - lower heat to simmer and stir in the remaining contents of your Quart jar (all the chicken and vegetables.)  

Assemble and Bake your Pie; 
Preheat your oven to 400F  
Place bottom crust into a lightly sprayed 'non-stick sprayed' pie pan (I use Pam for Baking *With Flour), place filling into shell and top with second pie crust, fold edges under and crimp pie crusts together.  Cut steam vent slits into top of pie.  Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove pie from oven and let cool at least 15 minutes ((you want your filling to cool a bit and firm up before serving.))   Slice and enjoy! 

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Canning Recipe adapted from: Ball's Hearty Chicken Stew 
Pie Crust: Link to King Arthur Flour