Old Fashioned Chicken Pot Pie in a Pan

Ingredients

The Top Crust

• 1 1/4 cups milk, hot to the touch
• 2 tablespoons shortening
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon yeast
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon tarragon
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper (or more)
• 3 1/2 cups flour

The Filling

• 4 cups cooked chicken breasts, cubed
• 2 1/2 cups chicken broth (from cooking chicken meat)
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 carrots, peeled, sliced
• 4 celery ribs, chopped

Optional Filling Ingredients

• canned mushrooms (optional)
• fresh mushrooms (optional)
• thyme (optional)
• rosemary (optional)
• curry (optional)
• peas (optional)
• broccoli (optional)
• mixed vegetables (cooked) (optional)
• potato (optional)
• turnip (cooked) (optional)

The Gravy

• 3 tablespoons chicken fat
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1 1/2 cups cream, half-n-half or milk
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

The Glaze

• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon water

Directions

1. 1

   FOR THE CRUST.

2. 2

   Place all ingredients in your bread-maker (according to manufacturer's directions, mine go in "liquid first"); program for "Dough" or "Manual" then press "Start.".

3. 3

   The dough will be very sticky at first (like biscuit dough); it will firm up by the end of the kneading time.

4. 4

   While the dough is kneading, prepare the filling.

5. 5

   FOR THE FILLING.

6. 6

   Cook chicken breasts in your normal way (I use water & cooking sherry), reserve broth and separate fat if you can (used in the next part).

7. 7

   Melt butter in hot pan, saute onion & carrots until lightly browned, add celery, saute until limp-ish.

8. 8

   Dump veggies and chicken into large bowl

9. 9

   FOR THE GRAVY.

10. 10

    Melt butter and fat in same pan (as veggies), whisk in the flour.

11. 11

    S-L-O-W-L-Y add the reserved broth, continually whisking out the lumps.

12. 12

    Whisk in the cream and S & P.

13. 13

    Turn off the heat, stir in meat & veggies.

14. 14

    FOR THE GLAZE:.

15. 15

    In a small bowl, mix egg and water, beating to a frothy mess; set aside.

16. 16

    ASSEMBLY.

17. 17

    Lightly spray or butter a 13x9 pan; pour chicken/gravy mixture into this dish.

18. 18

    Transfer bread dough to a floured work surface; knead by hand five times (count 'em); now let it rest for five minutes (this works, trust me).

19. 19

    Flour a rolling pin and roll dough into a 10 x 14-inch rectangle; do NOT over-work the dough, light touches are best!

20. 20

    Use a pizza cutter or knife to cut rolled-out dough into two-inch squares or diamonds if you're really creative!

21. 21

    Place squares/diamonds on top of the chicken-veg-gravy mixture in the pan--aim for a cobblestone look (overlap them a bit).

22. 22

    Brush generously with egg glaze (this will give the dough a nice brown--slightly shiny--finish).

23. 23

    Put into a COLD oven, turn heat to 350 (the dough will rise a bit while the oven heats); bake 35-45 minutes--the dough will be a lovely rich brown color.

24. 24

    Let rest about 5 minutes before serving.

25. 25

    With a green salad or a fruit salad on the side you have climbed to the top of the pedestal!