Chicken Pot Pie for 7

Trying to feed 7 people every night is a challenge, epecially in a family full of foodies. I try to avoid making the same foods repeatedly while staying in a budget. I, like most people, don’t have the money for gourmet meals but my family wants excellent food that won’t leave them hungry an hour later. Making a dollar stretch is no easy task. The mothers of ol’ had it right when it came to putting food on the table and I’m doing my best to learn from them.

I had everything I needed for chicken pot pie, which helps me stick to my rule of not shopping in between big grocery store trips. The nice thing about a pot pie is that you can toss in whatever is on hand and it’ll turn out. I’ll include a basic recipe but feel free to add/omit as you need.

By the way, the measurements are pretty loose. I definitely cook by feel and taste so don’t hesitate to toss, pinch or throw to your own liking.

Chicken Pot Pie (adapted from BlogChef.net)

Ingredients:
2 prepared pie crusts (homemade or store bought)

Filling-
4 Tblsp butter
1 onion diced
½ cup diced celery
1 cup diced or sliced carrot
1 cup (or so) diced potatoes. I use red or white or whatever is on hand
4 cloves garlic minced, or a Tbsp jarred garlic
1 tablespoon parsley
1 teaspoon thyme
1 pinch red pepper flakes
¼ teaspoon ground sage
salt and pepper
3 tablespoons flour
1 cup beef broth (I use a bouillon cube)
1 cup chicken broth (cube again)
2 cups cooked and diced chicken. I’ve used breast, tenderloin, thigh, whatever I had on hand.

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and press one curst onto the bottom and up the sides of a 9” pie plate.

Step 2: In a large pan melt butter and add celery, onion, carrots, potatoes, and garlic. Stir fry for 5 minutes. Add parsley, red pepper flakes, thyme, sage, salt and pepper to the pan. Mix well. Sprinkle with flour and mix again. Add chicken stock and simmer for 5 minutes or until mixture is thickened. Add chicken bits to the mixture and mix well.

Step 3: Pour mixture into the prepared pie dish. Top with the second crust and crimp sides to seal.

Step 4: Bake in the oven at 425 degrees and bake for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 15 minutes before serving.

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Cranberry Lemon Bread

I bought a bag of cranberries for chewy granola bar things and only used half of it so I needed to find another use. Ta-Da, lemon cranberry bread. Simple, quick and soo good with a lemon glaze. I just used a basic quick bread recipe, increased the sugar a bit and added lemon and cranberry. Topped off with an extra easy lemon glaze and it was perfect.

Cranberry Lemon Glazed Bread

5 Tbsp. butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 cups sifted flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
3/4 cup milk
1 cup cranberries

Glaze: 3 Tbsp. lemon juice, 1 cup powdered sugar

Cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs and lemon juice. Sift dry ingredients; add alternately to egg mixture with milk. Stir in remaining ingredients. Pour into a greased loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 55-65 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes; remove from pan. Coat with glaze.

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Soft and chewy sugar cookie bliss

Few things make me as happy as a sugar cookie. Not the grocery store kind though, those are an abomination of sugar and blech. I’m sure when the world ends all we’ll be left with is Pamela Anderson’s boobs and grocery store sugar cookies.

I found this recipe at Baking Beauties and it is sugar cookie heaven. I have been proposed to over these cookies. Granted, he was 12, but still a proposal is a proposal right?

Cracked Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups white sugar
• 1 cup butter
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 vanilla bean, scraped (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
• course sugar to roll the cookies in, any colour

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease 2 cookie sheets.
2. Cream together sugar and butter. Beat in egg yolks and vanilla.
3. Add flour, baking soda, and cream of tartar. Stir.
4. Form dough into walnut size balls, roll in course sugar, and place 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet. Don’t flatten. Bake 10 to 11 minutes, until tops are cracked and just turning colour.

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Chocolate peanut butter bars (or kid crack)

I forgot to bake. I was distracted by internet window shopping and didn’t realize my kids were going to be home in an hour. With nothing started I made a mad dash to the cupboard. When all else fails, kid crack is the answer.  No single food item in my house is as well loved as the combo of peanut butter and chocolate. 20 minutes later I was a good mom again. Even better, 48 pieces of chocolate love only cost about $1.50. I have no idea where this recipe came from, it’s just one of those old favorites.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars (AKA “Kid Crack”)

• 2 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 2 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 2 1/2 to 3 cups confectioners’ sugar

In a medium bowl, mix graham cracker crumbs, confectioners’ sugar, peanut butter and melted butter. Press into the bottom of a parchment paper lined 9×13 inch pan. Melt chocolate chips, stirring occasionally. Spread melted chocolate over the crumb crust. Chill for about 5 minutes, then score chocolate to make cutting easier after they’ve set. A pizza wheel is perfect for cutting squares.

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