Chicken or no Chicken Pot Pie with Jalapeño Crust

Meat Monday for Chuck, and Meatless Monday for me. You can add the chicken or leave it out. Lots of diced veggies and a really nice cream sauce, and of course double crust. Jalapeño Crust I might add. Crust with flavor is my new way of thinking. Not sure what I will add next to my crust. Any suggestions??

This is when you throw in the whole jalapeño. It's at the bottom.

Let it chill

Jalapeño Crust I made 2 so I could have a top and bottom crust, it's up to you.

1 1/2 cups of flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup cold unsalted butter

1/4 cup ice cold water

1 whole Jalapeño seeded

Put flour, salt, Jalapeño and butter in food processor and blend for 8 seconds

Add the water and pulse until it all starts to come together, not into a ball, Just before that.

Put dough in plastic wrap and chill for an hour or so.

When chilled roll out onto a floured surface, and cut into the shapes of the pans or bowls you are going to use.

For the filling

1 Tablespoon butter

1 Tablespoon Olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped celery

1 cup chopped carrots

1 cup chopped mushrooms

1/2 cup or so of cooked diced potato

1/3 cup white wine, optional

3 Tablespoons of flour

2 1/2 cups of chicken broth, or vegetable broth

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 cup cream I used heavy cream. so good

1 cup frozen peas

2 cups of bite sized pieces of cooked chicken

Heat oven to 370 dgrees

Heat the oil and butter in large skillet over medium heat, add the carrots, onion, celery mushrooms and sauté until the carrots are a little soft.

( The carrots take the longest) Add the wine and simmer rapidly until the wine has evaporated. Add the flour and stir over medium heat for about two minutes. Make sure all the vegetables are coated with the flour. Add the chicken or vegetable broth and stir until smooth. Let simmer for about five minutes. Then gradually add the cream stirring to combine, stir in frozen peas and chicken if using. Simmer until the peas are cooked. Taste.

Divide the filling equal among your pie pans. If you use small pans or bowls your should get 4 or 5 pies. Or like me I used 3 large bowls. Now is the time to decide if you want to make them all double crust. I did.

Brush the tops of the crust with egg wash. 1 egg with 1 Tablespoon cream.

Put the pies on a cookie sheet and place in oven 30-40 minutes. Until golden brown on top.

Recipe filling is adapted from joyofbaking.com