As with most families, there are several dinnertime favorites in the McCune household. But the one that sticks out to me the most is mom’s chicken pot pie. This food jumps to the front of my mind for several reasons; the main one may be that I haven’t had a plate of hot, steamy pot pie in a while, or that it just brings back so many memories.
The crust is the key to mom’s pot pie. It’s the same homemade crust she makes on all her apple and pecan pies that garner so much praise around the holidays. The crust is flaky on the top, but underneath where the crust meets the broth it becomes somewhat chewy, not unlike the center of a perfectly baked cookie. The interesting part about the crust is that you would heat up leftover pot pie for the next two or three days and it would still be good, not the crust perfection it was fresh but still better than most.
The crust is the key to mom’s pot pie. It’s the same homemade crust she makes on all her apple and pecan pies that garner so much praise around the holidays. The crust is flaky on the top, but underneath where the crust meets the broth it becomes somewhat chewy, not unlike the center of a perfectly baked cookie. The interesting part about the crust is that you would heat up leftover pot pie for the next two or three days and it would still be good, not the crust perfection it was fresh but still better than most.
The inside of the pot pie is pretty basic, a simple broth, shredded chicken, carrots, potatoes and peas. But over the years the insides have changed a bit. I have always hated peas; I was also a stubborn child who would refuse to eat foods I didn’t like. So, after pot pie meals you could often find peas on the floor around my dinner seat that I had “accidentally” dropped off of my plate. Then as my older brother and I got older and began eating more one batch of pot pie wasn’t enough so mom started making a “pea free” pot pie just for me. When I found out about this invention I was excited because now I could eat my favorite dinner without painstaking searching through my plate to make sure I removed every last pea.
Over the years I have grown out of my selfish pickiness and man-up, put on my big boy pants and eat the peas that cover the pot pie. However, mom still doesn’t get a break because two of my three little siblings refuse to eat carrots in their pot pie. Perhaps it’s because mom makes the best pot pie ever. Maybe it’s because everyone in my family loves a good crust with broth, chicken and potatoes enough to put up with carrots and peas. Or it could be because mom keeps adapting it to keep everyone happy. Whatever the reason chicken pot pie will always be a meal that will bring back memories of home.
Over the years I have grown out of my selfish pickiness and man-up, put on my big boy pants and eat the peas that cover the pot pie. However, mom still doesn’t get a break because two of my three little siblings refuse to eat carrots in their pot pie. Perhaps it’s because mom makes the best pot pie ever. Maybe it’s because everyone in my family loves a good crust with broth, chicken and potatoes enough to put up with carrots and peas. Or it could be because mom keeps adapting it to keep everyone happy. Whatever the reason chicken pot pie will always be a meal that will bring back memories of home.
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