Meals as a Mrs. ~ Deep Dish Chicken Pot Pie

Tonight's meal is an old favorite of mine.  I first had this meal several years ago in York at my co-friend's house.  Tracy and RJ were expecting their first child when they invited me over for dinner at their house.  I remember when Tracy told me she was going to make a pot pie using what was then a new Kraft dressing:  Zesty Italian dressing thinking I probably wouldn't like it!  Nothing against Tracy's cooking but pot pie was always made with gravy in my experience!  Well, boy am I glad I went to that dinner with an open mind (and stomach) because it was SO yummy!  The unexpected tangy taste from the dressing is a nice surprise as you take in that first bite of pot pie.  The last time I made this dinner was in California when we went to my sister-in-law's house for dinner and board games back in March 2014 so it's been a while!  Tonight, I played around with the recipe but it still tasted as good to me as it has in the past!  Here is a link to the recipe. 

Since we had extra chicken that Adam threw on the grill for me, I decided to add extra dressing and cream cheese so the chicken would not be dried out in the pot pie.  Instead of 1/4 c. of dressing, I used 3/4 of the bottle (!!) and I doubled the cream cheese by inserting 8 oz. of cubed cream cheese.  Due to the heavier/thicker cream, it took twice as long to bake so the 30 minutes of baking turned into 60 minutes to achieve a golden brown pie crust.  I also recommend inserting a tray on the rack below the pie or even putting the pie pan on top of the cookie sheet to catch any dressing that might overflow for easier clean up in the oven should you have any spills.  Additionally, since I added more of the liquid ingredients the slices were overflowing on our plates as well. 

Also, each time I make this delicious pot pie, my frozen vegetables tend to be whatever I happen to have on hand.  In the fridge and freezer tonight, I found some super sweet corn, chopped spinach, and left over carrots.  So I basically tripled the amount of frozen vegetables but it all blended nicely together.  To be frank, I've not had this medley of frozen vegetables in the pot pie before but was hopeful it would still taste good!  One more side note:  the recipe only calls for a crust on the top but I like to make my pot pies with crust on the bottom and the top.  My fluting technique needs work as you'll see by the lack of the pretty pie edges on the whole pie but the taste of this deep dish pot pie is oh so good!  I also always use the Pillsbury brand of pie crusts.  I've experimented with others, including store brands, but have found that the taste of Pillsbury pie crusts is bar none!

Now, the only question I have is what do with my leftover chicken broth?  Have you any suggestions regarding a quick recipe using this liquid??

Below is a prayer we prayed at the conclusion of our Engaged Encounter Weekend last October.  We had to face one another and take each other's hands into our own.  We were told to stare into each other's eyes as the mentor couples read aloud the prayers.  It was an emotional prayer for many of us brides as most of were sniffling by the end of it.  I saw a few guys who appeared to be overcome with emotion as well.

The Hands of the Husband-to-Be

These are the hands, young and strong and vibrant with love, that will hold yours on your wedding day, as he promises to love you all the days of his life.

These are the hands you will place with expectant joy against your stomach until he, too, feels the child stir within your womb.

These are the hands that may seem so large and clumsy, yet will be so gentle as he holds your baby for the first time.

These are the hands that will work long hours for you and your new family.

These are the hands that will caress your body throughout the years, to make the passion of love come alive in you.

These are the hands that will, countless times, wipe the tears from your eyes tears of sorrow and tears of joy.

These are the hands that will comfort you in illness and hold you when fear or grief rack your mind.

These are the hands that will tenderly lift your chin and brush your cheek as they raise your face to look into his eyes: eyes that are filled completely with his overwhelming love and desire for you. 

The Hands of the Wife-to-Be

These are the hands that are smooth, young, and carefree, that will hold yours as she gives you her pledge to love you and accepts your ring on your wedding day in committing to love you all the days of her life.

These are the hands that will hold each child in tender love, soothing them through illness and hurts, supporting and encouraging them along the way and knowing when it's time to let go.

These are the hands that will massage tension from your neck and back in the evenings, after you've both had a long hard day.




These are the hands that will hold you tight as you struggle through difficult times. They are the hands that will comfort you when you are sick or console you when you are grieving.



These are the hands that will hold you in joy and excitement and hope each time she tells you that you are to have another child; that together you have created a new life.

Perhaps these are the hands that will comfort you when you are told you cannot have a child and will convince you that together you will create new life in other ways.

These are the hands that through the years will caress your body in the passion of love, to enhance your sexual joy.

These are the hands that will give you support as she encourages you to chase down your dreams. Together, as a team, everything you wish for can be realized.

* These are the hands that will burn themselves as they are taking the Deep Dish Chicken Pot Pie out of the oven....but the dinner was sooo good in spite of the small burn.