Healthy Comfort Food: Chicken Pot Pie

My husband has been sick, and as you would imagine, he is getting quite sick of your traditional chicken soup. I decided to whip up, from scratch, chicken pot pie. Just the very sound of the name makes my stomach growl with anticipation. I was so excited to begin cooking, when I realized that I did not have the ingredients to make the proper crust, and did not have the motivation to venture out to the store, so I decided to play the "use what's in the cupboard" game and came up with an alternative to the crust: mashed potatoes.

Serving Size: I'd say this recipe makes enough for 2 hungry people, so I'd double it if you're cooking for more.

Ingredients:

• 1 large, boneless skinless chicken breast (thawed)
• 1/4 cup sliced, semi-diced, onions
• 2 carrots, sliced 
• A handful or two of snow peas, sliced
• 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
• 4 tbsp. butter
• 1/2 cup milk
• 3-4 large potatoes (or you can cheat and used the most natural boxed version you can find--no flavors added)
• Salt and pepper
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth, low sodium
• 2 tbsp. flour

How to:

1. Boil your chicken breast first. (this step takes longest, but the boiled chicken shreds very easily.) Place your thawed chicken breast in a pot of cold water and bring to a boil, immediately cover the pot, reduce heat slightly, and let cook for 10-15 minutes or until cooked. Remove chicken breast, let cool for a bit, and then shred the chicken. Set aside for later.
2. Pre-heat your oven to 425.
3. Peel potatoes, quarter them, and place them in a large pot with cold water (don't forget to add some salt), cover and bring to a boil.
4. Melt 2 tbsp. of the butter in a medium sized skillet over medium heat, add the onions, garlic, some salt and pepper, and sauté until softened. Add in 1 cup of the chicken broth, stir together. Next, add the flour to the remaining 1/2 cup of chicken broth and whisk together. Whisk in this mixture, and bring to a boil (keep stirring). Once it boils, reduce to a simmer. Let cook for approx. 5 minutes, so it will thicken.
5. Next, add your sliced carrots to the skillet and bring to a boil. Add in your shredded chicken and bring back to a boil. Remove skillet from heat and stir in your sliced snow peas. Pour mixture into your medium sized, casserole dish. (Make sure to spray it with a little cooking spray before hand)
6. Let the mixture cool while you prepare your mashed potatoes. Your potatoes are ready to mash when they are soft, and easy to pierce with a fork. Once they are ready, drain the water, and in the same pot, or in a separate mixing bowl, mash the potatoes. Add in the final tbsp. of butter (or more if you so desire), the 1/2 cup milk (or more if the potatoes look too thick), some salt and pepper. Mash until creamy.
7. Spread the mashed potatoes on top of the chicken mixture in an even layer. Put the dish in the oven, and let cook until the potatoes are slightly browned on top--maybe 5 minutes. (Keep an eye on them.)
8. Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes, and then...chow down! It's a delicious and fresh take on traditional comfort food. It is much healthier than what you'd buy in the store or at a restaurant, so you don't need to feel guilty. ;) Enjoy!