Chicken pot pie is the perfect dish to bring to a pot luck supper or just a home-cooked meal for your family. This page will walk you through each of the steps of how to make chicken pot pie, as well as provide some tasty variation once you've mastered the basics.

1. With a pastry blender cut in shortening.
2. Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time.
3. Place dough onto a floured covered works.
4. Place chicken in a large pot.
5. Add enough water to cover chicken.
6. Simmer for about 45 minutes.
7. Remove skin and bones from chicken.
8. Pour chicken mixture into bottom pie crust.
9. Cover with top crust.
10. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes.

• Nothing says comfort more than a homemade chicken pot pie. It is a surprisingly easy, versatile dish that can be made in a variety of ways. Some recipes use nothing more then left over cooked chicken, frozen vegetables and a quick biscuit topping, while others are more time consuming. Regardless of the recipe you choose to use, making chicken pot pie can be a great dish to serve up on a chilly day.

• For the Filling:

• • 2 broiler/fryer chickens cut up
  • 1 large onion
  • 4 carrots
  • 3 cups water
  • 1/4 teaspoon rosemary
  • 1/2 teaspoon thyme
  • 1/4 teaspoon marjoram
  • 2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 cups frozen peas (10 0z package)
  • 1/3 cup butter
  • 1/3 cup flour
  • 1 cup cream

• For the Crust:
  • 1 cup shortening
  • 3 cups flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 to 3/4 cup cold water

• Large pot with cover

• 9 inch deep-dish pie plate

• Mixing bowl

• Measuring cups

• Measuring spoons

• Vegetable peeler

• Knife

• Saucepan

• Whisk

• Spoon

• Rolling pin

• Pastry blender or fork

1. Measure flour and salt into bowl.All Recipes: Crust for Veggie Pot Pie

2. With a pastry blender or fork, cut the shortening in thoroughly.WhatsCookingAmerica: All Vegetable Shortening Pastry Recipe

3. Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing until flour is moist and dough forms a ball.All Recipes: Crust for Veggie Pot Pie

4. Divide dough in half, place one half (bottom crust) onto a floured covered work surface.Simply Recipes: Perfect Pie Crust

5. Roll out dough with floured rolling pin until it is about 2 inches wider than an inverted pie plate.WhatsCookingAmerica: All Vegetable Shortening Pastry Recipe

6. Place bottom crust into a 9 inch, deep-dish pie plate.

7. Roll out remaining dough (top crust) as in step 5 and set aside.All Recipes: Crust for Veggie Pot Pie

1. Place chicken in a large pot.All Recipes: Boiled Chicken

2. Peel and slice carrots into 1/4-inch-thick pieces, add to pot.Martha Stewart: Lighter Chicken Pot Pie

3. Peel and cut onion into quarters, put in pot.Epicurious.com: Chicken and Vegetable Pot Pies...

4. Add enough water to cover chicken.RecipeZaar: Un-Boiled Chicken

5. Add rosemary, thyme, marjoram, salt and pepper.Food Network: Chicken Pot Pie

6. Cover pot and bring to a boil.All Recipes: Boiled Chicken

7. Reduce heat and simmer for about 45 minutes or until chicken is cooked.Epicurious.com: Chicken and Vegetable Pot Pies...

8. Remove chicken and vegetables from pot, place vegetables in a bowl and transfer chicken to a plate.Taste of Home: Special Chicken Potpie

9. Remove 1 3/4 cups of chicken broth and set aside.All Recipes: Chicken Pot Pie IX

10. Remove skin and bones from chicken and cut into bite size chunks, set aside with vegetables.About.com: Country Chicken Pot Pie

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.Martha Stewart: Double Crust Chicken and Mushroom Pie

2. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat.Epicurious.com: Chicken and Vegetable Pot Pies...

3. Blend in flour using a whisk.Food Network: Chicken Pot Pie

4. Gradually add in the reserved broth and continue whisking.Food Network: Chicken Pot Pie

5. Slowly add cream and continue to whisk until sauce is thickened and smooth.Epicurious.com: Chicken and Vegetable Pot Pies...

6. Pour sauce over chicken and vegetables.Martha Stewart: Double Crust Chicken and Mushroom Pie

7. Stir in 1 10-ounce package of frozen peas.Martha Stewart: Double Crust Chicken and Mushroom Pie

8. Pour chicken mixture into bottom pie crust.All Recipes: Chicken Pot Pie IX

9. Cover with top crust, fold the overlapping edges of dough around the edge and press together to form a firm seal.All Recipes: Chicken Pot Pie IX

10. Place 3 to 4 slits in the pie, which will allow steam to escape.All Recipes: Chicken Pot Pie IX

11. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes.RecipeZaar: Delicious Chicken Pot Pie

1. Try this variation using a biscuit topping instead of a pie crust.Taste of Home: Special Chicken Potpie Recipe

2. No time to make a pie crust? Try using a frozen puff pastry instead.All Recipes: Easy As Chicken Pot Pie

3. Emeril Lagasse adds shoestring potatoes in this potato topped chicken pie.Food Network: Potato Topped Chicken Pie

4. For a healthy alternative, try homestyle chicken pot pie made with some reduced and low-fat ingredients.EveryDayHealth: Homestyle Chicken Pot Pie Recipe

5. For a Eastern twist, try curried chicken pie with sweet potato rosettes.Food Network: Curried Chicken Pie with Sweet Potato Rosettes

6. Paula Deen speeds things up with her "Hurry Up Chicken Pot Pie".Food Network: Hurry Up Chicken Pot Pie

7. This recipe makes 6 individual pot pies using 10-ounce ramekins.Simply Recipes: Chicken Pot Pie

8. Save time by using Bisquick to make the topping for this easy pot pie.RecipeZaar: Easy Bisquick Chicken Pot Pie