White Pumpkin Pie with Cinnamon Pretzel Crust

It's been pumpkin time for quite a while now. It seems it begins each year just a little earlier than the year before. I love pumpkin. I really, really do. That being said, you can most definitely have too much of a good thing. Enter the white pumpkin.

With Thanksgiving coming up, I'm in the throes of menu planning and shopping, and this year as I looked at the uncarved white pumpkin on my porch, I thought, "Why not?" It turns out you can make a pumpkin pie from just about any pumpkin you can purchase, including the white variety.

The flavor is milder and sweeter than that of a traditional orange pumpkin, and so surprisingly different that I've had requests to make this one for Thanksgiving Day. I am more than happy to oblige! This pumpkin variety is so sweet in fact, I am using sweetened condensed milk and no sugar. This changes the usual baking time, so read carefully! Please taste your pumpkin puree to decide whether or not you want to add sugar. Add sugar to the puree first and check before making the filling.

Now, you don't run to the store and simply pull white pumpkin puree from the shelf, you make it in the usual way. You can find instructions for that here: Which Pumpkin?  All pumpkins are edible, but some are more tasy than others. Follow the general rules for which pumpkin to cook, and you'll be fine.

On to that crust! I was greeted one day in my local Giant food store's vestibule by a bag of UTZ Holiday Cinnamon Pretzel Sticks. I love these things. They are very mild in flavor and lightly sweet, but with all the delicious crunch of the usual UTZ pretzel. On their own, they are lovely, but as a pie crust? A whole new dimension of texture an flavor. I though this would pair well with the white pumpkin, and I was right. If you are not able to find these, you can use any pretzel for the crust.


White Pumpkin Pie with Cinnamon Pretzel Crust
Makes one 9-inch pie

Crust:
1 1/2 cups finely crushed UTZ Holiday Cinnamon Pretzel Sticks
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter - melted
1/2 cup brown sugar

Pie Filling:

2 cups white pumpkin puree
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk (NOT evaporated milk!)
2 large eggs
1/2 to 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (this is to your liking)

Directions:

For the crust:

1. Combine all ingredients and mix well. Press into the bottom and sides of a well-greased 9-inch pie plate. Set aside.

For the Filling:

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Blend all ingredients until smooth.
3, Pour into prepared crust.
4. Bake for 15 minutes then reduce heat to 350 and bake for an additional 30 minutes or until pie does not jiggle when touched.
5. Cool for 1 hour then refrigerate before serving.

Lunchbox Apple Pies

It's closing in on school time and thoughts of packing lunches are upon us yet again. Before you purchase store bought hand pies for your child's lunch, give these a try. Not only can you choose what type of apples you really like and how much cinnamon you prefer, you totally are in control of the sugar content. Every mom likes that!

Lunchbox Apple Pies

Hands-On Time: 30 minutes
Ready In: 45 minutes
Serves: Makes 12 pies

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter - softened
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup ice water
2 Tablespoons butter
2 cups peeled, cored and diced apples - about 2 medium
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 large egg
1 Tablespoon water
1 teaspoon granulated sugar


Directions:

1. Combine flour, salt and butter and mix together until crumbly. Add water and stir
until doiugh forms. Flatten into a disc and wrap in plastic. Set aside in the refrigerator.
2. Melt 2 Tablespoons butter in a small pan over medium-low heat. Add apples and cook
until apples soften, about 5 minutes.
3. Add brown sugar to apples and cook and stir until sugar is dissolved and any juices
from the apples begin to thicken, about 5 more minutes.
4. Remove apples from heat and stir in cinnamon.
5. Let dough stand at room temperature for 10 minutes. Roll dough to 1/8-inch thickness and cut into 12 rounds with a 4-inch biscuit cutter.
6. Place dough rounds onto greased baking sheets. Top half of each round with a
tablespoon of apple mixture. Fold opposite end of dough over apples and seal with hands
or a fork.
7. Cut a small slit in the top of each pie to vent steam.
8. Combine egg, 1 tablespoon water and granulated sugar until well blended and sugar is
dissolved.
Brush on tops of each pie.
9. Bake pies in a 375 degree F oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly. Cool
completely before storing in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Chocolate Cream and Strawberry Pie

Chocolate Cream and Strawberry Pie

Fasten your seat belts, this chocolate cream is dark and rich and whoa. Slice this beauty of a pie into 16 pieces unless you're truly a chocoholic and can deal with the richness. This is best eaten after a lighter meal for sure.

Try to find strawberries that are on the smaller side and roughly the same size so it looks pretty, you can also slice them on top, but remember sliced berries will weep, so you may have a wet pie afterward.

Chocolate Cream and Strawberry Pie. I used a fluted removable bottom pan for this, a regular pie pan works just as well!

Chocolate Cream and Strawberry Pie

Hands-On Time: 15 minutes
Ready In: 1 hour and 10 minutes
Serves: 8-16

Ingredients:

12 ounces dark chocolate chips
1 cup milk - any fat content
1 large egg - beaten
1  9-inch pie crust - unbaked
1 quart fresh strawberries all roughly the same size, washed and hulled
1/4 cup strawberry jelly or preserves
1 Tablespoon water


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Combine chocolate chips and milk in a heavy saucepan. Heat on low until chips begin to melt. Stir until smooth. Remove from heat.
3. Beat egg in a medium bowl and add 1/4 cup of hot chocolate mixture to egg. Whisk quickly so the egg does not cook, but only thickens.
4. Add egg and chocolate to the first mixture and blend well. The chocolate should be smooth and silky afterward. If it looks lumpy during mixing, stir faster and wait it out, it will usually smooth out.
5. Pour chocolate into pie crust and bake for 25 minutes, or until center is lightly set.
6. Chill pie for 30 minutes.
7. Top pie with strawberries - pointed ends up.
8. Combine strawberry preserves with water and stir until smooth, heat briefly in the microwave if necessary. Brush or drizzle over strawberries.
9. Chill until serving time, at least 30 minutes.

Sweet Potato Pie with Praline Sauce

Sweet Potato Pie with Praline Sauce

Sweet potato pie is a staple in the deep South, differing from pumpkin pie by mere spices. Quick to make and paired with a sweet Praline Sauce, it's just the right dessert for any Cajun meal or holiday table. It's also the best alternative to pumpkin pie, so if you have pumpkin pie haters at your feast this year, give this one a try.


Sweet Potato Pie with Praline Sauce

Hands-On Time: 20 minutes
Ready In: 2 hours
Serves: 8

Ingredients:

2 large sweet potatoes - about 1 pound
1 cup heavy cream
3 large eggs
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 9-inch pie shell, baked

Directions:

1. Prick sweet potatoes and bake in a 450 degree F oven for 50 minutes or until soft. Cool and remove skins.
2. Combine potatoes with cream, eggs, sugar, vanilla and nutmeg in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
3. Pour into baked pie shell and bake in a 375 degree F oven for 50 minutes, or until center of pie is set.
4. Cool completely and serve topped with Praline Sauce.


Pralines (said like PRAW-leen if you're from the South) are the most commonly found and popular candy in New Orleans. There are candy shops devoted to the confection. This heavenly rich sauce has all the flavor of a true praline and is perfect drizzled atop vanilla ice cream, cake or Sweet Potato Pie.

Praline Sauce

Hands-On Time: 10 minutes
Ready In: 20 minutes
Serves: Makes 2 cups

Ingredients:

1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract.


Directions:

1. In a heavy bottomed sauce pan combine butter and brown sugar over medium-high heat. Stir until thick and sugar begins to dissolve.
2. Add evaporated milk and stir well. Heat untli bubbling. Continue to cook and stir for 10 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and add pecans and vanilla. Stir well and let cool for 10 minutes or until slightly thickened before serving.

Apple Cakey Pie Thing Gooey Goodness

A couple weeks ago I came across a cake on a site (thanks to Mark Boxshus, A.K.A. Boscoe the Cookie Doctor) and thought it looked awesome, but there was no way it would work. I also thought it would be awesome with a topping like the one we use for Nana's Apple Cake.

I had no idea how this monster of a thing would turn out so I tried it. I tweaked it here and there and made it several times before I was happy with it. Just the photos alone on Facebook and Instagram stirred people.

When I posted to Instagram I called it: "Apple cakey pie thing gooey goodness" and SoVeryDomestic remarked, "That should really be the official name." So, I obliged and here we are. 

The first time I made it several of the kids said it was the best apple pie they ever had. It's not quite a pie, though, so we called it "pie cake". The inside seems to be almost not fully done, but it is - we struggled to find the right words for the consistency and realized it's almost like the texture you get when you let ice cream melt on your warm crumb-topped pie. It's really wonderful.

Apple Cakey Pie Thing Gooey Goodness
Serves 10-12
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

Crust and topping:

2 sticks butter (1 cup) cut into small pieces
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon


Filling:

12 small or 8 large Granny Smith apples - peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Cake:

1/3 cup butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

1. Combine crust and topping ingredients: Stir together flour, sugar and cinnamon - rub into butter until crumbly. Set aside 1/3 of this and press the rest into a 10-inch springform pan. Cover the bottom and press part way up the sides - about 1/2 an inch up.

2. Combine apples and brown sugar with cinnamon. Toss well to coat. Pour into crust. This should come up to the top and possibly slightly over.

3. Stir together cake ingredients: Melt butter and stir in sugar and vanilla. Add milk and egg and blend well. Stir in flour and baking powder. Pour over top of apples and tap to help it cover over the apples well.

4. Crumble the rest of the topping across the cake and set on a baking sheet.

5. Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes or until browned on top and bubbly at the edge.

6. Let cool well (about an hour) and run a knife around the edge. Slice now if you wish or remove ring and cut into 10-12 pieces.

Apple Season

Apples from friends are the best!

It's no surprise to anyone I know that fall is my favorite time of year. There are so many reasons why, but one of the biggest is that it's prime time for apples. I have my favorites there, as well; Granny Smith or Pink Lady for eating, and a mix of Granny Smith and Macintosh for baking and cooking. Just this month I was introduced to SweeTango apples and fell in love with those, too.

I also get into the kitchen more in autumn, with apples ripe for the picking, pumpkins abound and meats being smoked for preserving ... it just makes me want to cook - and eat! This year (and at least one year past) I had a friend who picked apples from another friend's tree and dropped off what felt like about 40 pounds of apples. It was one packed bag. One look in that bag and I knew I'd be in the kitchen for days creating wonderful things.

Processing apples for applesauce.

The first thing we did was process a bunch for applesauce  - I think we ended up with a gallon! It's so easy, just peel, core and chop, add a little water, sugar and cinnamon to taste and cook until mushy. I run mine through a food mill, but you can also put them in a food processor and pulse until it's the consistency you like. Mine doesn't last so long here, so I simply refrigerate until it's eaten up. You can surely can it and here are some great directions for that: Canning Applesauce.

Apples ready to cook into applesauce.

The next thing I did was process apples for pie filling, which is then put in the freezer to use at a later date. With a 60 hour work week and 7 kids, I need all the time I can get and freezing foods helps me so much in that department.

Apple Pie Filling ready for the freezer.

This is very simple. Start with your favorite pie apple - I like Granny Smith or a mixture of Granny Smith and Macintosh - about 5 or 6 large apples will make an 8-inch pie. I used 15 - 20 medium apples and had enough for 3 pies. These apples were tart, so I added a little more sugar than usual to them, some cinnamon and a bit of flour to help thicken as they bake and also to help soak up some of the juices that are inevitable from thawing frozen apples. I tossed every thing with my hands and then divided it into labeled bags (label them before you fill them to make that step easier) - about 3 cups of filling per bag. Into the freezer they went and when I need one I'll remove it ahead of time and let thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Voila!

Thawed filling in pie crust.

You can cook this and cool before freezing or cook once thawed (see directions). You can also thaw and dump into crusts and bake! I've found just about any way works. This is perfect for nights when I really want a pie but don't want to do all that peeling. You can also make pie dough ahead of time, shape into discs and freeze as well until you need it!

Apple Pie Filling for the Freezer
Makes 1 pie

Ingredients:

5 or 6 large apples such as Granny Smith or a mixture of apples
1/2 to 3/4 cup brown sugar as needed for sweetness
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice - optional

Directions:

1. Label a gallon-size freezer bag for Apple Pie Filling and date. Set aside.
2. Peel and core apples and sliced to desired thickness - we like thin apples here.
3. Place slices in a large bowl and add sugar, cinnamon, flour and lemon juice if using - mix with hands until well combined.
4. Pour into a freezer bag and remove excess air. Freeze and use within 6 months.
5. You can also cook the filling at this time and freeze once cooled.
6. Once thawed, cook the filling until apples are tender and sauce is thickened. Cool, add to pie crusts and bake as usual.

Strawberry Bread with More Fruit - Lucky Leaf Premium Pie Fillings

I've been baking for many, many years now - I was at least 10 when I started making sugar cookies and I'm not quite sure how old I was when I started making apple pies, but I know it was more than 25 years ago. I've used all sorts of fillings for pie, mostly homemade, but there are times I've relied on canned pie fillings.

I've not been disappointed, really, but it's not the same as the real deal. There's always more 'gunk' than fruit and sometimes the fruit itself just isn't very appetizing. Lucky Leaf recently revamped their fillings to be less 'gunky' and more fruity, and I think they've succeeded.

I was sent two cans of filling - one apple and one strawberry - along with a cookbook for recipe ideas. I couldn't find a better use for the apple pie filling than the apple and ginger tart in the cookbook, so I made that and it was gone so quickly that I never got a chance to take a photo.

The strawberry filling was a bit of a challenge for me. I find it hard to know what to do with strawberries when they aren't in season, so I had to think a bit. I took a recipe I already had for Strawberry Bread and altered it slightly to use the pie filling instead of the usual frozen strawberries.

This time the kids were at school so I had a chance to get a photo or two, but once they were home, the bread was gone instantly. In other words, there really is a lot of fruit in those cans and it's not lacking in flavor or overprocessed.

Strawberry Bread
(the unaltered version is linked above)
Printable Recipe

1 can Lucky Leaf Premium Strawberry Pie Filling
4 eggs
1 c cooking oil
1 1/2 c sugar
3 c all-purpose flour
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 c chopped nuts

Stir first 4 ingredients together well then add dry ingredients and stir until combined. Fold in nuts and pour into 2 9x5 inch greased loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees F for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.

*I top ours with cinnamon sugar.

You can find Lucky Leaf Premium Pie Fillings at your local grocer, and for a FREE copy of the cookbook, you can find it here: http://luckyleaf.com/RecipeBook.aspx

Georgia Cheesecake Pie

Georgia Cheesecake Pie

Somewhere about 20 years ago I had a bunch of very ripe peaches that needed to be used up and I wasn't sure what to do with them. Thinking along the lines of peaches and cream that my Grandma Foster served, I found them to be too ripe for that, but perfect to put into the bottom of a cheesecake.

I added a regular pie crust and dubbed it 'Georgia Cheesecake Pie'. We've loved it ever since. This recipe first appeared on my Family Favorites page and I've revamped it since then to use egg whites and more cream cheese. The egg whites make the cheesecake nice and fluffy. Please don't use canned peaches, part of the flavor of this comes from the fresh peaches cooking as the pie bakes and infusing the cheesecake layer with peachy goodness.


Georgia Cheesecake Pie
Serves 8
Printable Recipe

1 9-inch single crust pie crust-unbaked
5 large very-ripe peaches, pitted and sliced thinly - peeling is optional
1 pound cream cheese - softened
1 c granulated sugar
3 egg whites
1 t. vanilla
2 T. flour

Flour bottom of unbaked pie crust with 2T. flour.
Add peaches to crust.
Mix remaining ingredients and pour over peaches.
Bake at 350 degrees F until top is set and partially browned ~ about 35 min.
This is absolutely delicious served warm or cold.

Bacon Pie

Bacon Pie

Bacon pie, it turns out, may be just a joke. Dear George asked if I ever made bacon pie - my response was, "What's that?" He told me he had friends who talked about a pie that was popular in Upstate New York and made it out to be the best stuff going. The only reference I could find online was at an urban dictionary - something about it being consumed with root beer. I also consulted Mr. Dave, author of Ridiculous Food Society of Upstate New York and he told me the only pie he could recall having was more akin to the Bisquick 'Impossible Pie' type and served with gravy rather than having gravy in the pie. Oh, and Dave has more bacon recipes than a person should and each one looks heart-stoppingly delicious. And I do mean heart-stoppingly.

No matter, I came up with my own recipe based on what George told me, which was, "eggs, sausage, bacon and gravy". There are several other names I could think of for this pie like: Heart Attack Pie, Stroke-For-Sure Pie, Go-Broke-Quick Pie or Lard Butt Special, but I think for now we'll just go with Bacon Pie.

I had one child tell me, 'this should be a daily food here'. Yeah -- it's good. As always, eat at your own risk.

Bacon Pie

Bacon Pie
Serves 8
Printable Recipe

1/2 pound bacon - cut into small dice
1 pound breakfast sausage - cut into small chunks
12 eggs
1 double pie crust for 9-inch pie
flour
milk or water
salt and pepper to taste

Prepare pie dough and set aside. Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Beat eggs well and cook until no longer runny (scrambled eggs - folks). Set aside in a large bowl.
Cook bacon and sausage in the same pan until the bacon is crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and put into the same bowl with the eggs.
Turn the heat to medium-low and add flour to the drippings - there should be about 1/2 cup of drippings to which you would add 3/4 cup flour. Whisk the flour into the drippings and slowly add water or milk (it really is just a preference here) until a thick gravy forms. Cook for several minutes to cook out any flour taste. Salt and pepper to taste.
Add eggs, sausage and bacon back into the gravy. Stir until everything is well coated.
Pour into the bottom pie crust, top with remaining dough and vent with a knife.
Bake for 30 minutes or until top is browned and filling is bubbling out the sides of the crust. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.

Don't eat this more than once a year.

Taffy Apple Cheesecake Pie

Taffy Apple Cheesecake Pie

This was a winning recipe in the Pillsbury 36th Annual Bake-Off of 1994 made by Mary Ann Sasso of Franklin Park, Illinois. I made it way back then and several times since. I don't do it too often because it is rather time-consuming for a pie and there are a lot of ingredients. I wanted to post it anyway with photos so that maybe someone else will see it as not-too-difficult and give it a try.

Melting butter with brown sugar - my kind of multi-tasking.

Adding sliced apples.

Apples cooked until tender and slightly caramelized.

Cream cheese and brown sugar.

Half of the caramel mixture added to the cream cheese mixture.

Half of the caramel mixture added to the apples.

Pecans and chocolate chips. I know the recipe calls for 'finely chopped chocolate chips', but to me that's like trying to stab a Super-ball without holding it down.

Apples in the pie crust.

Topped with chocolate chips and pecans.

Topped with cream cheese mixture before sending off to the oven.

'Decorated'.

Taffy-Apple Cheesecake Pie
Serves 8-10
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

Filling:

2 tablespoons butter, or margarine
1/2 cup brown sugar, light, firmly packed
4 medium apples, cored, thinly sliced, about 5 cups
21 caramels, unwrapped
1/4 cup cream, half and half
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar, light, firmly packed
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 egg

Crust
Single pie crust


Topping:
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips, finely chopped
3/4 cup pecans, finely chopped

Garnish:
8 ounces whipped topping
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice


Directions:

In a skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter and 1/2 cup brown sugar stirring constantly.

Add apples; cook and stir 12 to 15 minutes or until apples are
caramel in color and tender.

Set aside.

Drain if necessary.

In top of double boiler or in medium heavy saucepan over low
heat, melt caramels with half-and-half until mixture is smooth,
stirring frequently.

Keep warm.

In small bowl, beat cream cheese and 1/2 cup brown sugar
until light and fluffy.

Add 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, vanilla and egg; beat
until blended.

Prepare pie crust according to package directions for one-
crust filled pie using 10-inch deep dish pie pan or 9-inch
springform pan (refrigerate remaining crust for a later use).

Heat oven to 375 degrees F.

Fold half of caramel mixture into cream cheese mixture.

Add apple mixture to remaining caramel mixture; mix well.

Spoon apple caramel mixture into crust-lined pan.

In small bowl, combine topping ingredients; reserve 2
tablespoons mixture.

Sprinkle remaining mixture over apple mixture.

Top with caramel cream cheese mixture, Bake at 375 degrees F for 35 to 45 minutes or until deep golden brown and filling is set.

Cool completely.

Refrigerate 30 minutes or until cold.

Fold 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice into whipped topping.

Pipe or spoon mixture onto pie; sprinkle with reserved 2
tablespoons topping.

Store in refrigerator.

Tip: to prepare caramel filling in microwave, in small microwave
-safe bowl, combine caramels and half-and-half.

Microwave on HIGH for 1 1/2 to 2 minute stirring once halfway
through cooking.

Stir until smooth.

The Pot Pie War

Pot Pie! That wonderful dish of meat and potatoes in a rich gravy tucked away between two flaky pie crusts, a true comfort food. Right? Wrong. At least if you're Pennsylvania Dutch it's wrong.

I came from a family that made traditional pot pie-a lovely stew baked in a crust, the stuff you could buy in single serving size from the freezer at the supermarket (only better) and named the same. So, when I met my mother-in-law and the subject of pot pie came up I was entirely confused by her version.

I argued that my family's version was right, even the one in the store had the same name! No, she insisted, pot pie was so named because it was made in a pot and what we were eating was simply called "Chicken Pie" because well, it was.

I had to concede there. I mean, where on earth did the name "pot pie" come from in reference to what the rest of us were eating? The name the PA Dutch were using seemed far more fitting~they were, in essence, making a chicken pie, but they were making it in a pot.

So, for your perusal, recipes from both sides of the battle, the traditional Pennsylvania Dutch version, and the one the rest of us eat, even if it is poorly named. Either way, there's no arguing the fact that both are delicious.

Pennsylvania Dutch Pot Pie

Pennsylvania Dutch Chicken Pot Pie
(added February 18, 2013)
Printable Recipe

One 3 - pound chicken or 2 pounds chicken breasts - bone and skin on or off
8 cups chicken stock - divided
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bat leaf
salt and pepper to taste
3 large potatoes scrubbed, peeled, cut into quarters then thickly sliced
1 double pie crust

1. Heat 6 cups stock and garlic in a large heavy-bottomed pot to boiling. Add chicken, bay leaf and thyme and reduce heat to simmer. Cook until chicken is completely cooked through.
2. Remove chicken and bay leaf, cool until chicken is easy to handle. Remove skin and bones and cut into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.
3. While chicken is cooling, heat stock back to boiling and add potatoes. Reduce heat once again to a simmer and cook until potatoes are halfway done.
4. Roll pie dough to 1/8" thickness and cut into 1-inch squares. Add remaining 2 cups stock to pot, bring to a slow boil and drop dough squares into stock. Add chicken back into pot and cook until pie squares look "slippery". Remove from heat and serve.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chicken Pot Pie

1 chicken
3 onions
pastry (they don't specify here but, mom-in-law uses a basic pie dough)
4 potatoes
Salt & pepper

Wash, clean and cut chicken into individual portions. Place a layer of
chicken in the bottom of a large iron kettle and cover with thick
slices of raw potato, then with slices of onion and salt & pepper.
Roll dough out rather thick and cut in 2 inch squares and place on
top of onion. Continue until kettle is filled having the top layer of
pie dough. Add water to cover contents halfway. Cover kettle tightly
and cook over a low flame until chicken is tender.

Pennsylvania Dutch Cook Book - Fine Old Recipes, Culinary Arts Press, 1936.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dutch Pot Pie

3 eggs
1/2 c milk
1 ts soda
1/2 ts salt
parsley, minced
1 tb butter, melted
1/2 c cream
3 c flour
potatoes
butter

Beat eggs, add milk, cream, soda, salt and melted butter. Mix well.
Gradually add flour until dough is stiff enough to roll. (May require
up to 4 cups). Roll on floured board and line a cooking kettle with
the dough. Place a large piece of butter in bottom of kettle and add
peeled and quartered potatoes alternately with small pieces of the
dough. The top layer should be potatoes. Sprinkle with salt, pepper
and minced parsley. Dot with butter. Add 1 1/2 to 2 cups water. Bake
at 350-F about 3 hours.

Pennsylvania Dutch Cook Book - Fine Old Recipes, Culinary Arts Press, 1936.

Chicken Pot Pie

1 cup potatoes, diced
1 cup chopped onions
1 cup celery, diced
1 cup chopped carrots
1/3 cup melted margarine
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup half-and-half
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 cups chopped cooked chicken
2 frozen pie crusts

Saute onion, celery, carrots and potatoes in butter for 10 minutes. Add
flour to sauteed mixture, stirring well. Cook one minute stirring
constantly. Combine broth and half and half. Gradually stir into vegetable
mixture. Cook over medium heat stirring constantly until thickened and
bubbly. Stir in salt and pepper, add chicken, and stir well. Pour into a
shallow 2 quart casserole dish. Top with pie shells. Cut slits. Bake at 400F
for 40-50 minutes or until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly and
cooked through.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
***This is one of those things that I just don't have a recipe for. My basic method is to make pie dough for a 2 crust pie and then make a basic chicken stew; chicken, potatoes, carrots, onions, and gravy; and then line a 9x13 pan with 1 pie crust, add the "stew", top with the remaining crust and cut a few slits in the top. I bake the whole thing at 350° until the crust is a golden brown and the "stew" is bubbling up through the slits in the dough. Check out the recipe I eventually posted HERE.