This Leftover Chicken Pot Pie Warmed our Wednesday

 When you want something to sooth the soul, warm the heart and heal from the mid-week slid from Sunday, you want the comfort from a soup, salad or something like a chicken pot pie, or a chicken salad, which we are having tomorrow night. My traditional chicken pot pie recipe, I have made for years and years; however, tonight's version was one that I threw leftovers in and added a surprise in the bottom. It takes maybe twenty-minutes to pull things from the fridge and pop this baby together, then bake for one-hour. In that wait time, you can make the next day's lunches, put the coffee on or water for bedtime relaxing tea.

For this Leftover Chicken Pot Pie Recipe, I took 2 cans, 16oz each, of mixed vegetables, rinsed, 2 cans of gluten free cream of chicken soup, chopped up leftovers of baked chicken breast plus the vegetables of steamed squash, onion, broccoli, cauliflower and added them all together. Then 1 teaspoon of cilantro, Italian seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, and 1/4 cup of finely shredded Parmasan cheese.

Spread the crust in a 9" pie plate, sprinkle the bottom of crust...then, ready for it? I took leftover fried okra, which was the bottom of the bowl (somebody in our family leaves a cup maybe of crumbs which is perfect for this) and laid a single layer of fried green tomatoes before pouring the mixture in the crust. I added the top crust, trimming the edge, then baked at 400 degrees for one hour. Simple. You can also add a bit of butter slivers to the mixture if you are too concerned for drying out.

The blessings of friends and neighbors this summer has been so tremendous. One of our newest friends at Starbucks has kept us in unique fun vegetables like lemon cucumbers to homemade vegetable soup. Our neighbors have left on the front porch okra, tomatoes, and corn. A class member has given us homemade bread, watermelon, peppers and cucumbers as well. I have been so thankful because, as you know, every bit of us cultivating and helping each others makes grateful hearts, helping hands and loving others. I for one am so very thankful because after putting things together, we had an amazing pot pie.

My challenge to you is to open your refrigerator and pantry, see what you already have that you can create something fun and nourishing for your family. Instead of making supper a dread and the midweek hard, take a deep breath and take three items from your fridge and see what you can create from those main ingredients. I bet the main seasoning will be love. Stir, y'all, stir!

Hugs from the #KitchenWithAHouseAttached! Rita