chicken pot pies for the freezer

I am getting ready to leave my dad and husband in charge of my boys for a week. If I am going to really relax, at least I need to know that everyone back home is well-fed in my absence. While this recipe is more decadent and more involved than my average weeknight dinner, it's a favorite of my husband and kids so I made a big batch to pop in the freezer. You can make your own pastry crust. But I didn't. I did, however, get all Martha with the extra puff pastry.

Chicken Pot Pies

(makes 8 servings, freezes beautifully)

1 1/2 sticks of butter (yes, sticks)

2 yellow onions, diced

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup dry sherry
1 1/2 cups half & half
2 1/2 cups of whole milk

4 teaspoons rosemary, minced

2 teaspoons herbs de provence

2 teaspoons dill

8 stalks of celery, diced

8 carrots, diced

1 lb mushrooms, diced

4 chicken breasts, cooked, diced

1 lb peas, frozen, thawed

salt & pepper, to taste

1 package puff pastry (2 sheets)

egg wash (1 egg yolk + 1 Tablespoon of water)

Let puff pastry thaw at room temp for at least 30 minutes.

To make the filling: in a large pot, melt the butter then add onion and cook until soft. Whisk in the flour and cook, stirring consistently for 2 minutes. Add sherry, half & half, milk and herbs and whisk until blended. Add celery, carrots, mushroom, peas and chicken. Simmer until vegetables are tender, about 8 minutes. Season with salt & pepper, to taste. Remove from heat and divide mixture evenly between 8 individual ramekins or 2 larger casserole dishes.

Top each dish with a round of puff pastry. Brush puff pastry with egg wash (1 egg whisked with 1 tablespoon of water). The egg wash is optional, but it will make the puff pastry turn a pretty golden brown.

If baking now, preheat oven to 375. Baked for 30-45 minutes, uncovered until warmed through and golden brown. Cover with foil if top gets too brown.

If freezing, wrap tightly. Thaw in fridge the day you plan to enjoy it, then bake in preheated 375 degree oven for approximately 45 minutes...maybe longer, depending upon whether part of it is still frozen. Simply cover with foil if top gets too brown.

I doubled this recipe to make a huge batch (4 individual, two 2-serving, two 4-serving dishes) so we had a few family dinners on hand in the freezer plus I could share a dinner with a friend that could use a homemade dinner this week. If you're going to be spending the time cooking, why not double the recipe since it freezes perfectly? Enjoy!