It’s been raining here in DC…like A LOT! Where others can’t wait for the sun to reappear, LeBraun and I love the serenity that comes with other people’s “gloomy” days.

We can do our errands and the stores have wayyy less people. It’s amazing!

We sit on the porch to do our work because the sound of rain pinging off the gutters in incredibly calming.

We get to wear our soft Lulu Lemon clothes. (Note: we wear them everyday, but any excuse to keep wearing them is good with us. wink)

And we LOVE ourselves some comfort food!

Thank goodness today (September 23) is National Great American Pot Pie Day. Did you know that was a thing? Well it is, you’re welcome!

Pot pies are among the ultimate comfort foods, right alongside grilled cheese sandwiches, chicken noodle soup, and mac n’ cheese!

Pot pies just past like comfort food should taste—warming and delightful with just enough creaminess to let you know that it’s not the healthiest option, but also light enough to be able to enjoy three helpings of it, if you want. :)

Flaky, buttery crusts hug juicy chicken and tender veggies, smothered with creamy gravy in a dish that sounds impressive, but in reality is quite simple to prepare.

You can even cut some corners for faster preparation like using leftover meat and purchasing pre-made crusts at the store.

This recipe helps bring the classic comfort of chicken pot pie to those who are unable to enjoy gluten-and-dairy-full foods, like me!

Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients

For the crust (makes one large pot pie or several small ones n2):

3 cups all-purpose, gluten-free flour

1 cup chilled vegan butter substitute, cut into pieces

1/2 tsp salt

8-10 tbsp chilled alternative milk of choice, additional as needed

For the filling:

1 cup carrots, sliced

1 cup green peas, drained

1/2 rotisserie chicken, additional to preference (or leftover cooked chicken, n1)

1/3 cup vegan butter substitute

1 medium onion, chopped

1/3 cup all-purpose, gluten-free flour

salt and pepper to taste

2 1/4 cups chicken broth

1 cup alternative milk of choice

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and lightly grease a pie pan or casserole dish.

For the crust:

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, salt, and butter substitute pieces.
Cut butter with pastry cutter until crumbly dough forms.
Add milk and combine with your hands. Dough should be moist and hold together. Add additional milk as needed.
Divide the dough in half and roll each into balls.
Place each dough bowl between two sheets of parchment paper and with rolling pin, roll out an even sheet of dough slightly larger than your prepared pan.
Place the first sheet of dough into the prepared pan and gently press edges, trim if necessary.

For the filling:

In a large saucepan, cook the carrots and peas by covering with water and boiling until cooked through. Drain when done.
In the meantime, peel and shred the rotisserie chicken.
In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and cook onions until softened.
Stir in flour, salt and pepper until onions are well-coated.
Slowly stir the broth and milk.
Reduce heat and simmer until thickened. Remove from heat.
Stir in carrots, peas, and shredded chicken.
Pour mixture in a layer across the bottom crust in the pan, filling the pan 3/4.
Cover with top crust, seal edges, and trim. Cut small slits in top allowing steam to escape.
Bake 30-40 minutes until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbling (n3).
Allow to cool 10 minutes before serving.

NOTES
n1. This is a great recipe to use any leftover chicken. Just shredded it like you would the meat from the rotisserie. If you do go the rotisserie chicken route just make sure the chicken is gluten-free. Sometimes stores be getting k-wazy with their sauces.

n2. To save some time, you can purchase remade crusts from the store. Just carefully check the ingredients to ensure they are gluten-and-dairy-free.

n3. For an extra golden top, turn on the boiler over the pot pie for one-three minutes, but keep a close eye on your crust to make sure it doesn’t burn. Boiler burn happens in the blink of an eye.