This post is a dairy-free variation of my Easy Chicken Pot Pie.
I provided a meal tonight for some friends who are dealing with some rough stuff and don’t have a lot of time to cook for themselves. In times of emotional exhaustion, what’s better than comfort food? Trouble is, M has a severe lactose intolerance, so coming up with a recipe that was still thick and “creamy” without actually using any dairy was going to be a challenge. I scoured the internet and cherry picked the solutions that I thought would work best. The heart of the recipe is the same, except for the dairy substitutions and the fact that this recipe makes TWO pies.
INGREDIENTS
*makes two pies*
- 1 14.5oz can low sodium chicken broth, divided
- 1/2 cup almond milk (or non-dairy milk of your choice, though I have not made with any other than almond or almond coconut)
- 3 TBS corn starch
- 2 12.5oz cans chunk chicken (or 5 5oz cans), drained
- 2 small cans original Veg-All mixed veggies, drained
- 1 large shallot, minced (sub: one medium onion)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 2 tsp original Mrs. Dash (optional)
- 1 deep dish pie crust (come in packages of 2)
- 1 regular pie crust (come in packages of 2)
PREPARATION
Remove pie shells from freezer and allow to thaw while you prepare the filling.
Preheat oven to 350°
Measure out 1/4 cup of chicken broth and set aside. In a small sauce pan, combine remaining chicken broth and all of almond milk. To 1/4 cup of chicken broth, add 3 TBS of corn starch and stir to dissolve. Bring liquid in sauce pan to boil and stir in broth with cornstarch. Will thicken almost immediately. Remove from heat.
In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients. With a fork, poke a series of holes in the bottom of the deep dish crust, then pour HALF of filling into each shell. With a paring knife, gently cut off the “crinkled” part of the the dough on the regular dish crust. (It’s very easy if you turn the knife on it’s side and follow the rim of the pan as a guide.) If you’d like, cut 4-5 petal shaped section in the center of the crust for vents, or you can just make slits once the crust is in place. Gently flip the regular crust on top of the deep dish and tap until it releases from the pan.
Bake for 45-60 minutes or until filling is bubbling and top is browned. My top never browns, so bake for the allotted time, then set under broiler for a minute or 2 (keep watch!) until brown.
Remove pie from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Makes 4 nice sized servings per pie.
NOTE: If you have friends or family that are going through a rough time (birth, death, or medical issues) I highly recommend Meal Train. It’s a free service that makes scheduling meals a breeze. From the site: “Friends going through a difficult or challenging time due to a birth, surgery, illness, etc., could use some help. Willing friends, neighbors, colleagues, and congregation members would love to meet this need, if they only knew what to do. An organized meal train gives them a way to show they care by cooking and taking a meal to a friend or family member.”