It's finally starting to feel like Fall! The weather is cooling off and the leaves are beginning to turn, and it is time to return to the kitchen and cook up cozy warm meals for a long winter ahead. This chicken pot pie is perfect for that, with a store bought puff pastry crust and a single pie dish, it's quick, easy, and comforting. This pie tastes like you're eating thick and creamy soup with a buttery crust on top. Instead of your usual individual pot pie this pie is family style! Its all cooked in one dish and can simply be scooped into bowls when you're ready to serve. I based this loosely off of Ina Garten's recipe for individual pot pies,because she's the very best! But, I added some extra ingredients and a few of my own twists to make this perfect for a weeknight family dinner!

Chicken Pot Pie

-serves 6-

1 sheet store bought puff pastry

3 tablespoons butter

2 boneless, chicken breasts

1 onion finely chopped

1/2 cup celery chopped

1/2 cup flour

2 1/4 cups chicken stock

1 cup chopped carrots

1 cup mushrooms cut into bite size pieces

3-4 sprigs of thyme

salt and pepper

1 egg

1 tablespoon milk

To begin, take your puff pastry out of the freezer an hour or so before you start making dinner so it can thaw as you cook the filling. Preheat your oven to 350 degree and start the filling by beginning with your chicken. Put 2 tablespoons of butter in a pan on medium high heat and salt and pepper the 2 chicken breasts. Once the butter has melted, place the chicken in the pan and cook it for about 4 minutes on each side, or until just cooked through - (remember, it will have time to cook in the oven, as well, if it's underdone). After your chicken is cooked, remove it from the pan and set aside. Add your remaining tablespoon of butter with the finely chopped onion and the celery. Let the two cook until they are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes on medium low heat. Next, add your 1/2 cup flour to the onions, celery and butter. Stir the flour in so it is incorporated with the butter and moisture from the veggies, then add the 2 1/4 cups of chicken stock, turning your heat up to medium high. Stir the stock in with the flour mixture and it will slowly begin to thicken and bubble. As it does, add the carrots and mushrooms and the leaves off of 3-4 sprigs of thyme. Once it has thickened and come to a boil, turn the heat off and taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper if needed. Lastly, chop up your previously cooked chicken and stir it into the pot. It will look like this...

Finally, pour your filling into a pie dish. Place the pie on a sheet tray because it may bubble over in the oven. For the crust, simply unfold the puff pastry and lay it across the top of the pie. Cut around the edges so it fits your pie dish just right and cut a couple slits in the top of the dough. Lastly, whisk 1 egg with a tablespoon of milk and brush it over the crust. This will ensure a golden, yummy color on the crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes, or until the filling is bubbly and the crust is cooked through.

This is such a cozy, yummy dinner for any night of the week and it will make your house smell delicious! Just dish it into bowls with a simple side salad and dinner's ready. Happy Fall!

It's that time of year again, the wonderful month of July where summer is at its height and red, white, and blue is everywhere. When I was thinking of what to make for our annual fourth of July BBQ, it couldn't be anything other than a delicious fresh cherry pie! Pitting the cherries may be a labor of love but its all worth it once you see your family and friends faces as they eat this pie.

What makes this pie a special cherry pie, is its yummy cornmeal crust. The slight sweetness of the cornmeal compliments the sour cherries perfectly and it has a perfect texture that stands up to all those yummy cherry juices.

Cornmeal Crust

2 cups AP flour

1 cup yellow cornmeal

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cubed

1/4 cup ice cold water (plus a few extra tablespoons depending on how dry it seems)

To make the crust, combine all your dry ingredients in a stand mixer and mix on low just to combine. Begin adding your cold butter cubes and let it mix until the butter is the size of peas and the dough has a sand like texture. You can also do this by hand with a pastry blender, but I find the mixer is a little faster, and less messy! After your butter is at the right size, add your water with the mixer on low. It will seem dry but let it keep mixing and it should come together in a dry dough ball. If not, you can add a few extra tablespoons of water. Wrap your dough in plastic wrap and set it in the fridge while you make your filling.

Cherry Pie Filling

3 1/2 cups pitted red cherries

1/4 - 1/2 cups granulated sugar (based on the sweetness of your cherries)

1 teaspoon cinnamon

squeeze of half a lemon

2 tablespoons cornstarch

Mix the sugar and cinnamon into your cherries and then add the lemon juice and corn starch. Stir a few times until all is combined and the lemon and cherry juice has mixed with the cornstarch. You can now take your dough out of the fridge, roll it out till its about half an inch thick, and lay it over your pie pan. Just pinch the dough with your fingers or you could also use the prongs of a fork to decorate the edge. Pour cherries into the crust and then you'll have just enough dough left over to make some fun designs on the top. I punched out stars and used some letter cookie cutters. You could adapt this to any holiday or celebration you have in mind. Brush your crust with a simple egg wash and bake at 350 degrees or until the crust is golden brown and the cherries are bubbly. It is an absolute must to serve this warm with cold vanilla ice cream. (But its delicious at room temperature as well.)

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY EVERYONE.