Chicken Bacon Ranch Pie

Kurt

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 1½ pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast, cubed
• Olive oil
• 1½ cup sliced carrots
• 2 cups chopped broccoli crowns
• ½ medium chopped onion
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed or finely minced
• 4-5 strips of crispy bacon, crumbled
• ⅓ cup butter
• ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
• 1¾ cups chicken broth
• 8 oz half n half
• 1 package Hidden Valley Ranch Seasoning (the kind recommended for roasts, not the dressing)

• 1 egg-white and about ½ tsp of water
• 2 (9 inch) unbaked pie crusts

Instructions

Preheat oven 425°

1. Brown the chicken cubes in olive oil on medium heat. Remove chicken and set aside in a large bowl.
2. Add olive oil to skillet then onion and cook until soft and translucent then add pressed garlic and stir for a minute. Remove from heat and add to the bowl with chicken.
3. Blanch the carrots and broccoli. The idea is to partially cook the veggies, but not completely. We want them to have a good texture after baking in the pie - not soggy. Using a medium saucepan, bring water to boil then dump carrots in boiling water for 30 seconds to a minute, then remove them quickly. Do the same with the chopped broccoli but remove after 15 to 30 seconds. This is best done with a strainer. Add veggies to the bowl with chicken. Stir it all up well to combine.
4. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat then add flour and stir to combine. Cook for a few minutes until golden tan. Slowly stir in chicken broth and milk then add the Ranch seasoning. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until thick. Remove from heat and pour into the bowl with chicken and veggies. Stir to coat everything.
5. Roll out and press the bottom pie crust into the pie pan. Whisk the egg-white and ½ tsp of water until foamy then brush egg-white all over the bottom pie crust.
6. Spoon chicken and vegetables into the bottom pie crust. Cover with top crust, seal the edges. Make several small slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape.
7. Cover the edges of the pie with foil so they don't burn.
8. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbly. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.