Chicken Pot Pie

     Chicken pot pie is one of those comfort foods good on a cold winter night, but if you are lactose intolerant, it is off limits.  While I saw waiters pass our table with the aroma of pot pies going by, I knew I couldn't have one.  Enough of that! I thought to myself and decided to create a recipe that would rival any restaurant.  It took a few tries, but I have a chicken pot pie recipe that works and I have even successfully served it to company.  I hope you enjoy it as much as we have.

                                                               Chicken Pot Pie

2 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
1 box sliced fresh mushrooms
1 1/2 tblsp. stick margarine
3 tblsp. Marsala wine
2 medium potatoes
1 cup carrots
1/2 stick margarine
1/4 cup flour
1 8 oz. container soy cream cheese, softened
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. each dill weed, thyme, herbes de Provence
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 box of refrigerated pie crust, softened to room temperature

     Wash mushrooms and pat dry.  Break mushrooms into small pieces and saute in a saucepan with  1 1/2 tblsp. stick margarine, melted.  Once they have browned, turn off the flame and add the Marsala.  Turn the flame back on to low and simmer until the liquid is gone.  Set mushrooms aside.
     Peel potatoes and boil in salted water until just done.  Remove from hot water and cut into small bite size pieces.  Peel carrots and cut into bite size pieces.  Heat in microwave until crisp tender then drain.
     If the chicken breasts are not cooked, they can be cut in bite size cubes and sauted or you can buy a chicken which has already been cooked and use only the breasts and save the remainder of the chicken for another purpose.  Set the cubed cooked chicken aside.
     In a stock pot combine the half stick of margarine and melt it, then sprinkle over the flour.  Whisk it together and add the lactose free milk.  Whisk until the margarine/flour mixture is mixed in and smooth.  Whisk frequently so it doesn't burn.  Simmer on med-lo flame until it starts to thicken.  Add herbs and salt and pepper.  Combine thoroughly.  Mix in chicken, mushrooms, potatoes, and carrots.
     You can change the vegetables and include any combination you like.
     Spray four individual 1-cup baking  dishes.  Fill each dish to 1/4 of an inch of the top.  Unroll the pie crust and gently form a crust around the top of each dish pinching off the edges.  Put several vent holes in the top of each crust for air to escape.  If you have any filling left, freeze it to make more pies in the future.  Bake 450 for approximately 15 minutes.  Keep an eye on the crusts that they don't burn.
     Next time I will be sharing my recipe of tomato pasta soup with fresh basil.  Tomato soup with fresh basil is one of my favorite soups and I was pleased to find a way I could make it for myself.
Until next time.