CHICKEN POTPIE

1. 1/2 a package refrigerated pie dough, the kind you just lay out, not the kind you mix

2. Cooking spray

3. 1/8 tsp salt to season dough

4. 2 Tbs all-purpose flour

5. 1 tsp dried rubbed sage (for chicken or turkey. Try rosemary for beef or pork)

6. 1/4 tsp salt

7. 1/4 tsp black pepper

8. 10 ounces chicken breast cutlets or tenders, cut into bite-sized pieces

9. 1 1/2 C water

10. 2 C frozen mixed vegetables

11. 1 C mushrooms, quartered (optional)

12. 1 (10 1/2-ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup

13. 1 pie plate, deep dish

                 Preheat oven to 425°.

 With a rolling pin, roll out dough to fit the size of your pie plate, with enough left over to crimp the edges. Place dough circle on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Lightly coat dough with cooking spray; sprinkle evenly with 1/8 tsp salt. Pierce top of dough with a fork.

Combine flour, sage, 1/4 tsp salt, and pepper in a zip-top plastic bag; add chicken. Seal bag, and toss to coat. Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add chicken mixture; cook 5 minutes, browning on all sides. Stir in water, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Stir in vegetables, mushrooms, and soup; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and cook 10 minutes. Spoon chicken mixture into deep dish pie plate and top with piecrust. Bake in oven at 425  until crust is golden brown. Remove and let sit a few minutes before cutting and serving. Serves 4.

CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS

Use ingredients (3 through 9 above) for chicken mix.

1. 1 C flour

2. 2 tsp baking powder

3. ½ tsp sugar

4. ½ tsp salt

5. ½ C milk

Sift dry ingredients together into a mixing bowl and combine. Add milk until the texture is thin enough to be lifted in rounded spoonfuls, but is not runny.

Cook chicken mixture in large skillet, according to directions in above recipe. Heat to boiling and reduce heat. Top chicken with spoonfuls of dumpling batter. Gravy in the skillet should be shallow enough that the dumplings sit on top of the meat and vegetables and not drop through liquid to the bottom.

Cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes over medium heat, then cover and cook 10 more minutes.

Serve dumpling and chicken mix onto each plate while hot. Makes 4 servings.

NOTE: Dumplings can be seasoned for more variety. Use poultry seasoning, dried parsley, onion flakes, celery seed, etc.