When I got them home, I put them straight into two slow cookers. I added a little water and a sprinkling of dry Italian dressing mix and let them cook for several hours until done. With the results, I made shredded barbecue chicken, two chicken pot pies and chicken tetrazzini. Quite a lot of food considering the chicken cost under $20.

I've made the barbecue chicken and the tetrazzini many times before; both are family favorites. But the chicken pot pie was a new recipe I stumbled up at my favorite food Web site, www.allrecipes.com.

The recipe, Chicken Pot Pie IX, had more than 1,500 reviews. That means a lot of people have made it and took the time to give it a review (most of them very favorable.)

Chicken pot pie is a favorite at my house. The recipe I prepare most often and which I've published here, is made in a casserole dish and has a buttery topping made with biscuit mix. This new recipe is made with pie crusts.

I made very few changes in the Allrecipes dish.

I used refrigerated pie crusts, but it would be even easier, I imagine, to use frozen pie crusts.

The original recipe directions say to cook the chicken and vegetables together. I had cooked my chicken in the slow cooker, so I cooked my vegetables separately.

When making the sauce, I added a little extra milk so I'd have more of the delicious, thick sauce, and I omitted the celery salt because I didn't have any. Next time, I'll probably cut back a little bit on the butter, maybe to 1/4 cup per pie rather than 1/3 cup.

The pies smelled heavenly as they cooked. I waited patiently as the crust browned and the thick sauce began to bubble out of the slits I had cut in the crust.

We really enjoyed the chicken pot pie, which is comfort food at its best. I served the pie with rice. Next time I'll probably make jellied cranberry salad to go with it, too.

lisa@wilsontimes.com | 265-7810

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CHICKEN POT PIE

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves -- cubed

1 cup sliced carrots

1 cup frozen green peas (I used 1/2 cup)

1/2 cup sliced celery

1/3 cup butter

1/3 cup chopped onion

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon celery seed (optional)

13/4 cups chicken broth

2/3 cup milk

2 (9 inch) unbaked pie crusts

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a saucepan, combine chicken, carrots, peas and celery. Add water to cover and boil for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, drain and set aside.*

In the saucepan over medium heat, cook onions in butter until soft and translucent. Stir in flour, salt, pepper and celery seed. Slowly stir in chicken broth and milk. Simmer over medium-low heat until thick. Remove from heat and set aside.

Place the chicken mixture in bottom pie crust. Spread drained vegetables over chicken. Pour hot liquid mixture over vegetables and chicken. Cover with top crust, seal edges and cut away excess dough. Make several small slits in the top to allow steam to escape.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

* I used chicken I had cooked in the slow cooker and cooked the vegetables by themselves. I ended up using three breasts for my two pies.

allrecipes.com