Winter Vegetable Stew

This is an excellent crockpot recipe!  I actually barely followed the directions (which I never do), but I started out using it.

Here is the original recipe:
Winter Vegetable Stew

• 1 can (28 ounces) Italian-style pear-shaped tomatoes
• 4 medium red potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 4 medium stalks celery, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 3 medium carrots, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 2 medium parsnips, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 2 medium leeks, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 can (14 1/2 ounces) vegetable or chicken broth
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 3 tablespoons cold water

Drain tomatoes, reserving liquid. Cut up tomatoes. Mix tomatoes, tomato liquid and remaining ingredients except cornstarch and water in 4-5 quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low heat setting 8-10 hours or until vegetables are tender. Mix cornstarch and water; gradually stir into stew until blended. Cover and cook on high heat setting about 20 minutes, stirring occassionally, until thickened.

Now here is what I changed:

• I did not use parsnips
• I used beef broth instead of chicken or vegetable broth
• I added mushrooms to the stew

I think the original would be good, but my version was awesome :)

Chicken Pot Pie

Tonight I made Chicken Pot Pie for the first time and it was DELICIOUS!  The only thing I changed is I used 2 pie-crusts instead of rolling out one.  Everything worked perfectly and was amazing.  You can even put everything together early in the day, refrigerate it, and bake it right before serving.  PERFECT!  Try this...you'll love it...trust me.

Chicken Pot Pie

Serves 6 Hands-On Time: 40m Total Time: 1hr 25m

Ingredients

• 1 3 1/2- to 4-pound rotisserie chicken
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
• 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling crust
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 large onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme
• 4 medium carrots, cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 1 10-ounce package button mushrooms, stems trimmed, caps quartered
• 1 10-ounce package frozen peas
• 1 store-bought pie crust (such as Pillsbury)

Directions

1. Heat oven to 425° F. Remove meat from chicken, discarding the skin and bones. Shred chicken into bite-size pieces and place in a large bowl.
2. Melt 5 tablespoons of butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. When butter bubbles, whisk in the flour. Cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture turns golden brown, about 3 minutes. Slowly add the broth in a steady stream, whisking constantly to prevent lumps from forming. When all of the broth has been added, increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, whisking occasionally for 5 minutes, or until thickened slightly. Remove from the heat.
3. Melt 2 of the remaining tablespoons butter in another large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add thyme and carrots and cook just until carrots are tender, about 5 more minutes. Transfer vegetables with a slotted spoon to the bowl containing the chicken.
4. Melt remaining butter in the same skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook over medium-high heat until mushrooms release their liquid, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low, season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and simmer until liquid evaporates. Remove from the heat and add to chicken along with the peas, reserved sauce and remaining salt and pepper. Toss well and spoon into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.


5. Lightly flour a clean work surface. Roll dough until it is slightly larger than the baking dish and about 1/4 inch thick. Carefully place the dough over the pie filling, tucking the edges underneath. Bake until crust is golden brown, about 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 350° F and bake until the filling starts to bubble at the edges, 20 to 25 minutes more. Cool for about 5 minutes before serving.