Baby, it’s cold outside.

Around here, that means it’s time for something hot and comforting – and a double-crusted pot pie fills that bill, completely.

These are my favorite kind of meals… easy to make, flavorful, filling… and total comfort. My mom used to make a lot of casseroles and pot pies and the like when we were kids. Feeding six kids was a challenge on a fireman’s salary and she knew how to stretch her shopping dollars. I still marvel at how she was able to do it and make it appear so effortless. Then, again, she ran the house – not us.

Meals like thbis are easy because there’s no recipe involved – they’re usually just clean out the refrigerator-type meals. Throw it all in a pot, thicken it up, pour it into a crust, and bake.

It doesn’t get easier.

This pot pie started off as a vertically roasted chicken. I boiled down the carcass and picked it clean. The meat went back into the broth with potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, and frozen mixed vegetables. Frozen mixed veggies, by the way, are great to have in the freezer at all times.  They go into soups, stews, casseroles… A perfect add-in for so many things.

I thickened it with a bit of flour and butter, added some French herbs, and a bit of salt and pepper. It really is that easy.

And so is making the crust…

I’ve been making pie crust for years and they always come out. I’m constantly disappointed when I break down and buy a pre-made crust and always swear I’ll never do it again. I think I have finally learned my lesson.

This particular recipe really is good. I just tweaked it to add some vodka. It’s better than ever.

And I really do believe that any homemade crust is better than any store-bought crust. Even a less than perfect or tough homemade crust is superior.

Really.