Lenten Luncheon

 

Chicken Pie

Every year, the churches that line Main Street in our town observe Lent with a series of noon services that include lunch. The services move from church to church each week. Our church provides two of those lunches. And for as long as I've been a member there, the menus at our Methodist church have been the same. Vegetable soup and cornbread the first week and chicken pie the following week.

I have no clue how many chicken pies I have made for these lunches over the years. I do know that this year there will be ten chicken pies brought to the church this morning. I'll bet that nearly all of them are made with a recipe similar to this one. This recipe is a standard around here. Some cooks might add vegetables. We like ours with just eggs.

One more chicken pie story—this was the recipe I used when our soon-to-be son-in-law came to have supper with us for the very first time. He and Mommy had been engaged for only a couple of weeks. I made this because it is one of our favorite meals. We serve it with a green vegetable and cranberry sauce. He dove into the meal with gusto. It was only years later that I learned he didn't like chicken pie. Must have been love. (I think he has come to like chicken pie since then. Wise decision.)

CHICKEN PIE

1 whole chicken (or 4 breasts)
3 boiled eggs
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup broth (that you've saved) 

Boil chicken until tender After chicken has cooled, take meat off the bones and cut into bite-size pieces. Save broth.
Place cut-up chicken in a greased 9x13-inch baking dish. Slice eggs over the top. Salt and pepper to taste. Mix the two soups and broth. Pour over chicken and eggs.

     Topping:
     1 cup self-rising flour
     1 teaspoon baking powder
       (mix flour & baking powder thoroughly with a whisk)
     1 stick melted butter
     1 cup milk

Mix topping ingredients. Pour over chicken mixture.*
Bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hours, or until crust is golden brown.

 

Unbaked topping

*Pour the topping slowly over the chicken, covering it as completely as possible. I spoon on the last bits to cover the spots I've missed. And there still might be some bare spots. I promise it won't matter when it's done.

 Want to learn more about Lent? Check out Lent 101 .