Food to love : Warms the soul.

• The other night Stone and I were invited to dinner at our friends Lacey and Patrick's home. I love having dinner with these two, not only because Lacey is an incredible cook and always teaches me new recipes, but because we can spend hours chatting with them and then we don't want to leave so we all snuggle in bed together and watch Modern Family together. Ha. That sounds weird, but it wasn't, and we really did do that :)

This week Lacey found the perfect Fall recipe to recreate and it was perfection. I mean really, so yummy. It reminds me of that old Campbell's Soup commercial where the snowman comes in his house and as he is eating the soup it slowly melts off and he turns into a little warm boy. So cute. I miss those old Christmas commercials. Well it felt like that kind of meal... if I was covered in snow it would have melted right off of me. So wait for a chilly night and whip up this meal. It's delish.

xo.

Lacey's Pot Pie

• 
  
• 4 pounds chicken breasts with skin and bones (we made a veggie version and chicken version)
• 4 to 6 cups canned low-salt chicken broth

• 3 large carrots, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 butternut squash cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 pound potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (we used purple and yukon gold potatoes)
• Handful of Brussel Sprouts chopped in quarters
• 1 cup peas

• 1 frozen pie crust thawed
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
• 3 medium leeks (white and pale green parts only), sliced
• 2 large shallots, minced
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme
• 2 tablespoons rosemary
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 cup whipping cream

Butter 4-quart oval baking dish. Place chicken breasts in heavy large pot. Add just enough broth to cover chicken. Bring broth to boil; reduce heat to low. Cover pot and simmer until chicken is just cooked through, skimming surface occasionally, about 20 minutes. Using tongs, transfer chicken to plate and cool.

Add veggies to chicken broth in pot. Simmer uncovered until vegetables are just tender, about 10-15 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer vegetables to prepared baking dish.

Strain broth; reserve 4 cups. Remove skin and bones from chicken. Cut meat into 1/2- to 3/4-inch pieces. Add chicken to vegetables in baking dish.

Melt butter in same pot over medium heat. Add leeks, shallots and thyme. Sauté until tender, about 8 minutes. Add flour and stir 2 minutes. Stir in 4 cups broth and white wine. Increase heat to high and bring to boil, stirring constantly. Add cream and boil until sauce thickens enough to coat spoon, whisking frequently, about 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Pour gravy over mixture in dish. Stir to blend.

Position 1 rack in top third of oven and place baking sheet on bottom rack in oven; preheat to 400F. Roll out crust dough on parchment paper to 15x10 1/2-inch rectangle. Using paper as aid, turn dough over onto filling. Trim dough overhang; tuck dough edge inside dish and press rosemary into dough. Cut slits in crust to allow steam to escape.

Place pot pie on top rack and bake until crust is golden and gravy is bubbling, about 50 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving (if you can wait that long!).