Chicken Pot Pie Soup

Yes, I realize the days of soup are fading into the background, but My Little Man asked for this on a recent cool(er) day, so I thought I'd share with you....

I used to make chicken pot pie on Fridays during the winter.  The kids would watch a movie if they'd had a good week, and since my husband worked late, I could spend a bit more time on dinner.  After a while, though, although we all liked the dish, I wanted to make it faster.  I wanted it to be thicker, and I wanted to watch the movie with my kids instead of missing the cuddle time with them.

I'm also a big fan of soup.  That probably had something to do with it.

So my chicken pot pie morphed into this soup.  It has all the same elements, is still full of veggies, and has a great creamy, cheesy flavor.  Instead of a topping, we eat it over Grandma's Biscuits.  I don't make them often, so it makes this soup an extra special treat!

Here's what you need:

• 2 c. shredded, cooked chicken
• 3 carrots, chopped
• 2 c. chicken broth
• 2-3 c. milk
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 c. veggies - I use frozen corn, peas, and green beans (red peppers are fun, too)
• 3 handfuls of Sharp Cheddar, shredded
• 2 T. butter
• 2 T. flour
• salt and pepper to taste

To make your soup:

1. Cook your carrots in water.  If you are using other dense veggies, throw them in now, too.
2. Drain and set aside.
3. In a Dutch oven, saute the onions in butter until transparent.
4. Stir in the flour to make a paste.
5. Pour in the chicken stock, stirring constantly.  
6. Add in the quick-cooking veggies and stir.
7. Add the milk and cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes.  Do not let it boil!
8. When the sauce begins to thicken, add the cheese, stirring constantly.  This will thicken the soup considerably!
9. Simmer over low heat until ready to serve.  
10. Split open one of Grandma's Biscuits in a wide bowl and spoon soup over the top.  Yum!