Chicken Pot Pies (Freezer Meal)

I doubled my regular chicken pot pie recipe and made it into a freezer meal recipe for my freezer meal swap group this month. I love this chicken pot pie. Ultimate comfort food. It freezes well. The best way is to freeze the filling separate from the pie crust and then actually assemble the pie the day you bake it - it makes a much flakier crust that way, but for convenience of the ladies in my freezer meal swap I did assemble the pies before freezing them.

Chicken Pot Pies (Freezer Meal)

2/3 cup butter
2/3 cup chopped onion
2/3 cup flour
2 cans, 14 oz each, low sodium chicken broth
1 cup half and half or milk
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon Mrs. Dash (original blend)
4 cups cubed cooked chicken
4 cups frozen mixed vegetables (I use 2, 12 oz each, bags Green Giant Fresh Steamers Mixed Vegetables)
2 packages refrigerator pie crusts, or homemade pie crusts (enough for 2, 2-crust pies)

In a saucepan melt the butter over medium high heat. Add onion and cook for 2 minutes, until tender. Whisk in flour, salt, chicken bouillon, onion powder, Mrs. Dash, and pepper until well blended. Gradually add the chicken broth and half and half, cooking and stirring until bubbly and thickened. Stir in chicken and vegetables. Remove from heat. Allow filling to cool.

Method I - Preferred Freezer Meal Method:
Divide filling in half and pour into 2 gallon size ziplock bags. Freeze each filling bag in a larger ziplock with a box of refrigerator pie crusts. Label with cooking instructions.

Method I Cooking Instructions:
Thaw filling and pie crusts in the fridge overnight. Allow pie crust to come up to room temperature. Line a pie plate with one pie crust, fill with thawed chicken filling, cover with the other pie crust, pressing edges together to seal. Tuck top crust under edge of bottom crust, flute edges, and cut slits in the top of the crust to vent. Bake in a preheated 425 degree oven for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown and filling is bubbly. During last 15-20 minutes of baking cover the edges of the pie with strips of foil to prevent over-browning. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.

Method II - Pre-Assembled Pies Freezer Meal Method (more convenient for making, but results in a moist crust):
Line 2 pie plates (foil pie plates are available at most grocery stores) with 2 pie crusts. Add half of the cooled filling mixture to each pie and top with remaining 2 pie crusts. Tuck top crust under bottom crust, pressing together to seal. Flute the edges. Cut slits in the top of the crust. Place the assembled pot pies onto a cookie sheet and freeze solid in the freezer. Once pies are completely frozen, cover with plastic wrap and then foil. Label with cooking instructions and freeze.

Method II Cooking Instructions:
Thaw completely. Heat oven to 425. Bake for 30 - 40 minutes or until golden brown and filling is bubbly. During last 15-20 minutes of baking cover the edges of crust with strips of foil to prevent over-browning. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.
**Will take considerably more time to bake from frozen.