Method

1. Place chicken, carrots, celery, onion, bay leaf, water, salt, and pepper into a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook for 30–45 minutes or until the chicken is cooked throughout.

2. Remove chicken from the broth using tongs and cool. Strain out the vegetables and reserve the stock. Place potatoes in the stock and return to a boil. Cook until potatoes are starting to get tender. Add the frozen vegetables and cook until the potatoes are finished. 

3. Strain stock and save the cooked vegetables in a mixing bowl. Save 3 cups of stock for the recipe and keep any remaining stock for other uses. 

4. Pull chicken into small pieces, discarding the bones and skin. Add chicken to the cooked vegetables. 

5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

6. In a stock pot, melt butter and add flour. Cook over low- medium heat constantly stirring while flour cooks to a golden roux. 

7. Add 3 cups of stock and milk stirring vigorously with a wire whip. Cook until liquid begins to thicken. 

8. Add cooked potatoes, vegetables, and chicken. Continue to cook until sauce has thickened enough to coat the vegetables.  

9. Lightly grease the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch casserole pan. Spread the filling evenly in the pan. Top with pie crust, making sure there are some slits in it to allow steam to escape. Bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the center is a minimum of 165 degrees.

10. Allow the pan to cool at room temperature for 5 minutes before serving