Do you have a favorite family recipe? One that you’ve grown up with, one that you have started making with your own family because you love it so much?

I have a number of great cooks in my family (which means family get-togethers are ALWAYS loaded with great food). My Grannie Annie is one of them and one of her best recipes, in my opinion, is Mexican Chicken Pie. Today I’m going to share that recipe as well as an easy way to make a bunch of pie crusts ahead of time. It really doesn’t take much longer than it would to make one or two pie crusts. So if you’re making a mess anyway, you might as well stock your freezer while you’re at it!

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For 16 10-inch pie crusts or 20 8-inch pie crusts, you will need:

5 pounds of flour (save one cup for sprinkling on your counter and crusts to prevent sticking)
3 pound tub of shortening
3 teaspoons of salt
3 cups of ice water

First, mix your dry ingredients. Combine the flour (make sure to reserve one cup!) and salt in a large mixing bowl. 

Next, add the shortening. Mom prefers to mix the shortening in with her hands, but you can use a pastry blender or food processor (may need to do several batches). 

Sprinkle in the water, beginning with 2 cups. You may not need all 3 cups of water. Be very careful at this point to not over mix. It will be tempting to mix until it looks like cookie dough, all nice and blended. DON’T. It needs to stick together but it’s okay if some of the flour isn’t completely mixed in.

To freeze the dough, form balls (softball-size for 10-inch pies, baseball-size for 8-inch pies) of dough and place on a cookie sheet. Freeze for two hours, then place in Ziploc freezer bags and store in the freezer until needed.

If you’re ready to make a pie, sprinkle your counter or a cutting board with flour.

Roll the dough into a circular shape. Use enough flour to keep the dough from sticking to the counter.

Transfer the crust into your pie pan. It may help to gently fold the crust in half while you move it, then unfold it once you get it in the pan.

Mold the crust to the shape of your pan, gently pressing down with your fingers. The pie is now ready for your filling! Keep reading for the recipe to Mexican Chicken Pie.

To make a 10-inch Mexican Chicken Pie, you will need:

3 cups of cooked chicken (to save time, you could use rotisserie chicken from the grocery store)
1 10 oz can of cream of chicken soup
1 cup of sour cream
1 4 oz can of green chiles
2 cups (8 oz) of shredded Monterey Jack cheese
5-6 green onions, chopped

Preheat your oven to 400º.

This step is really easy: mix it all together.

Dump it into your crust. 

Place the top crust over the filling and trim the edges with a knife.

Side note: this step always ALWAYS makes me think of Snow White. 

Crimp the edges with a fork or your fingers. Poke three or four slits in the top crust with a knife. 

Your pie is ready for the oven! Or it could be ready for the freezer. Use a foil pan for your pie, wrap it well, and freeze until you’re ready to bake it. Frozen pies will take about twice as long to bake, so allow 1.5-2 hours for baking. 

For fresh, non-frozen pies, bake at 400º for 40-45 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. It helps to let pies sit for a few minutes before you cut them… if you can wait that long.

Slice the pie and serve! The crust is deliciously flaky and the filling is creamy with just the right amount of spice. If you like your food hot & spicy, you can add hot sauce or salsa to the filling recipe. You could also leave out the green chiles and onions for a cheesy chicken filling. Either way, it’s going to be tasty!

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