Chicken Pot Pie (low carb, gluten free, nut free)

I've been trying to stay low carb, sugar and gluten free (meaning, no conventional flour or starchy vegetables), but also not shying away from real fats (like butter, cheese, heavy cream - which is lower in sugar than regular milk). So I modified a low carb pot pie recipe that I found to make it a "pie size" plus a 16 oz ramekin for Dh's lunch the next day. The filling and crust do not use any wheat flour or cornstarch. It isn't a flaky crust, but more of a thin breading (reminiscent of the Bisquick pot pie topping I used to make). The original recipe calls for almond flour in the crust, but (1) I don't have any, and (2) nuts tend to give me headaches. A general rule of thumb also, use less coconut flour than almond. I cooked a whole chicken in the crockpot this week, so I had the meat ready to go! *Disclaimer: Low carb doesn't mean low fat in this recipe  :)

Ingredients:

For the filling:

• 3 Tbs butter
• 1/2 medium onion (chopped)
• 1/2 cup celery (chopped/2 ribs)
• 3 cloves of garlic (minced)
• Salt and pepper (to your taste)
• 2 cups of cooked chicken (cubed/chopped small)
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stock (I prefer the full flavor of veg.)
• 2 Tbs Dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup shredded cheese (white cheddar, sharp; I had a Mexican blend on hand)
• 1 cup frozen peas (thawed)
• 1 cup frozen green beans (thawed; mine were large green beans, so I snapped them into smaller bits while they were frozen)

For the dough:

• 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese (shredded)
• 3 Tbs cream cheese
• 1/4 cu coconut flour (the original recipe called for 3/4 cu almond flour if you have that instead, but almond flour is higher in carbs)
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning (this isn't necessary if you want a more mild crust)
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

Instructions:

Preheat the oven for 375F.

For the filling:

1. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, garlic and a little salt and pepper. Saute until soft and before the garlic burns  :)
2. Add the chicken to the pan, gently stir together, and heat through.
3. Stir in the the heavy cream, stock and mustard. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a low simmer until the mixture thickens (5-7 min).
4. Stir in the cheese until melted.
5. Stir in the peas and green beans.

For the dough:

1. In a large microwavable bowl, combine mozzarella and cream cheese. Microwave for 1 minute. Stir to combine. Microwave again for 30 sec-1 min. Stir again.
2. Using a non-stick silicon spoon, mix in the flour, egg, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Mix until well combined. If it gets stringy, reheat for 30 sec and stir again. You can also gently knead with your hand to make sure the grease is incorporated.
3. If you are making a separate "left-over" ramekin, remove a small handful of dough now. Flatten into a disc between parchment paper. For the rest of the dough (or if you just make a big crust), roll between two sheets of parchment paper into a large circle.
4. Lightly butter a 9 inch pie dish (and optional ramekin), distribute the filling, and top with the flat dough.
5. (Optional: Place on a baking sheet for any bubble-over). Bake for 20-25 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

Enjoy!

Here is the original recipe if you really like your carrots. This recipe calls for making 4 small individual pot pies. http://peaceloveandlowcarb.com/chicken-pot-pie-low-carb-gluten-free/