Chicken Pot Pie Soup

A great hearty soup to make with your leftover chicken or turkey.  If you don't like the pie crust topping , use a biscuit or oyster crackers or don't put a topping on it.

CHICKEN POT PIE SOUP
(serves 12)

Ingredients:

*1/4 cup butter
*2 1/2 cups Yukon gold potatoes, diced small
*1 large onion, peeled and diced small
*4 medium, carrots, peeled and diced small
*2 celery stalks, diced small
*3 cloves garlic, minced
*1/3 cup all-purpose flour
*6 cups chicken stock
*1/2 cup heavy cream
*2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (4 cups), cooked and diced
*2 boneless skinless chicken thighs (2 cups) , cooked and diced
*1 cup bag frozen peas
*1 cup frozen corn
*1 teaspoon salt
*1 teaspoon ground black pepper
*1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
*1 tablespoon dried parsley

*1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary

*1 (14.1 ounce) refrigerator pie crust (optional)

Directions:
~In a medium pot, add potatoes and cover with water.
~Cook over medium high heat, for about  10 minutes (or until potatoes are fork tender.
~Drain potatoes and set aside.
~In a large stock pot, melt butter over medium heat.
~Add onions, carrots and celery.
~Sauté for 7-8 minutes, stirring often.
~Cook until onions are translucent.
~Add garlic and sauté for another 2-3 minutes (careful not to let garlic burn).
~Stir in flour, salt, pepper, thyme and rosemary until well mixed.
~Stir and cook for 1 minute.
~Slowly add chicken stock and milk.
~Stir in potatoes, chicken, peas and corn.
~Allow mixture to simmer for about 10 minutes (do not bring to a boil).
~Remove soup from burner.
~Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
~Roll out pie crust.
~Take a small biscuit cutter, and cut as many circles as you can in the dough (I use a small 1 inch biscuit/cookie cutter, but you can use whatever size you want)
~Place cut out pie crust dough on a cookie sheet.
~Bake for 10-15 minutes or until bottom of the crusts are a golden brown.
~Serve up soup and place pie crust circles over the soup.