Chicken Pot Pie Stew

I had a great version at the Souplantation, and did a test run of this dish - it's going to be the main dish at Naomi's family birthday party next Sunday. She loves a good chicken pot pie. I'll double this for a crowd of 20-ish. It came out pretty nicely, and was great for a cool fall Sunday. It was also nice for a day when everyone wanted to eat at their own dang time instead of all sit down nicely at the same moment; it's flexible that way. Not that I am bitter or anything.

The only problem with making this is it does take a long time to chop the raw chicken into little pieces. And I sure do hate chopping raw chicken. It gets all under your fingernails and such, yech. Other than that, the stew is a pretty good thing.

Chicken Pot Pie Stew
Serves 10

3 lbs. boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
1 onion, diced
1 cup celery, diced
1/2 cup butter
2 cans 98% fat free cream of chicken soup
4 cups frozen diced potatoes
4 cups frozen garden vegetables (carrots, corn, green beans - no peas, per Nomi's request. Although I think carrots, corn, peas mix would be better)
1 14 oz (ish) can of vegetable or chicken broth
1 tsp curry powder
black pepper to taste
1 tsp comino/cumin, if desired
garlic salt
flour
fat free milk

Frozen dinner rolls (or any rolls or biscuits)

Cook chicken, onion, and celery - sprinkle with garlic salt as it is cooking - and set aside. Melt butter in big soup pot. Add flour until it becomes a thick paste. Add milk until it becomes a thick sauce, stirring constantly with a whisk. Add cream soups, can of milk, and broth. Whisk, whisk. Put in frozen veggies, chicken, and seasonings. Cook on low heat until warmed through, then transfer to a crock pot and keep warm. Let people add salt to their own taste.

Warning - do not boil the soup on full boil, it will mess it up due to the milk. Try to keep it at a low bubble at most.

Serving suggestion: make frozen dinner rolls. Tear them in half and put in the bottom of a bowl, and ladle the chicken pot pie stew on top of it. Or, you can always serve it on top of that wonderful invention, steamed white rice.