Creamy Garlic Lemon and Dill Chicken Pot Pies

Begin by making the pastry dough. Stir together the shortening and boiling water in a large mixing bowl (or the bowl of your stand mixer) until the shortening is fully melted and combined with the water. It will probably be a thick, milky white liquid at that point. Add the remaining ingredients and mix together on low (either with a stand mixer or by hand) until a smooth dough forms. Divide in two and pat each half into a smooth disc on a piece of plastic wrap. Wrap tightly and refrigerate while preparing the filling.

To prepare the filling, melt the butter over medium heat in a large, heavy-bottomed stockpot. Whisk the flour in, little by little, until smooth and bubbly. After it becomes bubbly, cook and whisk constantly for 2 minutes. Whisk in the milk until completely smooth. Heat gently until the sauce is bubbling and thickened. Stir in the chicken, peas, and potatoes. Continue cooking and stirring until heated through. Stir in remaining ingredients and remove the stockpot from the heat. Cover and return to the pastry.

To make one large pie:

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Take one disc and cut it in half with a bench knife. Scatter flour over a clean counter and roll one half of the disc into an approximately 12-inch circle. Use the bench knife to fold it gently in half and then in half again. Place the pointy edge of the folded dough in the center of a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate. Unfold the pie dough so it covers the pie plate. If needed, stretch or squash the dough so that it covers the whole plate and extends up a bit over the edges. Spoon the filling into the prepared dough in the pie plate so that it is slightly mounded.

Roll the other half of the disc into a 9-inch circle and cut vents in the circle. Again, use a bench knife to fold the circle in half and in half again, place the pointy end of the dough at the very center of the filled pie plate and unfold the dough to cover the filling. Crimp the lower and upper crusts together.

Bake for 45 minutes, or until the upper crust is deep golden brown at the edges, light golden brown in the center, and the filling can be seen bubbling through the vent holes. Transfer pie plate to a cooling rack and let it rest for 10 minutes before serving. To serve, use a deep spoon to scoop the pot pie into bowls.

To make 12 individual pies:

To make these, you need 12 wide-mouth 1/2-pint (8 ounce capacity) canning jars. Do not use jars that are not heat-proof.

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Take one disc of dough and cut in half. Roll out one half of the dough to a thickness of about 1/8-inch to 1/4-inch and use the screw-top ring from a wide-mouth jar to cut 12 rounds. Pull away the excess dough and break off pieces to begin lining the jars. First, cover the inside bottom of the jar, using your fingers to squish seams together. Continue grabbing pieces of dough to line up the insides of the jars to within about a 1/4-inch from the upper rim. When you run out of rolled pieces, pinch off pieces from the remaining dough disc and line the remaining jars.

Spoon filling into the dough-lined jars to within 1/4-inch of the top of the dough (not the top of the jars!). Cut vent holes into the pre-cut discs and lay gently on the filling in the jars. Use your fingers or a fork to crimp the lower dough to the upper disc. If you plan to freeze the pies before cooking, be certain to keep the dough and filling fully below the rim of the jar.

Place jars on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, or until the edges of the upper crust are deep golden brown and the top is lightly browned. The crust inside the jars should look a very pale gold and the filling should be visibly bubbling when you look into the vent holes. Transfer the jars from the baking sheet to a wire rack and let cool 10 minutes before serving. To keep the jars from sliding on the serving plates, you may want to put a damp hand towel or piece of moistened paper towel between the jars the the plates.

To freeze individual pies:

Refrigerate the filled jars, unbaked and uncovered, until chilled through. Fix two-piece canning lids onto the jars, label and freeze.

To bake from frozen, remove the two-piece lids and place on a rimmed baking sheet and into a cold oven. Set the oven for 375°F and let it come up to temperature. Bake for 30 minutes after the oven reaches temperature or or until the edges of the upper crust are deep golden brown and the top is lightly browned. The crust inside the jars should look a very pale gold and the filling should be visibly bubbling when you look into the vent holes. Transfer the jars from the baking sheet to a wire rack and let cool 10 minutes before serving. To keep the jars from sliding on the serving plates, you may want to put a damp hand towel or piece of moistened paper towel between the jars and the plates.