Chicken Pot Pie

Chicken Pot Pie

First - The Sierra Cup.

I started backpacking as a teenager in the costal mountain ranges of Queensland, Australia where "backpacking" is called "bushwalking." Even in the high-country streams we quickly learned not to drink unknown stream water no matter how clear it looked. In the USA I fell in love with the Wind River high country of Wyoming. Even at 12,000 feet in fresh snow I learned to boil or purify the water. The tool of choice was the Sierra Cup. The cup I use is the larger one and it is described as follows by TBO-TECH:

Use a Sierra Cup for boiling water, cooking, purifying water by bringing to a boil, or simply drinking out of. There are two sizes available, the standard 1-cup version (8oz) or the jumbo 1 3/4-cup (14oz). Both Sierra Cups are made of durable stainless steel with a heavy gauge wire handle. Great for camping or placing in your survival kit. When you're in the wild, camping or in a survival situation, having something to put water in is a necessity. Finding a source of water but not having anything to carry it to the fire with would be extremely frustrating. With a sierra cup, you're all set. You'll also be able to cook or make tea.

Now I have found a great use for the Sierra Cup - cooking chicken pot pies. The smaller Sierra Cup will serve an individual. The larger cup will serve two. Most camping stores carry the small cups.

4 cups of chopped chicken breasts (1/2 inch squares)  or 2 pounds
2 cups of chopped carrots
10 ozs. frozen peas - frozen in butter sauce preferred
10 ozs. frozen corn - frozen in butter sauce preferred
2 cups of chopped onions
1 cup of chopped celery
1 cup of chopped bacon - 2 thick slices of peppered bacon preferred
1 teaspoon each of salt, pepper, ground cloves and garlic powder or minced garlic
3 cups of chicken broth


Place the mixture in a pot, bring to a boil, and simmer for at least 50 minutes. Thicken mixture by adding  dried mashed potato until in paste form and spoon paste into the Sierra Cups. Using the overturned sierra cups, cut circles of pastry to place on the top. Use a knife or fork to make a few holes in the top of each pie.

Place in a 400 degree oven for at least 40 minutes. The pies can be eaten cold or hot and are easily transported by wrapping in foil and using a plastic fork for eating at the work site.

Bushwalking - high country Snowy River Country Australia