Every cook needs one of these. Most have more than one.
I’m talking about a good chicken pie recipe, and the one today from Sandra Hargett of Milford Baptist Church in Taylors is one you will want to keep. There are two good things about this recipe.
The first is that it is good. The second is that it makes a large pie – and Sandra says she divides the recipe, baking one half and putting the other half (uncooked and tightly wrapped in foil) in the freezer. When needed, it can be baked and served as good as freshly made.
It’s hard to be a Baptist and not have a good chicken pie recipe.
Sandra and her husband Bob are very active in their church. Rev. Herschel Crain came to Milford as an interim pastor after “retiring” from Apalache Baptist Church in Greer, but Milford soon called him to the pastorate and he accepted. Milford, a small church, has a long and rich history since its founding on June 14, 1832. It averages around 100 on Sundays, and its largest membership ever was around 200. The church is growing, and a recent project was restoring the church windows.
Sandra and Bob, who teaches the senior ladies Sunday school class and is also a deacon, are both involved in outreach ministries of the church. Sandra’s primary activity involves music. She is the pianist for the worship services and helps with the adult choir.
Sandra, whose mother died about two months ago after making her home with Sandra and Bob for many months, grew up in Holly Springs Baptist Church in Inman. There, Sandra had the children and youth choirs for many years and was active in WMU, Mission Friends, etc.
When Sandra and Bob married, they created a combined family. The spouse of each had died and the two met some time later. Bob has two children, Lorie and Craig Hargett, and Sandra has two sons, Chris and Craig Morgan.
Sandra Hargett
Sandra, whose joy is to work in her church and community, and Bob are both in the real estate business, owning a section of Greenville know as the West End Historic Area. Some time ago, they converted one store to house six tenants and have another. She is beginning to have a few health problems and says she is finally learning to use the word “no.”
We are glad she said “yes” to sharing this recipe. She got it, she remembers, from Joan Bridges of Simpsonville. When I cooked this for the “test group” at our table, everyone really liked it – but it makes a large dish and I put the leftover part, about half the pie, in the freezer waiting for another day.
One Sunday soon when I’m unsure about my menu, I can check the freezer, set out Sandra’s Chicken Pie to defrost before we go to church and when we return home we will have our main course waiting for … Sunday Dinner.
Sandra’s Chicken Pie
1 fryer or hen
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup self-rising flour
3 boiled eggs, sliced
1 10 ¾-ounce can cream of chicken soup
1 stick butter or margarine
1 cup buttermilk
Boil chicken. Cool. Remove bones, cut chicken into small pieces, and place in a 9×13-inch baking dish. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix soup and broth, and pour over chicken. Combine butter, flour and buttermilk, and mix well. Pour over chicken and broth. Evenly distribute slices of hard-cooked eggs on top of batter.
Bake for 45 minutes, until crust is lightly browned. Serves approximately 10.