By Clark 
We can paint an image for you. The snow is whirling outside your window as you cozy up on the couch in your slippers, a fire crackling in the fireplace, and a pot of chicken pot pie soup gently simmering on the stove. This soup, a simplified twist on chicken pot pie that leaves you with plenty of time to nest, is the embodiment of comfort, in our opinion.
Stir in the flour, chicken stock, shredded rotisserie chicken, and potatoes; simmer until the potatoes are tender and the flavors combine. Sauté the carrots, onion, garlic, celery, and dried thyme in butter until they are translucent. The more vegetables we can fit into a casserole, the better, so add some half-and-half for richness and some frozen peas.
Skipping the Crust: A Simple Recipe for Seasoned Oyster Crackers
Oyster crackers are delicious on their own, but for an extra burst of flavor, try sprinkling them with olive oil, dried thyme, cayenne pepper, and salt before toasting them in the oven until they turn crispy and golden. Add some delightful crunch to the gathering with these miniature croutons. Optional, but certain to be scrumptious.
What You Need:
- unflavored butter, three teaspoons
- 2 cups of finely chopped large yellow onion
- 2 little carrots, around 1 1/4 cups diced
- About 1 1/4 cups of sliced medium-rib celery
- roughly 2 teaspoons of minced garlic from 6 big cloves
- 150 milliliters of kosher salt
- thyme, dry, 1 teaspoon
- mixed-purpose flour, 3 tablespoons
- 12 ounces of chicken stock
- 2 cups of chicken shredded (using 1 rotisserie chicken)
- About four potatoes, or two cups, of chopped red potatoes
- Using a 16-ounce bag of frozen peas, measure out 2 cups.
- half a cup of h&h
With regard to the toasted oyster crackers:
- Oyster crackers, 2 cups
- Olive oil, 1/4 cup
- Kosher salt, 1 teaspoon
- thyme, dry, 1 teaspoon
- a quarter teaspoon of cayenne pepper, if desired
- Method
Warm up the oven.
Toast the oyster crackers if you’re planning to make them. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Put foil on a big baking sheet with a rim and set it aside.
Make the soup:
In a big Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Put in the garlic, thyme, onion, carrots, and celery. Season with salt. For about 10 to 12 minutes, or until the veggies are soft, toss often while cooking. After approximately a minute of stirring, add the flour and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the flour has coated the veggies.
Slowly cook the soup:
Combine the chicken, potatoes, and broth in a Dutch oven. Stir to combine. After coming to a boil over medium-high heat, lower the heat to medium-low and simmer for approximately 20 minutes, or until the flavors combine and the potatoes are tender. Add the half-and-half and frozen peas; simmer for another 5 minutes, or until the peas are heated through.
At the same time, prepare the oyster crackers:
Stir together the oyster crackers, olive oil, kosher salt, dried thyme, and cayenne pepper (if desired) in a sizable basin. Evenly distribute the mixture on the baking pan. Toast and cook until golden brown, stirring once halfway through, about 10 minutes.
Place the order:
Spoon 4 cups of soup into each of 6 dishes. Toasted oyster crackers can be sprinkled on top if preferred. You can store leftovers in the fridge for up to four days or freeze them for up to two months if they are airtight.