Family Size Pot Pie

I thought I would share one of my favorite dinners that looks and tastes a lot more complicated than it is. This recipe uses just a couple of bags of frozen vegetables and pre-made pie crusts, among some other off the shelf seasonings and ingredients, to make a pot pie that offers eight generous servings for the whole family!

Leave the hassle of buying and chopping fresh vegetables behind, this pot pie tastes delicious and can be thrown together with what you have in the freezer! There's also only a few easy steps with plenty of room for personalization to make your pot pie to your family's liking. From start to finish, this recipe takes about an hour and a half including baking time.

4 pre made pie crusts

2 four cup bags of frozen vegetables of your choice

1 & 1/2 cups of a protein of your choice (optional)

1/3 cup of butter

1 & 3/4 cups of vegetable or chicken broth

1/2 cup of milk

~1/3 cup of multipurpose flour

Cooking Spray

Garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and other Italian seasons of your liking

Easiest step, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Either in their bags or in a glass bowl, defrost the frozen vegetables by microwaving them as per the instructions on the package. Personally, I often choose to mix and match a bag of mixed vegetables (peas, corn, carrots, chopped green beans) with one bag of baby broccoli for my pot pie.

If you would like, chop or shred 1 & 1/2 cups of your choice in meat or protein to add to your pot pie. I typically chop up chicken breast, though ground turkey or other meat would work just as well.

Once cubed, pan fry the meat in a large frying pan. Season with salt, pepper, garlic, onion, basil, and parsley to your liking.

Once the meat is cooked, drain any excess juices or fat. Then mix in the defrosted veggies and add more seasoning if desired. Lower the heat to a simmer and let the veggies and meat steam together.

For the filling, we will need a medium size sauce pan and the following ingredients:

• 1/3 cup of butter
• ~1/3 cup of multipurpose flour
• 1 & 3/4 cups of vegetable or chicken broth
• 1/2 cup of milk
• Garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and other Italian seasons of your liking

To start, we need to make a simple roux. I used to skip this and whisk the flower in gradually, but I've found that the roux makes a thicker filling with a much lighter flavor rather than a hint of flower. To begin, add the butter to a medium sauce pan and get it up to temperature so it melts, but doesn't burn. Once melting, add 1/3 cup of a flower and whisk the butter and flower together. A roux is ready when it has an even, thicker consistency, and starts to brown. If you let this sit too long it will burn. For me, this whole process once the flower has been added takes less than a minute.

Next, add the broth and milk to the roux. While the added liquids get up to temperature, this will not be a thick filling, be patient! While the filling is heating, stir regularly to prevent the roux from burning and sticking to the bottom of the pan. During this time, mix in your choice of seasonings and wait for everything to get up to temperature.

It will begin to thicken as the filling gets up to temperature, continue to mix and keep the filling from burning. Be patient, it may take a few minutes to begin to thicken, and then a few more until its finished. Once the filling appears to stop thickening, you can use a small mesh strainer to sift a small sprinkle of flour in at a time to thicken it some more. Once you sift some flour in, use a whisk to mix the flour in thoroughly before adding more.

Once the filling is at your desired creamy-ness, pour and mix the filling, veggies, and meat together in the large frying pan.

Generously coat a large 3 quart glass baking dish with cooking spray (I use butter flavored Pam). Then roll out two of the four pie crusts across the bottom of the pan. Evenly press and seal the seam where the two crusts meet. Then peel the excess crust off from around the edge of the pan so the crust evenly meets the top brim of the baking pan all away around.

Note - Not all pot pies are made with a bottom crust, so this step could be skipped if you only want a top crust. Additionally, you may want to pre bake the bottom crust if you do not have a bottom heating element in your oven (see the next step for more info).

Next, evenly pour the filling, veggies, and meet into the crust covered baking sheet. Before applying the top crust, press the two remaining crust together over a flat surface to form one large top crust (It will be hard to press them together when the crust is laying over the filling). Once pressed, lay the top crusts over the filling and firmly press the top crust to the bottom crust around the brim of the pan. Peel any excess crust away.

Lastly, pinch and rip a small opening in the middle of the pot pie. This will allow the pot pie to vent and steam which will prevent a soggy mess of a pot pie!

It will take about 45 minutes to fully bake your pot pie. Note, if you do not have a bottom heat element in your oven, and if you chose to have a bottom layer of crust, you may want to consider pre baking the bottom crust for 10 minutes before adding the filling. Without a bottom element, the bottom crust may never fully bake and become a delicious, but soggy mess.

About 20 minutes in, or half way through your total baking time, the brim of crust around the top edge of the pan will start to brown before the rest of the crust. Cover the brim carefully using tents of aluminum foil, then allow for the pie to continue baking until evenly browned throughout.

Once out of the oven, allow the pot pie to cool for 5 minutes before cutting / serving. You will be able to tell the pot pie is ready when it is not longer bubbling and steaming through the hole in the center of the pot pie. As an added bonus, this pot pie will reheat beautifully as left overs the next day just as delicious as the first!

Thanks for reading, happy baking, and enjoy!