Friday, April 2, 2010

Vegetable Pot Pie


I found a recipe for Chicken Pot Pies in The Pastry Queen and it looked so good that I decided to adapt it into a vegetarian version. In the book, the pies are made in small individual casserole dishes, but I decided to make one large pie to simplify things.

Feel free to use any combination of veggies that you like. I used cauliflower, zucchini, red bell pepper, peas and potatoes. The sauce in this recipe is so delicious.


Veggie Pot Pies (based on All-Sold-Out Chicken Pot Pies from The Pastry Queen)

Filling:
3 tablespoons butter
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 large russet potato, peeled and diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, diced
8 ounces button mushrooms, sliced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
salt and pepper
a cup or two of additional vegetables to replace the chicken
8 ounces fresh green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces (optional)
8 ounces frozen peas (optional)

Cream Sauce:
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup all purpose flour
2 1/2 cups vegetable stock
1/2 cup heavy cream (optional)
dash of hot sauce
salt and pepper

Crust:
1 cup chilled unsalted butter
3 cups all purpose flour
10 ounces chilled cream cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 large egg

To make the filling: Melt the butter in a large saute pan set over medium heat. Add the onion and potato; saute for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, bell pepper, and mushrooms and saute about 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Stir in the crushed red pepper and add salt and pepper to taste.

While the vegetables are sauteing, cook the green beans in the microwave until just tender. Drain. Stir the beans and the peas into the vegetable mixture. Set the filling aside.

To make the cream sauce: Melt the butter over medium heat in a large saucepan. Add the flour and whisk until smooth. Whisk in the stock and cook the sauce over medium heat until it thickens to the consistency of cream soup. Add the cream, hot pepper sauce, and salt and pepper to taste. Pour the cream sauce over the filling and stir to combine. Fill individual 1 1/4 cup capacity oven-safe bowls three-quarters of the way to the top with the filling.

To make the crust: Preheat the oven to 375F. Cut the butter into 16 pieces. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade, pulse the butter and flour until crumbly. Add the cream cheese, salt, and pepper. Continue pulsing just until the dough forms a ball.

Set the dough on a flat surface dusted with flour. Use a floured rolling pin to roll the dough out to 1/4-inch thickness. Measure the the diameter of the pot pie bowls and cut out dough rounds that are 1 1/2 inches larger in diameter. Whisk the egg in a small bowl. Lay the dough rounds on top of the pot pies, making sure the dough hangs evenly over each bowl. Brush the dough lightly with the beaten egg. Bake the pies for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown.


8 comments:

  1. Oh, pot pie (but yes, chicken) is my all-time favorite comfort food. I make that often in the winter months. Yum!

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  2. Hi...this is so delicious and healthy, great pic too....

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  3. Michele,
    I know its Spring here, but it still feels quite wintery. This is a really good looking dish and oh so comforting too. I hope your keeping well. Warmest of wishes.

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  4. vegetarian adaptation looks delicious.. worth trying!

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  5. vegetarian adaptation looks delicious... i have never made pot pies... i'll definitely try this one.

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  6. Wonderful! I've been looking for a good pot pie recipe, thanks so much!! Peace, Stephanie

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  7. That looks great, especially with the cream cheese crust! The last pot pie I had was probably a frozen one when I was little.

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  8. Boy, that looks so tempting, Michele. The crust looks like it would melt in your mouth!

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