Mmmmmm... The taste of nostalgic food! One of my favorite dishes growing up was chicken pot pie! A while back my husband and I set out to "treat" our children to a bit of nostalgia. That's actually a common thing for us. A a young married woman I dreamed and planned of all the things I would someday share with my children when I had them. It's one of the driving points behind my parenting style. I love to share with my children the things that I loved as a child, the things that made my childhood special and the memories that I cherish.
So on this particular day, we (gasp) purchased some of those cheap pot pies to share with the kiddos. (He likes beef and I like chicken so we bought a mix of the 2) We brought them home and put them in the oven. I was almost giddy as I pulled them out of the oven, steaming and bubbling with goodness. My childhood days rushed back to memory. (cue reminiscent melody) After they cooled we served them up and watched with excitement as our kids took their first bite. They ate, we ate and...
(record screech)...
So on this particular day, we (gasp) purchased some of those cheap pot pies to share with the kiddos. (He likes beef and I like chicken so we bought a mix of the 2) We brought them home and put them in the oven. I was almost giddy as I pulled them out of the oven, steaming and bubbling with goodness. My childhood days rushed back to memory. (cue reminiscent melody) After they cooled we served them up and watched with excitement as our kids took their first bite. They ate, we ate and...
(record screech)...
The beautiful, perfectly browned, bubbling bundles of nostalgia, pot pies we bought tasted absolutely TERRIBLE! They were edible of coarse, but perfectly deceiving. What we expected was a slightly cheap version of grandmas home cooking and what we got was... Well you had to be there, but I bet you're glad you weren't. The taste experience was akin to being served cold fast food burgers and mushy fries at an expensive steak house. It was disappointing to say the least.
Childhood memory almost ruined, I set out to share with my children, and you our readers, what a real pot pie can (and should) taste like. So here we have it...
Childhood memory almost ruined, I set out to share with my children, and you our readers, what a real pot pie can (and should) taste like. So here we have it...
Homestead Style Pot Pie
The most important thing about this recipe is that it's not really an exact recipe. Ha! This is more of a method really.
The best thing about it is that you can truly use whatever you have on hand and it will still taste good because YOU made it.
For the crust you need:
2 savory pie crusts, 8 or 9 inch, depending on your pan. (if you don't have a favorite savory crust, you can use your standard pie crust recipe, omit the sugar, and add 1/2 tsp. salt. To prepare- roll out and place 1 crust in a greased pie pan. (we use coconut oil, but you can use your favorite solid fat, other than butter which burns)
For the filling:
1-2 cups cubed or shredded pre-cooked meat. (leftovers are great!)
2-3 cups mixed chopped veggies (whatever is in your garden or pantry)
broth to simmer in, but not cover (about 2 cups)
2 tbsp. cornstarch or 1/3 c. AP flour
Seasonings to taste.
For a creamy chicken pot pie, use less broth, add 1/2c. milk and use flour to thicken
Mix the cold or room temp broth with the cornstarch, add the veggies and simmer until the broth becomes a gravy consistency. Add the meat and stir in seasonings. Then you're going to pour this filling into the prepared pie crust. Do not overfill or you'll have a mess in the oven. Fill just to the top of the pan. Top with remaining crust, press and flute or crease edges, make slits in the center of the pie and bake at 350* F until center is bubbly and crust is golden. (about 30-45 min.) Let it cool for 10 min. then slice and serve.
Helpful Hint - As an even easier option take leftover stew or chicken/ veg soup and simmer down the liquid until only a couple cups remain then thicken with cornstarch or flour/water and pour into your prepared crust. This is an easy alternative and makes good use of leftovers that changes it enough even your picky eaters will want it.
I think you're going to love the results! It's such a joy to have a childhood favorite combined with the natural goodness of homemade food. Thanks for taking a trip with us down memory lane. I would love to hear what some of your favorite memories are, and if you have any recipes you've been looking for from your childhood let me know. I'd be happy to see what I can dig up for you! Who knows we may find our next favorite recipe!
Shalom
The best thing about it is that you can truly use whatever you have on hand and it will still taste good because YOU made it.
For the crust you need:
2 savory pie crusts, 8 or 9 inch, depending on your pan. (if you don't have a favorite savory crust, you can use your standard pie crust recipe, omit the sugar, and add 1/2 tsp. salt. To prepare- roll out and place 1 crust in a greased pie pan. (we use coconut oil, but you can use your favorite solid fat, other than butter which burns)
For the filling:
1-2 cups cubed or shredded pre-cooked meat. (leftovers are great!)
2-3 cups mixed chopped veggies (whatever is in your garden or pantry)
broth to simmer in, but not cover (about 2 cups)
2 tbsp. cornstarch or 1/3 c. AP flour
Seasonings to taste.
For a creamy chicken pot pie, use less broth, add 1/2c. milk and use flour to thicken
Mix the cold or room temp broth with the cornstarch, add the veggies and simmer until the broth becomes a gravy consistency. Add the meat and stir in seasonings. Then you're going to pour this filling into the prepared pie crust. Do not overfill or you'll have a mess in the oven. Fill just to the top of the pan. Top with remaining crust, press and flute or crease edges, make slits in the center of the pie and bake at 350* F until center is bubbly and crust is golden. (about 30-45 min.) Let it cool for 10 min. then slice and serve.
Helpful Hint - As an even easier option take leftover stew or chicken/ veg soup and simmer down the liquid until only a couple cups remain then thicken with cornstarch or flour/water and pour into your prepared crust. This is an easy alternative and makes good use of leftovers that changes it enough even your picky eaters will want it.
I think you're going to love the results! It's such a joy to have a childhood favorite combined with the natural goodness of homemade food. Thanks for taking a trip with us down memory lane. I would love to hear what some of your favorite memories are, and if you have any recipes you've been looking for from your childhood let me know. I'd be happy to see what I can dig up for you! Who knows we may find our next favorite recipe!
Shalom
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