When the weather starts to change at the end of summer, I start hankering for soul-satisfying, hearty, warm, fill-all-your-corners meals like thick soups, stews, and pot pie (which, let’s be honest here, is essentially soup inside a pie shell and to whoever the genius was who created pot pies…THANK YOU). Soups are a staple dinner fare during fall and winter in this house, but this simple pot pie recipe is, by far, the favorite.
It’s also my favorite meal to gift—it’s complete unto itself (I mean, you could serve it with a salad, but it’s already chock full of veggies inside) and you can make it in a recyclable and disposable pie tin, so there’s no need for dishes to be returned. In fact, just a few weeks ago, a friend told me that the pot pie I made for her about 12 years ago when her second child was born is one of her favorite meals ever. (*cue my heart filling and all the smiles*)
It really is that good.
And it’s totally customizable so you can make the kind of pot pie that fits your tastes—vegetarian, vegan, or meaty, whatever vegetables you like, and spiced with your favorite spices. Not only that, but you can also make this gluten free with gluten-free pie crusts. How fabulous is that?
It does take some prep time, so this is not a 30-minute dinner. But this IS the dinner that will keep on giving because it’s a pie-sized pot pie, and the leftovers can feed you for days. There are five of us who love pot pie in this house, so I always make two so I don’t have to make dinner again for a few days. (Leftovers are my FAVORITE for that very reason.) I also make two because some of us don’t eat meat, so I always make a vegetarian pot pie and a turkey/chicken pot pie. (In fact, on the rare occasions that we cook a turkey, we always chop up some of the leftovers and bag them in 1 cup portions to have at the ready for pot pies.)
It’s also something you can make, freeze, and then bake at a later time. (I’m not that organized, but maybe you are. 🙂
I stumbled upon this recipe many, many years ago, and I don’t think I was even looking for a pot pie recipe. In fact, I’d never even considered that you could make a pie-sized pot pie, because the only ones I’d ever eaten were the little individual-size ones you find in the freezers at the grocery store. So, my mind was a little blown at this monster-size pot pie idea, and I was absolutely intrigued. It had been YEARS, maybe even DECADES, since I’d had pot pie, and my mouth watered just thinking about it.
And it did not disappoint. Especially when made with our Everyday Flaky Pie Crust, with a little bit of spice added to the dough, this has become one of my family’s favorite meals. The one that, when my kids smell it baking, their eyes light up as they say, “You’re making pot pie!”
I know I’ve said this before, but I hate making dinner. It often feels like the bane of my existence, especially as a mom. It’s hard work making dinner for five other people, especially when they all have different likes and dislikes. Finding dinners that everyone likes is almost impossible—I’ve found a few—but finding dinners that *most* people like is what I aim for. If I stuck to just what everyone likes, we’d eat only pizza, pasta, and pancakes. (I wish I was kidding.) So recipes like this, where 5 of the 6 of us love it, feels like a total win to me.
Also *I* love it, so it’s a win for me…and I hope it’ll be a win for you, too. Happy baking!
Ingredients
- Pie dough for top and bottom crust
- 2 1/2 cups vegetable or meat broth
- 2 potatoes, diced
- 1-2 carrots, diced
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1-2 cups other vegetables (ie. green beans, mushrooms, corn, peas, zucchini, etc)
- spices: garlic, tarragon, cumin, thyme...whatever you like (I prefer tarragon and thyme, and add about 1/2 teaspoon of each)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 cup chopped meat or tofu (optional)
- 2 cups grated cheddar (or slices to cover bottom of crust and/or top of pie) (optional)
- 1 cup fresh spinach (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare your pie crust. If you make our Everyday Flaky Pie Crust recipe, double the 9-inch recipe and divide in half to roll out the top and bottom crusts. You may also want to add 1 teaspoon of dried thyme leaves to the dough with the other ingredients--it adds a nice savory flavor to the whole pie.
- Roll out the bottom crust and place in pie plate. Trim around so the edge extends a little less than an inch from the edge of the pan. Set aside top crust dough.
- Preheat the oven to 400 F/205 C.
- In a large saucepan, combine broth, chopped vegetables, and spices. Bring to a boil, and cook at a slow boil until vegetables are soft. Stir cornstarch into 1/4 cup cold water, then add to the saucepan. Stir for 2-3 minutes, until broth thickens. If using, cook meat, then chop into bite sized pieces, and either add to saucepan or set aside. Do the same for tofu. (When I make both vegetarian and meat versions at the same time, I sprinkle the protein into the pie shell as I'm filling it--a layer of stew, a layer of protein...repeat.)
- Roll out the top crust.
- Grate or slice cheese, if using, and layer half of it over the bottom crust. Then spoon in the filling. Cover with another layer of cheese, if using. Before placing the top crust over the pie, dampen the edge of the bottom crust with either water or some of the broth--it helps to seal the crusts together. Place the other crust on top, then fold the edges of the top crust over the edges of the bottom, and pinch/crimp around the entire pie to seal. Cut several slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape as the pie cooks.
- If freezing, let the pie cool, then cover well with foil and place in freezer. (Also something to think about if you're making this ahead of time to freeze it--you might want to let the cooked vegetables and sauce cool down to room temperature before putting the pie together.) Be sure to thaw the pie fully before baking.
- Bake at 400 F/205 C for about 60 minutes, until crust is golden brown and juices are bubbling through the slits (you may have to reopen them near the end of the cooking to see the bubbling--just slide your knife through them again).
- Allow the pie to cool for about 15 minutes, then serve. The filling will be really runny when freshly cooked, but will thicken up when it's completely cooled.
- Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator.