Savory Pot Pies - Winter Comfort

[Farmfresh]

One of the things I love to make in the fall and winter months is Pot Pie. I make mine two crust and these days I typically BUY a pre-made Gluten Free pie crust to use instead of struggling with GF pie dough recipes. The pre-made crusts usually come two to a pack, so I just use one for a bottom crust as normal and use the second crust as the top and make "Pie Dough Crackers" (recipe to follow) out of any trimmings. Other options include making single top crust only pies or making a biscuit topping for the savory filling. You can purchase or keep and reuse aluminum pie pans to make extras of these kind of pie for later.

If I am going to be "pie making" I personally usually buy several of the pie crusts and make several of the savory pies at once. One for supper and then several to freeze, then wrap and keep frozen for later effortless meals. They are great for a day when you have the oven on (or want it on) on a cold day while you are around the house and doing other things. The ready to cook frozen pies go from the freezer into a low 300 - 325 oven on the bottom rack usually I cover the top with foil until I am sure the center of the pie is hot and ready for the top to start browning. Depending on the size of the pie they usually take at least an hour and often closer to an hour and a half to be ready to eat, but work wise all you have to do is stick them in the oven and keep an eye on them occasionally.

Savory pies are the perfect way to use up left overs from roasts, turkeys or extra baked chicken dinners. The basics idea there is to just dice up the meat and any suitable left over veggies, fill the crust and add left over gravy or some kind of sauce to keep it all moist, slap on the top and Bob is your mother's brother. A great way to assemble several pies for later freezer meals after a big dinner.

You can also make some great savory pies with "new" ingredients or even pantry items. For example a can of canned chicken breast can be added to a can of mixed veggies and a can of diced potatoes, drained and save the liquid, then mix them up and dump into a frozen pie shell. Add some chicken bouillon and some cornstarch to the liquid from the cans, stir it up and pour it over and you have a VERY fast pie filling. Everything is basically already cooked, so just pop it into a 375 oven until the crust is brown and you are ready to eat. Add a salad and you have an amazing home cooked pot pie supper in around 45 minutes. You can even use one can of your favorite pre-made stew ... doctor it up and add a shell and no one is the wiser.

Here are a few of my favorite "new ingredient" pot pie recipes. Please add any favorites that your family makes as well. I am starting off with what I do with any left over pie crust trimmings. Our family calls these ...

Pie Dough Crackers

Left over pie dough
Sugar
Cinnamon or Pumpkin Pie Spice (optional)
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Gather up all of your left over pie dough and trimmings and roll or press it together on a cookie sheet. Adding parchment to the sheet makes this even easier clean up. Press the dough around 1/4 of an inch thick. Cut into bites like small crackers or cookies. Prick entire dough with fork and top with sugar. Add spice if also desired, but MY family used sugar only and Hubby's family always used cinnamon as well. Bake in a 350 oven until the dough is cooked and the edges brown slightly. Let cool and have at them!

[Farmfresh]

Beef and Spinach Pie - basic

1 uncooked pastry shell - 2 crust
1 pound ground beef (or venison or lamb - you can also use left over roast, steak or diced smaller stew meat chunks)
1 small onion chopped
1 carrot chopped
1 rib celery chopped
1 small potato chopped
10 oz frozen spinach
1 cloves garlic minced
½ teaspoon oregano
½ teaspoon thyme
Salt and Pepper
6 oz shredded cheddar cheese
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Sauté the meat with the onion, celery, potato and carrot until the vegetables are softened and the meat is browned.
Add spinach and spices and stir well
Pour ingredients into pastry shell stirring a little cheese throughout
Top with more cheese and top of pastry crust.

Bake at 375 degrees until well browned.

All you need is a glass of cold milk!

************************
Creamed Beef and Spinach Pie - deluxe

1 uncooked pastry shell - 2 crust
1 pound ground beef (or venison or lamb - you can also use left over roast, steak or diced smaller stew meat chunks)
1 small onion chopped
1 carrot finely chopped
1 small potato finely chopped
10 oz frozen spinach thawed and drained (5 pounds fresh) You many substitute ANY mild greens: Swiss chard, kale, radish or beet greens, lambs quarter or dandelion greens
1 small onion chopped
4 clove garlic minced
2 T butter
4 oz cream cheese - cubed
½ cup milk
Salt and Pepper
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Sauté the meat with the onion, potato and carrot until the vegetables are softened and the meat is browned. Season with salt and pepper.
Add spinach and stir well. Pour ingredients into pastry shell.

In second pan on low heat melt the butter and add garlic and saute lightly until soft. Stir in a little cream cheese at a time allowing it to melt. Add all of the milk at once and heat slowly while stirring to make a smooth Bechamel sauce. Season sauce with more black pepper and pour over beef and veggie filling stirring in well. Top with a second pastry crust.

Bake at 375 degrees until well browned.

[HybridHomesteader]

Yum.

[Old Fashioned]

Those pie dough crackers used to be a big treat when I was a kid. Ma always made too much crusts for her pies and I'd get the extras to roll out and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. I loved them. When I did that for my kids.....meh, that's nice

[patriceinil]

It all sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing your recipes