Vegetable Pot Pie

Good Morning Foodies! I hope you all are having an amazing week and getting all prepared for the upcoming holidays! Today I wanted to share a recipe with you that I am so excited about! Honestly, this might be one of the best meals I have ever made and it was a huge hit with my boyfriend.

I little background story first: I have never been that great of a baker but over the past year or so I have really been trying to sharpen my baking skills. So far, I have made some pretty great things that I am proud of. The other day, I decided to make a pot pie. I didn’t want to use biscuits or a pre-made crust, so I decided to try for a homemade pie crust instead. Also, I decided to try my luck at making this inside of the pot pie, right off hand. I told myself I would use my knowledge that I already have for cooking, throw something together and hope it works. One thing they teach us in culinary school is ‘to trust yourself and your palate’ and I am happy I did! This is my favorite recipe to date and I hope you all enjoy it too!

What you need

Pie crust

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 tsp salt
• 6 tbsp of unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
• 3.4 cup vegetable shortening, chilled
• 1/2 cup ice water ( if not ice, place cup of water in freezer for 10 minutes or until really cold. NOT FROZEN)
• 1 egg, beaten

Pot Pie

• 4 medium potatoes
• 1 cup carrots, chopped
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup fresh green beans, chopped 1 inch long
• 2 1/2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp flour
• 2 1/2 cup 2% milk
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning, salt, garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• Pinch of ground clove
• Pinch of crushed red pepper
• Optional: 1 container of your favorite veggie meat product or 1 1/2 cup mushrooms, chopped.

Method

Pie crust:

• In a large bowl, mix flour and salt together. Add cubed and chilled butter and vegetable shortening.

• If you have a pastry cutter, cut the butter and shortening into the mixture. It should start to look like course meal. If you do not own a pastry cutter, with clean hands, you can mix the dough that way or use two forks.
• Slowly start to incorporate your ice water, 1 tbsp at a time. Mixing dough until it start to become thicker.
• If too sticky, sprinkle in some additional flour
• Roll dough into a large ball, cut the ball in half and use plastic wrap to cover each half.
• Place in refrigerator for 2 hour or up to 5 days.
• Once pie crust is chilled, on a floured surface, roll out dough, 1/2 at a time, starting from the middle, outward in long even strokes, until you have a circle. Make sure to occasionally spin dough, so that it doesn’t start to stick to the counter tip. (Circle does not need to be perfect).
• Note: Do this last step after you have completed you pot pie filling.

Pot Pie:

• Clean, peel and cube potatoes. Add in boiling water and cook until you are able to stick a fork through them. (Do not over cook or make cubes too small)
• Melt butter in a pan and add in onions and fresh garlic.
• Once onions become translucent, add carrots. Saute until carrots become tender.

• Sprinkle in flour and mix
• Lower heat a little and add in milk, Italian seasoning, paprika, salt, pepper, fresh thyme and garlic powder.
• Occasionally stir. Once mixture starts to thicken up, add in green beans and simmer until mixture is thickens.
• At this time if you chose to use a veggie meat (that you have already cooked separately) or mushrooms, add them in, as well as the potatoes. Mix together.
• Take off heat and add a pinch of ground clove and crushed red pepper.

• At this time you can roll out pie dough 1/2 at a time.
• Place 1/2, rolled dough in a glass baking dish (or pie dish). Use knife to cut off extra dough around the edges.
• Poke a few whole with a fork at the bottom of crust and place in the oven for 10 minutes on 375 degrees. This will help make sure the bottom crust cooks all the way.
• Take crust out of the oven and add pot pie mix.
• Place second 1/2 of your rolled dough on top and use knife to cut off extra around the edges.
• Make small slits in the middle of dough with knife (2 or 3)
• Use a cooking brush to brush on egg wash to help get a nice golden crust on top
• Place in oven for 30-35 minutes on 375 degrees
• Let rest of 10 minutes before cutting
• ENJOY!