Simple and Tasty Pot Pies

My husband had the food channel on. The show on was one I don't particularly favor, the one with Giada, (it's something about how she speaks perfect English then pronounces Parmigiana, with a heavy Italian accent, lol, how picky am I?) Anyway, she was making individual pot pies and raving about how simple they are to make. We love pot pies but, to admit, I've never had one other than frozen. I've stopped buying them too often, given all the sodium, et al.

So, as Giada went on, I took note. They did seem fairly easy and could cut down on the meat used or help use up leftover meat in a tasty way. My husband is not a fan of casseroles but he likes pot pies (I don't ask). One reason I tuned in was that I happened to have quite a bit of left over T-bone steak in the refrigerator (having something to do with my husband's brain's meat receptors going crazy while he stands in a meat department, any meat department.) And, I had bacon on hand.

I'm comfortable enough cooking now to get her basic idea and create it. I've made the T-bone steak pot pie and a chicken pot pie and both were soooo tasty. And, I'm now smart enough to know that having the right cooking utensils makes cooking adventures more successful and pleasant. Before making the first pies I stopped by Value Village (hey why not?) There sat two perfect little white ceramic baking tureens molded with ceramic handles. They were the perfect size for using one round of prepared pie crust and they were from Sur la table!

Simple and Tasty Pot Pies

What makes this a successful and regularly used recipe for me is having purchased the perfect sized individual baking dishes. One box of two prepared pie dough rounds makes 4 pies.

Ingredients

4 slices bacon, fried (ideal for flavor but can be omitted)

3 Tablespoon Bacon grease (If you omit the bacon use butter here)

¼ small onion  or part of a large leek, or a shallot, chopped

¼ large carrot sliced into very thin rounds

2 big pinches dried thyme

Seasoning salt, (I use Johnny’s Seasoning Salt) to taste

4 tablespoons flour

1 can broth, chicken, beef depending on meat used

½ cup or more cream (I use unwhipped whip cream)

½ cup frozen peas, thawed

½ cup frozen corn, thawed

3 Chicken tenders fried up with some seasoning salt or left over chicken, beef or pork chopped up.

Instruction

Fry bacon, remove from pan retaining the bacon grease needed

Add chopped onion,  and carrots (sometimes I add a bit of thinly sliced celery) to pan and brown.

Sprinkle the thyme and stir in.

Add flour mixing to make a roux,

Add can of broth and simmer until thickened.

Add cream, chopped meat including a couple pieces of bacon (you’ve probably eaten the other two while you’ve cooked), and thawed peas and corn, stir together.

Add seasoning salt to taste.

Line two small baking dishes with pie dough. (I bought two perfect sized pot pie baking dishes. One round of store bought prepared pie dough lines and tops the two dishes.)  Add the filling to the dish and top with dough.

Bake at 400 degrees for about ½ hour until crust is done (I use the toaster oven).