What’s your ideal comfort food? To me, it’s something creamy, flavorful, filling and has a crispy component. Hello friends! It’s not only soup making season around here but the chilly weather beckons for savory pies. You can either make your own pie dough (and I’ve got a savory recipe for that) or use store bought crust. Whatever you’d like, Pot Pies are another food that’s on the top of my foods to make ahead with friends. Just invite a friend over, get creative, make large amounts of individual pies in bulk and store them in the freezer for easy weeknight meals. I’ve made this pie with my Adult School students and it’s always a big hit.
This delicious vegetable pie is full of flavor and features a variety of root vegetables. Instead of broth, the vegetables soak in sweet coconut milk. Garam masala is the secret spice that melds the earthy flavors together in a hearty, vegetarian pie. Carnivores will hardly miss the meat! Feel free to use a store bought crust or make your own.
Root Vegetable Pot Pie
Makes 1 pot pie or 4 individual ones
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
3 garlic cloves
1 cup onion, diced
1 cup butternut squash, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1 cup sweet potato, peeled and diced
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon salt
Pepper to taste
1 13.5 ounce can coconut milk
1 cup yellow corn
Pie dough for one or two crusts
In a large skillet, heat the oil and butter on a medium heat. Sauté the onions and garlic for a few minutes. Add the butternut squash, carrots and sweet potatoes and sauté until tender. Season the vegetables with salt, garam masala and pepper. Gradually add the coconut milk and let the starch from the vegetables thicken the sauce. Stir in the corn.
Lay a bottom crust in a pie dish. Fill the prepared pie pan with filling, top with crust and make it look attractive by crimping the edges. Pierce the top of the crust in several places to allow air in during cooking. Bake or freeze.
If baking, cook in a pre-heated oven on 400 degrees for 30 minutes or so until golden.
Easy “From Scratch” Pie Dough
Makes two 9-inch crusts
Although store bought dough is completely acceptable, if you have a few extra, minutes, making your own pie dough will add a nice touch to your pot pie. Cinnamon adds a hint of sweetness to our dough, complimenting the savory filling. If you are using a bottom crust for your pot pie, we suggest pre-baking the dough to prevent sogginess.
2 1/2 cups sifted all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 sticks unsalted chilled butter
6 tablespoons ice cold water
(may need a bit more)
You can use a pastry cutter, two knives or a mixer (such as a Cuisinart) fitted with a steel blade to blend the butter into the flour mixture. In a large mixing bowl, mix together flour, salt, sugar and cinnamon. Cut the butter into the flour mixture until crumbly, adding the ice cold water gradually. Remove the dough from the mixing bowl and form into two round balls. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for about 30 minutes. Roll the dough out on a floured surface and fit the dough into the bottom of a pie dish. Then follow baking directions in pot pie recipe.