Vegetable Pot Pies
Do you have food crushes? Food day dreams? I mean, maybe working on a web site dedicated to food makes me more prone to them but I don’t think that’s it. Because I had these little food obsessions long before the birth of SPC. My latest? Chicken Pot Pie. At this time of year it’s exactly what I feel like eating. A cozy blanket of a dinner. A hot bath of a lunch! But the more I thought about it the more I was inclined to shake it up.
As you know we’re big believers in adding meatless mains to your roster. Late fall and winter might not seem like the greatest time to dive into vegetarian cooking but we’re here, keeping the dream alive. And once I started thinking about what a veggie pot pie might be, I couldn’t stop. This one is really easy to make. If you’re feeling ambitious you could make your own pastry but I don’t have a problem with little cheats like frozen puff pastry. And feel free to mix it up! Add carrots, spinach, zucchini… it’s a good recipe for clearing out the fridge.
My kids were particularly keen on the crust. Big surprise. But they liked the veggie stew hiding underneath, too. 
photos by Maya Visnyei
Ingredients
- 4 Tbsp butter
- 1 1/2 lbs cremini mushrooms, cleaned and diced
- 2 cups butternut squash, cubed (I used frozen and let it thaw out a bit but not entirely before starting)
- 2 stalks celery, sliced
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tbsp fresh thyme
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1 cup low sodium vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup light cream
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 package frozen puff pastry (397 grams)
- 1 egg
Method
Take your puff pastry package out of the freezer and leave it in the fridge overnight or on the counter for an hour to thaw.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Put onion, garlic, squash, mushrooms, celery, thyme and pepper in the pot and let it all cook for 12 to 15 minutes until the vegetables soften. Give it all a stir every few minutes.
Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir. It will look pretty gunky but just let it cook like that for a minute or two to get rid of the raw flour taste. Stir in the stock, cream and frozen peas. Allow it to simmer for just a couple of minutes. Taste and see if you need a bit of salt. I confess I did, even though I try to go easy on salt.
On a lightly floured countertop, roll out your puff pastry until it is quite thin, say 1/4 inch or even less if you can manage. Cut into squares that will your ramekins and flop over the edges a bit. I cut mine into about 4 by 4 inch squares. Sorry to be so loose with the measurements, I was sort of freestyling.
Ladle your vegetable mixture into your ramekins, no need to prepare them in any way. Place a little pastry lid over each one. Quickly whisk an egg with just a bit of water in a small bowl. Brush the top of each pie with the egg wash. Take a sharp knife and score slits into the pastry tops.
Place the ramekins on a cookie sheet – don’t skip this step. You don’t want to be fussing with hot bubbling pies one by one. Pop the cookie sheet in a hot oven for 25 to 30 minutes until the crusts are golden. Depending on how your oven works you may want to turn the sheet around half way through. Allow to rest and cool for at least 15 minutes before serving. They will be hot, hot, hot.
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We're Ceri and Laura, a couple of magazine-editors-turned-food-bloggers. Also, we're mothers obsessed with delicious, healthy, family food. We're constantly thinking of ways to make your time (and our own!) in the kitchen easier and more productive, but still nostalgic for the days when dinner was cereal eaten over the kitchen sink.
7 Comments
Laura
November 01, 17:11I just made this tonight and it was fantastic! Normally, I shy away from things with Butternut Squash (except Soup) because that pumpkin flavor comes through really strong, but I cooked the squash first with butter,onions and garlic and it seasoned up really nicely. Husband was really happy and had two helpings! Definitely a keeper!
Ceri Marsh
November 01, 22:04I’m so glad it was a hit for you! Thanks for reading!
sarah choueiry
January 02, 00:40Can i make this in a regular pie dish?
Ceri Marsh
January 02, 20:05Absolutely! Just cut the dough into an appropriate size/shape for your dish. It would work in a casserole as well. Just keep an eye on it in the oven – you’re really just baking the crust. Let me know if you try it!
Filomena Doroslovac
November 25, 12:42Hi!
I’m thinking of making this recipe tonight for my family. Looks delicious! I’m confused though. Your ingredient list calls for vegetable broth, but in your directions, you mention adding milk? Did you mean 1 cup milk instead of 1 cup vegetable broth?
Thanks so much!
Filomena
Ceri Marsh
November 25, 12:48Hi Filomena,
Good catch! Yes, that’s an error. It should read add the stock, the cream and the frozen peas. Going to fix it right now. Thanks for letting me know. And do let me know if you give these a try!
Best,
Ceri
Audrey Travalja
August 18, 12:56This looks amazing! Can’t wait to try the recipe out on my family. 🙂