Homemade Pot Pies

I thought I would stray from my usual subject of flowers and cakes today to bring you something tasty, homemade pot pies!

I must admit I'm very picky when it comes to food, and my husband's a vegetarian. Sometimes it isn't easy planning a meal that we can both enjoy together. Last year some time I decided to make pot pies and they quickly became one of my husband's favorites, mine too. Here is how I make them:



















Pot Pie Dough:

• 3 3/4 cup flour
• 3 sticks of unsalted butter cold, chopped into small cubes
  
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp sugar
• 8-12 Tbsp ice cold water

Mix together dry ingredients. With hands or using a pastry cutter, mix in cubes of cold butter. Add 8 Tbsp of ice cold water and gradually add the rest only until dough sticks together to form a ball. I form dough into 4 balls, 2 slightly larger, 2 slightly smaller. Chill wrapped in plastic wrap for about an hour. I use this time to make the fillings. Makes enough dough for 4 pot pies, using 16 oz. baking dishes.

Here is how I make the filling for the veggie pot pie:

• 32 oz. vegetarian vegetable broth
  
• 3 peeled and chopped potatoes
• any combination of mixed veggies
  
• small cube of vegetable bullion
• salt and pepper to taste

Bring to boil, steal a little broth using a small cup (I use a coffee cup so I don't get burned). Add cold water to hot broth and blend in flour or cornstarch and pour back into vegetable mixture to thicken broth.

For mine, I use the same method only I use these ingredients:

• 32 oz. chicken broth
• 3 peeled chopped potatoes
• 2-3 pieces of leftover chicken chopped (I like white meat)
• cube of chicken bullion
• salt and pepper to taste

These don't have to cook long, just long enough to boil and thicken after adding the flour. Set them aside to cool. I make my pot pie crusts just like you would make a small pie and I make sure to mark the veggie one with a "V" so I know which one is vegetarian.

Then it's into the oven at 375 degrees for 45 minutes. Caution, the yummy gooey insides will be lava hot! Let cool for 5-10 minutes, then enjoy.