Friday, December 31, 2010

My Really Easy Potpie Recipe With Versatile Filling

onion-garlic-for-pot-pie.jpeg
I would be lost without onions and garlic for all the flavor they bring to dishes like pot pie. 


I hate waste of any kind, especially food and with today's high cost of living, why throw anything away that could be recreated into another dish?  So what do you do with that leftover chicken, turkey, ham, or beef?  A wonderful idea is using them in homemade potpie!   

Those of you that say their family would never eat leftovers, then I dare you to fool those picky eaters with this recipe.  All those disbelievers will think you labored for hours cooking this fresh just for them.  

Another great thing is how versatile this filling for your potpie can be.  You can interchange the meats, vegetables, and spices to what your family enjoys the most.  I often add frozen chopped broccoli pieces or mixed vegetables instead of green beans.  Some fresh mushrooms cooked up are also wonderful to include in your pie.  You can even throw in some leftover mashed potatoes.  Just by adding the same amount of dried sage is a nice touch too.  Experiment with the ingredients that your family loves and see where it leads.  Now how can you go wrong?

Make my Oil Pie Crust from the last post before you begin.  (For potpie dough I usually substitute olive oil for the canola oil for an even flakier crust.  However, canola oil works well.)  Make two balls.  Take one ball and pat it into your greased nine-inch pie pan.  Take out a piece of wax paper long enough to roll the other ball to fit your top crust after you make the filling below.


Versatile Potpie Filling:

2 cups of your leftover turkey, chicken, or meat of choice (chopped into small pieces)
1 can of Cream of Mushroom Soup (the normal 10.5 oz. size)
2/3 cup of milk
2 tablespoon canola oil
1/3 cup chopped onion (1 small onion)
1 clove finely chopped garlic 
1 can of green beans, drained (14.5 oz.-15 oz. size)
1 teaspoon of dried basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup of shredded Cheddar cheese or cheese of your choice

Brown your chopped onion and garlic in two tablespoons of canola oil until lightly browned.  Add your 2 cups of chopped leftover turkey pieces or meat of choice, your can of cream of mushroom soup, 2/3 cup of milk, drained green beans and spices to warm through.  Pour into your greased, prepared pan with my oil pie crust dough.  Top with your shredded Cheddar cheese. 

Flip your wax paper carefully over your filled pie pan and fit your top crust over your potpie.  Crimp the edges with a fork or your fingers.  Put slits with a knife on the top crust to vent out the steam.  Bake at 400 degrees for approximately 40 minutes or until lightly browned on top. 

ENJOY!