Hello Comfort Food ~ Plant-Based Pot Pie

Let me start by saying, this is not a healthy recipe. But, since the weather has turned colder, I've been craving pot pie.  This recipe is completely plant-based and my very own creation.  Josh has rated this one of the best things I have ever made!

Vegetable Pot Pies (serves 6-8)

Ingredients:

• 3 - 5 carrots, peeled and cut into ½ inch pieces 
• 1/2 lb. Brussels sprouts, washed and quartered
• 2 bunches of fresh broccoli, cut into small florets
• 1 large onion, chopped (divided)
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 2 tsp. of dried thyme
• 1 tsp. of dried sage
• S&P 
• Instead of any these of these veggies, you can use whatever combination of seasonal vegetables you please, as long as you have about 8 cups total.  I used purple sweet potatoes and russet potatoes this time, but I won't use potatoes next time.  The potatoes made it too rich/heavy. 

 Sauce for the filling:

• 2 small shallots, chopped
• 2 large portobello mushrooms, chopped
• 4 Tbs. of earth balance
• ¼ cup flour (or enough flour until your sauce reaches desired thickness)
• 2.5 – 3 cups unsweetened, unflavored almond milk (or any other non-dairy milk)
• 1 tsp. of thyme and a pinch of sage
• 1 bag of frozen green peas (I used about 3/4 of a bag)
• 1- 9 inch frozen Vegan traditional pie crust (set it out on the counter to thaw while you work through the other steps)

Directions:

1.  Heat the oven to 425F and remove frozen pie crusts from the freezer.  Once pie crust has thawed, prick the bottom crust with a fork. 

2.  Toss all of the chopped vegetables and half of the chopped onion with the olive oil, 2 tsp. of thyme, 1 tsp. of sage, sea salt and fresh ground pepper.

3.  Spread the veggies on a roasting pan/stone and roast for 20 minutes, tossing the veggies after 10 minutes.  Remove from the oven and set aside.  Reduce the oven temperature to 400F degrees, you'll need it for Step 7.

4.  In a saucepan, heat the earth balance over medium-high heat, until it’s completely melted and bubbly.  Stir in the remaining half of the chopped onion, chopped shallots and portobello mushrooms and cook for a few minutes until onions are softened and translucent.  Stir in the flour until it is all mixed in with the earth balance and onion mixture.  Then, whisk in the almondmilk a little bit at a time, whisking vigorously to avoid lumps.  Add the remaining smaller amounts of thyme and sage along with a pinch of salt and pepper.

  

5.  Turn heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about ten minutes.  Turn off the heat and add the roasted veggies to the sauce mixture.  Now, add the frozen peas.

6. Spoon the vegetables into 8 individual ramekins or into a large pie plate/baking dish.  Place a portion of pie crust on top of each ramekin – or if using a large baking dish, carefully place the entire pie crust on top to cover it.  I brushed my pie crusts with melted earth balance and slit some holes in the top with a knive.

7.  Place the pie(s) in the oven and bake until they are bubbling and the crusts are golden brown (about 35 minutes).  I recommend you place foil or a baking sheet under the pot pies so you don't have any spills in the bottom of your oven.

 You can make the vegetables and sauce ahead of time and refrigerate them, then just warm them up to room temperature and spoon them into your baking dishes when you’re ready to bake.  This recipe takes a while but it's worth all the effort.  The pie crust is so fantastic and traditional but I think I might try it with phyllo dough next time.

In case you're counting calories, here's the nutritional information.  I warned you - not super healthy!

Dietary Information (per serving, based on 6 servings):

Calories: 410; Total Fat: 28.3g; (Sat Fat: 5.9g; Polun Fat: 3.8g; Monoun: 15.5g); Cholesterol: 0g; Potassium: 709.1 mg; Total Carbs: 33.3g; Dietary Fiber: 7g; Sugars: 8.5g; Protein: 7.8g