Vegan Chicken & Mixed Vegetable Pot Pie

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2015

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To see images of my past posts & get links to the recipes – look on my Pinterest board – HERE.

To be honest – I prepped this thing a few months ago & it has been sitting in the freezer – uncooked – ever since.  I did this because this recipe makes enough for TWO full-sized pot pies.  So – cut everything in half – if you only want to make one.  Or – do what I did.  Make two pies & freeze one for later.

Vegan Chicken & Mixed Vegetable Pot Pie

Makes TWO pot pies

INGREDIENTS

4 pre-made vegan pie crusts – for the top & bottom of two pies

9 oz vegan chicken – cubed (I always use Beyond Meat)

5 TBS vegan butter

1 onion – diced

1/2 lb mushrooms – chopped

4 carrots – diced

3 small potatoes – cubed

4 celery stalks – chopped

1 cup peas

2 1/2 cups vegetable stock

3 bay leaves

1/4 cup flour

1 1/2 cups almond/soy/or other vegan milk

2 TBS fresh thyme – chopped (or 1 1/2 tsp dry thyme)

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp dry rosemary – chopped

DIRECTIONS

Heat the oven to 400 degrees.

Heat 1 TBS butter & saute the onion, mushrooms, carrots, celery & potatoes over medium heat – stirring often.  After about 5 minutes – add the thyme, oregano & rosemary, bay leaves & the stock.   Bring to a boil & reduce to a simmer & cook it down util the vegetables are soft & most of the stock boils away.

Meanwhile – melt the remaining 5 TBS butter over medium heat in a stock pot & whisk in the flour.  Once that is combined & thick – SLOWLY add the milk – in small increments – stirring the entire time.  Whisk continuously – until the roux is thick.

Stir the roux into the vegetables & add the peas & cubed chicken.  Simmer until it is thickened & then remove the bay leaves.  Season with S&P.

Press the crusts into two pie pans & divide the filling between them.  Top the pies with remaining crusts & pinch the edges closed.  Perforate the top with a knife of fork so steam can vent.

Bake for 25-35 minutes or until the crust is the color you desire.  Mine wasn’t browning so I rubbed vegan butter on top & it helped a bit.

If you are freezing one (or both) of the pies – try to prep the edges tucked into the pan – like mine above.  That way there is no fragile rim to get crushed in the freezer.  Wrap tightly in foil & freeze.  You might want to write the date on the foil – so you can keep track of when you froze it.  To cook it – let it thaw & then just bake at 400 for about 30 minutes.  If you do not have time to thaw it – heat oven to 425 degrees, place the pie on a baking sheet, cover edges loosely with foil and bake 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 and bake 70-80 minutes longer or until crust is golden brown

When your pie is cooked – let it rest at least ten minutes before cutting into it.