Good Taste - Need a little comfort? Try a potpie

Carol Anderson Serry

North County Times

Sometime between now and Christmas, you are sure to crave a "comfort food" dinner -- that's when you'll reach for the potpies that are stashed in the freezer. If you think I'm referring to those commercially made ones with a multitude of unpronounceable ingredients, think again. I'm talking about the ones you'll make yourself.

As the family cook, you'll get points for the tantalizing aroma as they bake, as well as for a tasty and nutritious meal.

There is no universal definition of a potpie. Rather, there are many versions in all cultures and nations. The British are well-known for pork pies, Cornish pasties, and steak and kidney pies. Ever since colonial days, Americans have loved chicken and turkey pies.

You can use virtually any cooked meat, or you can skip the meat altogether and have a vegetarian dish. To the meat, add your family's favorite vegetables, create a flavorful sauce, top with pastry, biscuit dough, phyllo or mashed potatoes and you've got a potpie. If you are new to making them, you might want to carefully follow a recipe at first. Soon you'll discover that these heart-warming dishes are perfect to practice some creativity.

For a creamy, meaty filling, experiment with herbs, wines and other seasonings. Alongside the familiar onions, carrots, celery, potatoes and peas, add some new vegetables such as mushrooms, sugar snap peas, parsnips, fennel, and sweet potatoes.

You can freeze the extra pies you make, or simply make and freeze the entire recipe for later. For best freezing results, prepare the filling and pastry crust, and assemble the potpies. I generally make potpies in individual servings, using disposable single-serving aluminum pans. Cover with plastic wrap, then aluminum foil, and freeze. When it is time to bake, thaw the potpie in the refrigerator overnight, then bake at the called-for temperature until it's golden brown and bubbly. Since you are starting with a chilled product, you'll need to add 10 to 15 minutes to the total baking time.

Yes, you can take a good bit of the day to make awesome potpies, or you can do as many busy cooks do and use some shortcuts:

n Skip the meat-cooking part by using a rotisserie (or any precooked) chicken, or by using your leftover turkey, roast beef or pork

n Avoid most of the vegetable prep by using frozen or leftover cooked vegetables

n Make the gravy by adding herbs and/or wine to canned cream soup

n Use commercial piecrust dough or biscuit mix to make the crust.

Here's my favorite chicken potpie recipe. Don't be daunted by the lengthy ingredient list and directions. The recipe makes four generous servings, but I usually double the recipe so I have plenty to freeze.


For the crust:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons fresh minced dill (not dried dill)

1/2 cup chilled butter

7 to 8 tablespoons ice water

To make the crust, in a medium-sized bowl, sift together the flour and salt.


