In The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook; Recipes and Wisdom from an Obsessive Home Cook (Knopf), Perelman, writer, photographer and founder of the food/recipe blog Smitten Kitchen showcases, as she puts it, “comfort foods stepped up a bit.” Her recipe for pancetta, white bean and swiss chard pot pies (her preferred version of the iconic chicken pot pie) is a perfect example of an amped up classic. The “lid” portion of the recipe was easy to follow, and came together perfectly, exactly as Perelman described (texture like uncooked couscous). Baked it produced beautiful, flakey crust that wasn’t at all doughy (thanks to 13 tablespoons of butter). The filling required a lot of fine chopping (onion, carrot, celery and garlic) and the sauce never quite thickened properly, but the kitchen was aromatic for hours. The recipe might be challenging for a beginner chef, but is completely do-able. All around, a labor-intensive dish but the end result is well worth it. A delicious, surprisingly hearty stew with a golden topping—a perfect fall or winter dish. A worthy spin on an old classic.

Pancetta, white bean, and swiss chard pot pies

Yield: serves 4


2 cups (250 grams) all- purpose flour

½ teaspoon table salt




1 tablespoon (15 ml) white wine vinegar

¼ cup (60 ml) ice water

1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash


2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil

4 ounces (115 grams or ¾ to 1 cup)

¼- inch- diced pancetta

1 large or 2 small onions, finely chopped

1 large carrot, finely chopped

1 large stalk celery, finely chopped

Pinch of red pepper flakes

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 garlic cloves, minced



3½ tablespoons (50 grams) butter

3½ tablespoons (25 grams) all- purpose flour



(440-gram) cans

Make lids



Make filling


Make sauce



Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

Assemble and cook pot pies



Do ahead


Cooking note


olive oil instead of 1.
