Portabella Mushroom Pot Pie

Yesterday, Isabel of Family Foodie invited me to join Sunday Supper on Twitter. Sunday Supper is the idea of getting together with the ones you love for dinner. No requirements or rules; whether it's a meal that took all day to make or spaghetti you threw together at the last minute, it's really all about love. Since I live alone with family 2.5 hours away and have nobody to really invite over that will actually show up, my Sunday Supper is loving myself. During the week when I get home from work, I'm tired and don't have a lot of time nor energy for dinner. Usually it's fajitas, pasta, french bread pizza, and some other quick (homemade!) meals. Sunday is the one day of the week where I pretty much stay home all day and cook a really nice meal, so technically, I've been doing Sunday Suppers for awhile!


Today I made Portabella Mushroom Pot Pie. I had a bunch of baby bellas and some puff pastry to use up. Growing up I ate those Banquet pot pies (you know, those mini frozen ones in the red box), so I never liked pot pie. However, when I was ate at City Tavern in Philadelphia, the waiter somehow talked me into ordering the Turkey Pot Pie with puff pastry on top (really don't know how! All he said was it's popular and described it a little). It was the best pot pie I've ever had! I think it was a combination of being homemade filling and using puff pastry instead. I'm not a big fan of pie crust.



Oops it sunk in the middle

I made homemade chicken pot pie once before (but never blogged about it). Today I made the same recipe but with a few changes. First, I would recommend using beef stock, but since I didn't have any, I used chicken. Using veggie stock would make this a nice, hearty vegetarian meal. Instead of meat, I sliced up a bunch of baby bellas (wish I had a few more, but I ran out).

The key to a good gravy is salt. You may think you're adding a lot, but really you need a good bit to go from good to great. Of course you don't want to do TOO much. Keep taste testing. If it tastes like something is missing, try a little more salt.

I apologize for not having a more detailed ingredient list, but I never measure vegetables. I chop and decide how much is enough.



Portabella Mushroom Pot Pie



Red potatoes, peeled and chopped into bite-size pieces
Frozen peas and carrots (or fresh carrots, chopped)
Portabella mushrooms, sliced
Small onion, chopped
Few cloves of garlic, minced
16 oz stock of choice (beef is preferred)
3 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp flour
2 Tbsp heavy cream (half and half or milk can be used)
Salt, pepper, and dried herbs (I used a mix called Bouquet Garni, but you can use any dried green herb - parsley, thyme, rosemary, basil, etc)
1 sheet puff pastry, rolled out (thawed but don't let it get too warm or it will stick!)

Preheat oven to 425F.

In a medium saucepan, bring some water to a boil. Add the potatoes (and fresh carrots if using) and cook for 10 minutes. Drain.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a dutch oven. Add onion and garlic, cook for about 5 minutes. Add flour and stir constantly to make a roux. Cook for another 5 minutes or until the roux starts to darken. Add the stock and keep stirring. Mix up any brown bits that were stuck to the bottom of the pan.

Bring to a boil. Add mushrooms, peas, carrots, and potatoes. Season with salt, pepper, and dried herbs. Keep tasting and adjusting. Cook for another 3-5 minutes. Turn off the heat; stir in cream.

Pour the mixture into a casserole dish and spread evenly. Roll the puff pastry on top; tuck under (and possibly cut) any excess dough. Cut three slits in the middle to let steam escape.

Place an empty cookie sheet below your casserole in case any filling leaks. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove and place foil on top; bake for another 25 minutes. Let cool a little bit then serve.

Makes 6-8 servings