Lil' Pahs Full o' Veggies

In mid-November when the weather stays crisp and all the leaves have fallen from the trees, I want one thing; Pie.  I'm not talkin' about some ordinary pie with an ordinary filling.  I'm talkin' about a veggie pot pie full of savory and saucy goodness.  Why would you want anything else?  

As a kid growing up, we'd occasionally have frozen pot-pies that were filled with hydrogenated oils and other indigestible ingredients.  True comfort food, right?  When I started to become aware of 'things that made you fat' as a teenager, I would refuse to eat them.  Even though, I secretly wanted Marie Callander's pot pie recipe so I could make them anytime I damn well pleased.  Marie and I never became friends and don't think that we ever will.  It wasn't until a few years ago that I started to warm back up to the forever-blacklisted pot pie.  Really, it is simple to take a not-so-healthy childhood favorite and make it into a delicious fall meal.  

Instead of making a huge pot pie, we made individuals.  Just like the frozen ones!  But better, of course.  Since I've rekindled my relationship with pot pies, I've played around with various ways to prepare them.  I've tried them with just phyllo dough on the top, prepared a curry pot pie filling, made them in cute ramekin dishes, etc.  The variations are endless and a ton of fun.  This time, I only put dough at the bottom, omitted the sides and placed dough on the top.  It still kept them filling without a ton of extra calories.   

Any pot pie crust recipe or frozen crust thawed and rolled out will work.  

Pot Pie Mixture

1 onion- diced

2 garlic cloves - minced

2 tablespoons olive oil

2-3 stalks of celery - diced

2-3 carrots- chopped

1 can garbonzo beans

1 cup frozen peas

2 cups plain soy milk or any other milk alternative

2-3 tablespoons flour - whole wheat or regular

1 teaspoon dried parsley

1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary and thyme 

1/4 teaspoon oregano

a pinch of sage 

salt and pepper to taste

Saute onion and garlic in pan with olive oil until translucent.  Add the rest of the vegetables and continue to saute for about 5 minutes.  Once the vegetables have brightened in color, add the milk, flour and spices.  Let thicken, stirring occasionally.  When you're ready, spoon mixture into individual pots.

Make the dough and prepare the pans while the pot pie mixture is simmering.  Place the dough at the bottom of each pan.  Spoon the pot pie mixture into the individual pans and lay a thinly rolled out piece of dough over the mixture creating a completed pie.  

I promise this pie will satisfy your crew and have them begging for more.  They'd be perfect to freeze in individual pans to make any busy night cozy and relaxed.