This is a recipe for individual pot pies with only an upper crust. And I know, I too love crust with a passion. But incipient old age has now proved, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that too much of a good thing is indeed NOT a good thing! So, with that in mind, I decided to make pot pies with our leftover baked capon, with moderation in all things foremost in mind. (Well, kinda sorta!)

So, forget a bottom crust, but save the day by topping the darling little quiches with a really delicious top crust.  

Now one of the joys of making your own crust, is that you can control the amount of fat in the dough. Well, there is no miserly fat content happenin’ in this crust recipe! There is plenty of fat to go around. (Hey, if I’m going to deny us a bottom crust, then the top crust, like I said above, has got to be fabulous!)

Then that leads to the filling. Although for some of us the crust is the star of the show, the filling must be equally delicious. So that when you take a bite that contains both filling and crust, your mind automatically goes to its happy place. And your mouth makes a smile that can only be interpreted by others as a sign of true bliss. Then you know – you’ve got a marriage of crust and filling not made in heaven, but in your very own kitchen.

So, don’t hesitate to make a pot pie from scratch. And I know, pot pies are not low calorie. But as an occasional treat, they are perfect. And yes, they take a bit of time to prepare. But the end product is so worth the effort.  

Peace and love to all.

For the Crust: This recipe makes enough crust to cover 4 (5-inch wide and 2½-inch deep) Corning Ware French white casserole dishes or a single 8-inch pie plate plus a bottom crust for a pie (or whatever)   

1 sm. egg

2 tsp. milk

2½ c. unbleached all-purpose flour

1 tsp. kosher salt

5 T. vegetable oil

½ c. (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces 

7-8 T. ice water 

Whisk the egg and milk together in a small bowl. Set aside

Place the flour and salt in the bowl of your food processor. Pulse to combine. Add the oil and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Toss in the butter. Dribble ice water in, a tablespoon at a time, mixing just until the mixture can hold its shape. The dough should be moist, but not wet and not crumbly.

Remove the dough onto a large sheet of plastic wrap. Use the plastic wrap to gather the dough into a disc shape, then wrap the dough tightly and press down on it firmly to compact it. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours.

Remove from fridge and divide the dough in half. Re-wrap one of the halves for another purpose. Or store the dough in your freezer for up to 3-months. If you do freeze the dough, bring to room temperature before using.

With the remaining half disc, cut it into 4 even pie-shaped pieces. Then using your hands, make 4 balls, then roll each into a 7-inch circle.

Please note: If you prefer to make just a single large quiche, roll as much of the dough as needed to cover the entire diameter of a pie plate plus a 1-inch hangover. Set the 4 small crusts or single crust aside while you make your filling.

For the Filling:

2 T. unsalted butter

½ onion, chopped

¾ c. chopped celery

1 carrot, diced

2½ c. gravy, either leftover or made just for the occasion (see Gravy recipe below)

chicken base (I use Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base)

2 c. cooked veggies (green beans, peas, broccoli, mushrooms, etc.)

3-4 c. diced cooked chicken, turkey, or capon

Melt the butter in a medium sized pan. Add the onion, celery, and carrot and cook until the carrot is just becoming tender. Stir in the gravy, cooked veggies, and the diced chicken, turkey, or capon.

Scoop the filling evenly into the 4 small casserole dishes or single pie plate. Top with the dough which will hang over the edge(s). For the small casseroles, crimp the dough to fold over the side, pressing it a bit to make it stick. Brush the dough with the egg wash. Make 3-5 slits in the top. Place the pies on a rimmed baking sheet.

For a large quiche, top the filling with the crust. Crimp the edges. Brush the dough with the egg wash. Make 5-7 slits in the top.

Bake in a pre-heated 400-degree oven for 45-50 minutes or until the tops are nicely browned and the filling is bubbly. Remove from oven and let sit for 5-minutes before serving.  

Gravy:

2 T. unsalted butter

2 T. flour

2½ c. water

4-5 tsp. chicken base (I use Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base)

1 tsp. Kitchen Bouquet

freshly ground black pepper

1-2 tsp. cognac

Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Whisk in the flour. Let burble for a couple of minutes. (This process takes time, so be patient.) Slowly whisk in the water and chicken base. Let that burble for a few minutes too. Add the Kitchen Bouquet (gives the gravy great color) and some freshly ground black pepper. No salt! Taste the gravy. If you think it needs more depth of flavor, begin by adding another teaspoon of chicken base. Let it simmer for a couple of minutes and taste again. Repeat if needed. Just before using as called for in the pot pie recipe, taste the gravy and make any final adjustments to the seasoning. Stir in the cognac. (Don’t forget the cognac!)