Thanksgiving is coming up and many tables will be laden with turkey, gravy, and meat-based stuffing. But what about the vegetarians on your holiday invite list?
My husband and I don't eat meat (other than seafood), so when we first got together we needed to come up with our own traditional vegetarian Thanksgiving dinner entree. After a few years of trying various recipes, we finally landed on Mushroom Pot Pie!
In my mind, Mushroom Pot Pie is a perfect dish for a harvest celebration as it is hearty and packed with celery, onion, carrots, potatoes, and a variety of mushrooms. The flavors blend well with all the Thanksgiving sides (stuffing, roasted veggies, squash, potatoes, biscuits, cabbage salad, cranberry chutney, etc) making it a great dish for carnivores and vegetarians alike.
And, if it's not November when you are finding this blog post, or you already have too much food on your Thanksgiving menu, mushroom pot pie is perfect for a Sunday dinner! Or you can also make small pies and freeze them for a quick weeknight meal!
Watch Me Make It
The Recipe
Ingredients:
Double-crust pie pastry
3-4 red potatoes, diced
Olive oil for sauteing
1/2 diced onion
1 C diced shitake mushrooms
3 1/2 c water
1/4 c tamari soy sauce
5 TBSP rice flour
2-3 portobello caps, diced
2 TBSP red wine (optional)
2-3 tsp poultry seasoning (or 1 tsp thyme, 2 tsp sage)
Dash of black pepper
2 stalks celery, diced
1 big or 2 smaller carrots
1 tsp cornstarch (if needed to thicken)
Instructions:
Prepare pie crust and refrigerate while making filling.
Cook potatoes in a saucepan until done, set aside.
In a large saucepan, sauté onion and shitake in olive oil. Cover and let sweat until soft (about 7 mins).
Pour in the water and soy sauce. Whisk in the rice flour. Season with poultry seasoning and pepper. Set aside.
In a large skillet, sauté celery and onions in oil until they begin to soften. Add diced portobello caps and cook until mushrooms are brown and veggies are soft.
Deglaze the pan with red wine or a little water to remove any brown bits from the pan.
Add the portobello/veggie mixture to the shitake gravy mixture. Add potatoes.
If the gravy seems runny, add a tsp of cornstarch and whisk in. Allow the gravy mixture to cook for about 10 minutes.
Remove from heat to cool slightly while rolling out the bottom pie crust. Line the pie plate with the crust.
Ladle the filling into the pie crust. Top with a second crust. Cut a design into the pie to allow steam to escape while baking.
Bake uncovered for about 40 minutes at 350F until the crust is browned. Allow to cool slightly before serving.
How To Freeze It For Later
If you want to make this pot pie and freeze it for later, go ahead. It's a great way to have a tasty meal ready to go on a busy weeknight! And, you have a lot of flexibility in freezing, thawing, and cooking! I love that!
Should you freeze it raw or cooked?
Either! Most people prefer to freeze it raw so that you don't end up overcooking your crust during the reheating process. However, pre-cooking can get it to your table a little faster. If you choose to bake it first, under-bake it.
Should you thaw the pot pie before you bake it?
You will get the best results if you pull the pot pie out of the freezer the night before and allow it to thaw in the refrigerator. Then, the baking should follow the recipe above.
If you choose to bake it frozen, place it in the oven (uncovered) at 300⁰F for 15 minutes and then up the temperature to 350⁰F and bake for 40-50 minutes or until the filling is hot and the crust is golden brown.
No matter what method you use, ovens vary a lot. Pay close attention to the pot pie to be sure it doesn't burn.
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