Mashed Potato Topped Pot Pie — A Shortcut to Comfort

When it comes to comfort food, nothing tops a hot pot pie, fresh out of the oven. When I was a kid, pot pies came in boxes and were stored in the freezer. And they took forever to cook — 45 minutes.

Now that I’ve read the ingredient label, I can’t bring myself to serving a boxed pie to my own family — despite how good those boxed pies taste.

Instead, I make my own pot pies. And, if you’ve never made one before, I can tell you that they are a lot of work. Yes, they are a great way to re-use leftover vegetables and meat, but you still must make a roux and of course, there is the crust.

Still, nothing pleases the family like a Pot Pie. So, I am drawn to cooking them more often than I would like.

But, I’ve found a great shortcut. Instead of using that buttery pie crust for the top, I use buttery mashed potatoes for the top. You only need one crust! This is a great tip if you do have mashed potatoes — but if you don’t, you’re back in the same quandary.

So, one afternoon, around 4 p.m., when I was standing in the grocery store wondering what to fix for dinner. I had the leftover meat and vegetables — but no mashed potatoes. I remembered the Simply Potatoes voucher. The company sent me a voucher for free mashed potatoes, with the hopes that I would try them, and then tell you, right here on my blog, how great they are. And,  I am giving you a chance to win two coupons for free Simply Potatoes.

I had to ask the grocery clerk where they were — because my grocery store manager changes the store arrangement every six weeks. One day the tea was with the “beverages” and the next month tea was back with breakfast cereals. It is SO annoying. Don’t even ask me about the capers.

Simply Potatoes is in the refrigerated case– but it was over at the end of the “meat” section, almost to the the eggs. Please ask where they are at your store, because I’m not sure my grocery store manager follows food organization protocol.

Simply Potatoes are not frozen, but they are cold. And the mashed potatoes are actually cubed, and you need to heat them up and mash them a bit. They are not “instant” potatoes — they are real cooked cubed potatoes. But I admit I was a bit disappointed that I could not just rip open the bag and pour perfectly seasoned mashed potatoes on the top of my perfect pot pie.

On top of the pie, those potatoes stood high, like a crown. The perfect finishing touch to highly-praised comfort meal.

Here’s the recipe:

• 4 tablespoons of fat — olive oil, butter or bacon grease
• 2 cups cooked shredded or cubed chicken (Either from a leftover roasted chicken or chicken breast)
• 1/3 cup onion, finely diced
• 2 cups frozen peas and carrots blend — or any leftover vegetables from your fridge.
• 2 cups chicken or veggie broth
• 1/3 cup cornstarch
• 1 prepared pie crust, uncooked.
• 1 packge of simply potatoes
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 egg
• fresh or dried parsley
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a skillet, brown onions in fats.  Add cornstarch with a dash of salt and let mixture come to a bowl,, stirring constantly. Let bubble for one minute.
3. Remove skillet from heat, as you add chicken broth. Stir.
4. Put skillet back on to heat, and let mixture come to a boil, as sauce thickens
5. Add chicken and vetables to sauce. Add salt to taste.
6. Pour mixture into prepared pie crust.
7.  In a sauce pan, heat simply potatoes, and add butter and milk. Mash. Remove from heat, and stir in egg. Add parsley, and spoon potatoes on top of pie.  Add salt and pepper.
8. Bake  for 2 minutes, or until the mashed potatoes are golden brown at the peaks. Cover pie with aluminum foil, and bake an additional 20 minutes, until pie is heated through.

If you like, Mashed Potato Topped Pot Pie -- A Shortcut to Comfort you also might like

Cook at a temperature hotter than the sun

Turkey Leftovers With a French Twist

The Well-Stocked Freezer

Trust Me, You Can Make A Chicken Dinner In No Time

Potato-Leek Soup For Christmas

Brightening The Dreary Winter Dinner