Mom's Beef Pot Pie

A homemade pot pie is one of the tastiest reasons to plan ahead and make sure you have enough leftovers from Sunday's pot roast supper to make one.

Recipe Ingredients:

Filling:
2 cups cooked roast beef, cubed (See recipe Mom's Pot Roast with Vegetables and Gravy)
2 cups cooked potatoes, cubed
1 to 2 cups cooked carrots, sliced
2 cups beef gravy (ideally leftover from the pot roast, or ready-made)
1 (10-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
1 to 2 teaspoons beef soup base or bouillon granules

Crust:
1 single pie crust, unbaked (see recipe, Basic Pie Crust 101)
1/2 teaspoon garlic pepper blend or onion powder (optional)

Cooking Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C).
2. For Filling: In a large bowl, combine cooked and cubed beef, cubed potatoes and sliced carrots.
3. In another bowl, combine beef gravy, mushroom soup and beef base. Taste, adjusting seasoning as needed.
4. Gently fold gravy mixture into beef and vegetables and pour into a greased 2 1/2-quart casserole.
5. For Crust: Prepare pie crust as directed, except add the garlic pepper or onion powder, if using, to the flour mixture before adding the water. Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface to about 1-inch larger in circumference than the casserole dish. Place on top of beef mixture, roll edges in and crimp. Vent top of crust by making slits with a sharp knife or poking holes with the tines of a fork.
6. Bake for 25 minutes at 425°F (220°C); reduce oven temperature to 350°F (175°C) and bake an additional 15 minutes or until crust is golden and filling is hot and bubbly.
7. Allow to sit for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 8 servings.

Tips:

• For a nice look, brush the top of the crust with egg white and sprinkle with sesame seeds before baking.
  
• The amount of leftover vegetables in a pot pie does not have to be precise, use what you have, but if necessary, simply cook up a couple more carrots and potatoes. You can also add a small can of sliced mushrooms (drained),1/2 cup peas, and/or other cooked vegetables, to the filling.

Nutritional Information Per Serving (1/8 of recipe): 369.9 calories; 53% calories from fat; 21.6g total fat; 56.4mg cholesterol; 797.8mg sodium; 349.0mg potassium; 25.5g carbohydrates; 2.6g fiber; 1.4g sugar; 22.9g net carbs; 18.0g protein.

Recipe and photograph by Hope Cantil; copyright © 1999; property of CooksRecipes.com. See Terms of Use.