Busy Night No-Brainer: Easy Veggie Pot Pie
School, work, weather, travel, the holidays coming at you like a freight train…we get it—December is one of those beyond busy months. But you still have to eat, right? Our easy veggie pot pie is your quick ’n healthy dinner solution! It’s loaded up with nutritious produce swimming in a rich, savory sauce, and topped with store-bought pie dough (full recipe below). Prep will take you about 20–30 minutes, and then it’s 30-ish hands-off minutes in the oven for the pie while you do laundry, wrap presents, or have a snugglefest with your kiddos on the couch. Dig in!
We feel healthier just looking at these ingredients. Feel free to change up the veggies based on whatever your family likes—or whatever you find in the refrigerator tonight. Other tasty options include fennel, leeks, kale, chard, green beans, sweet potatoes, or butternut squash. Just be sure you use approximately the same overall quantity of veggies in your mix.
Store-bought pie dough (or puff pastry) will make the process extra quick and easy, but if you want to make your own, try this flaky, buttery deliciousness from Betty Crocker.
We love that this flavorful pot pie is sans meat—and with the hearty potatoes, mushrooms, and cauliflower, we don’t think you’ll miss it. If you want to bump up the protein, try adding white beans, cubed tofu, chunks of veggie sausage, or a handful of shredded cheese (we like cheddar, Parmesan, or Gruyère) after you add the broth and milk.
If you’re using a circular piece of premade dough, you’ll ideally want to cook your pot pie in a deep-dish pie pan; if you’re working with square sheets of puff pastry, opt for an 8x8-inch baking dish. Don’t have the perfect dish size? Simply trim the excess dough with kitchen shears, or bunch it up and let it hang over the edges for a more crunchy crust—everyone’s favorite part anyway, right?
The egg wash brushed over the raw dough right before baking helps to seal edges, enhances the crust’s golden hue, and adds shine.
In our centers, we embrace family-style eating—encouraging children to serve themselves teaches them important social skills (like passing items, sharing, being patient, and saying “please” and “thank you”) and how to listen to their own hunger cues. Allowing little ones to get in on the serving action can also inspire them to try new foods, like a pie full of veggies!
If the pie pan is still hot when it’s time to eat, be sure to assist your child with the scooping—burned fingers aren’t fun for anyone. If you’d rather dish up the pot pie yourself, your kiddo could take charge of other tasks, like sprinkling Parmesan on top of his portion, serving himself some green salad or fresh fruit on the side, or pouring everyone a glass of water. When dinner is over, invite him to help clear the table!
Easy Veggie Pot Pie
Total time: About 50 minutes
Serves: 6
* Recipe adapted from the Food Network.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 stalks celery, cut into ¼-inch pieces
- ½ medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and finely chopped (about 2/3 cup)
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, stems removed and thinly sliced
- 1 large russet potato, peeled and diced small (about 2½ cups)
- 1 cup small broccoli or cauliflower florets, or a mix
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup low-sodium mushroom broth (or any vegetarian broth)
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup frozen baby green peas
- ¼ cup thinly sliced fresh chives
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 large egg yolk
- 7 ounces store-bought pie dough or puff pastry, defrosted if frozen
Directions
- Arrange a rack in the middle of your oven and preheat to 400°F.
- Add the butter to a 3- or 4-quart Dutch oven or large, heavy-bottomed saucepan and melt over medium heat. When the butter foams, add the celery, onion, and carrots, and cook until the veggies are just soft and the pieces of onion are translucent, about 2 minutes.
- Add the mushrooms, potato, and broccoli/cauliflower to the pan, and season with salt and pepper to taste; stir the mixture to coat. Cook, stirring rarely, until the mushrooms have let off water and are shrunken, about 6 minutes.
- Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables, stir to coat, and cook until the flour’s “raw” flavor is gone, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Slowly add the broth and milk, stirring constantly until the mixture is smooth. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the heat, add the peas, chives, thyme, and vinegar, and stir to coat. Season the filling with more salt and pepper to taste and then pour into a deep-dish pie pan or an 8x8-inch baking dish (see note above).
- Whisk egg with 2 teaspoons water and a pinch of salt until thoroughly combined. Set aside.
- Place dough over filling and tuck into the edges of the dish, trimming the excess as needed/desired. Brush dough with egg wash and cut slits in the top to vent.
- Place the pie on a baking sheet and bake until crust is golden brown and mixture is bubbling, about 25 to 30 minutes. Let sit at least 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
