favorite eats // potpie

In general, I like to have clear goals and directions so I enjoy planning a menu for the upcoming week. Because without a planned-out menu of meals and grocery needs, there's no telling what will end up on the table at 6:00pm. And after nearly 2 1/2 years of meal planning, I'm finding patterns, favorites, and meals that both Tim and I love to make and eat. And usually, these meals are so good (and usually easy) that I think, "Man, I've got to tell someone about this! It's just so good!" Enter: Favorite Eats Series, a series of posts highlighting some of my all-time fave dishes I've made.

First up is potpie. Just the name conjures up images of a chilling night and a steaming helping of comfort food. I've made a few different versions of this wintertime favorite, but this is by far the simplest and most tasty version I've found.

And a quick note about the crust - I use store bought crust. There, now you know all my secrets. This would be just as delicious with a homemade crust, but the last time I tried to make my own pie crust (which was about 5 years ago) I had a pretty embarrassing melt down. So until someone shows me a super duper easy fool-proof way to make pie crust, it's coming from the grocery store, baby.

Potpie
adapted from Real Simple

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound mushrooms, diced (sometimes I do less if I'm adding in a protein such as chicken)
4 carrots, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 celery stalks, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Salt and pepper
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups broth (veggie or chicken)
1 cup frozen peas
1 double crust

Heat oven to 400F. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, carrots, celery, onion, thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring for 30 seconds. Add the broth and peas; bring to a boil.

Line your pie plate with one of the pie crusts and transfer the bubbly veggie mixture into the pie plate. Lay the other crust on top and cut several vents in the top. Bake until the crust is golden, 25 to 30 minutes. Let it rest 15 minutes before serving.

*I have also added ground chicken to this recipe before...so good.