Mishmash Pot Pie

Have you ever had one of those mornings where you wake up, stumble into the kitchen to make yourself a cup of coffee, only to open the fridge and realize you've likely lost the Lindbergh baby in the recesses of it somewhere? Leftovers galore! Tupperware container upon tupperware container, piled several high. Yeah, I have those often. Welcome to my life. And to combat those pesky leftovers, I often try to repurpose as many things as I can into another dish. This week - mishmash pot pie.

Finger licking goodness here! Earlier in the week I'd found some pre-made pie crusts on sale at the local grocery store and in combination with my insane amount of various leftovers and aging vegetables, I made myself some comfort food. This time around, I made it vegetarian (as I have been toying with going back on the veg-wagon thanks to the way the USDA is going to start 'harvesting' poultry). I had some frozen veggies to use up (lima beans, peas, corn) along with some soon-to-expire potatoes, carrots, and other fresh vegetables. The sky's the limit here! My rule of thumb is to use what is expiring first and build from that.

So far, I haven't found a way to screw up this recipe. It has plenty of room for oopsies and odd flavor combos. Definitely a keep for a lazy Sunday. Enjoy!

Mishmash Pot Pie

• 2 defrosted pie crusts
• Various leftovers - veggies, chicken, etc. 
• Gravy or flavored butter or chicken stock
• 1-2 tbsp cornstarch or flour
• Salt and pepper, herbs to your liking 

Pre-heat the oven to 375 F. Take one of the pie crusts and lay it out in a pie pan if it didn't come in one. Make sure to gently press it down around the base of the pan, and pinch over the rim of the pie pan (make little thumbprint indentations for a crust design).

Saute the veggies in a little oil or butter, starting with the ones that take longer: onion, garlic, mushrooms, thicker stalked veggies. Saute until just al dente. White wine and/or chicken stock usually adds some good flavor!

Depending upon how much moisture has accumulated while sauteing, mix in a little bit of cornstarch or flour. I recommend mixing it into a tiny bit of liquid first and then into the frying pan. If you have any gravy on hand, use that (mmmm, good). Feel free to add herbs, salt and pepper, or other flavorings as you like.

Once the veggies are ready, gently pour them into the prepared pie pan. Spread everything out so the layer is even, and lay the other pie crust over the top. Trim off the excess and gently press the crusts together to form a seam. Make sure to slice a few slits in the top so the pie can breathe as it bakes.

Bake the pot pie for 25-30 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Let the pot pie cool and then serve.

Chicken Potpie Casserole & Oven Woes

Well, my oven has decided it doesn't want to work properly. It overheats, not cooking dishes properly, which is likely due to having one of the heating elements fail. I have to give it credit as it is ancient, as in it was likely put in sometime around the 1970s. Who even knew that GM made ovens? I certainly didn't until I moved into this house. And this is my first go around with a wall unit style oven (makes for keeping the house warm).

Check out these old appliances; the photo about seven pics down is a spitting image of my (failing) kitchen gem. As I am currently in a rental, there is little hope of having it replaced before I move. So I make due by altering my baking and roasting times, usually turning the dial down by about 25 or more degrees. I also rotate everything once every five or so minutes. Even with the extra care and attention, one in four baking attempts result in charred bottoms. Le sigh...

One of the recent dishes which successfully made it out of my needy oven was a Chicken Potpie Casserole. If you are anywhere near my neck of the woods, you have likely survived the insane amount of rain we've had (it feels like Oregon weather around here). And what goes great with rain? Casserole and biscuits!

Over the weekend I had made a baked chicken, seasoned with rosemary and oranges (based loosely on this recipe), and had a need to use up the leftovers. I usually make Chicken Potpie using some sort of pastry dough/pie shell I have in the freezer, in a more traditional fashion. After some online exploring, I came across this recipe for Chicken Potpie Casserole from Taste of Home which suited my needs perfectly. As I already had a heaping portion of chicken gravy leftover from the chicken dinner, plus some mashed potatoes, I modified this recipe a bit. I also am not a lover of peas, so I replaced them with chopped celery. And the pimentos from the original recipe just didn't scream down home cooking to me, so I omitted them.

The end result was simply amazing. This just may be the best Chicken Potpie recipe I have ever come across and made. Part of that may be due to how awesome the original baked chicken was, but I am also giving some credit where it is due - the recipe. Next time you have leftover chicken and have a hankering for some comfort food, give this one a try. Enjoy!

Chicken Potpie Casserole
Adapted from: Taste of Home

• 1 ½ cups sliced fresh mushrooms
• 2/3 cup sliced fresh carrots
• 2/3 cup sliced celery
• ½ cup chopped onion
• 1-2 cups chicken gravy (see original recipe if you don’t have gravy on hand)
• 2-4 cups cubed cooked chicken (any meat works as it’s a casserole)
• Seasonings to taste (salt, pepper, onion powder, etc.)
• Leftover mashed potatoes (optional) 

Biscuit Topping

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 4 tsp. baking powder
• 2 tsp. sugar
• ½ tsp. salt
• ½ tsp. cream of tartar
• ½ cup cold butter, cubed
• 2/3 cup milk

In a large saucepan, sauté the mushrooms, carrots, and onion in butter until tender. If you don’t have gravy on hand, revert to the original recipe and follow the step by sprinkling flour into the pan. If you do have gravy on hand, add the chicken and heat through. Next add the celery and seasonings. Follow with adding the gravy to the pan and stir until well combined. If you have leftover mashed potatoes, scoop little spoonfuls of it into the prepped casserole dish, and then pour the mixture over the top. If you don't have pre-made gravy, you will have already made some in cooking the mixture and can go straight to pouring the mixture into a greased 2 to 2 ½ quart baking dish, then set aside.

Preheat oven to 400 F degrees.

In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and cream of tartar. Cut in the cold butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbles. Stir in the milk until just moistened. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead 8-10 times. Pat or roll out the dough to about a ½” thickness. Cut with a floured 2 ½” biscuit cutter or use the rim of a glass.

Place the biscuits over chicken mixture. Bake uncovered at 400 F degrees for 15-20 minutes or until the biscuits are golden brown. Serve warm and eat lots. 

Repurpose Food & Mashed Potato Casserole

I am the queen of reusing and repurposing food. Yes, I sound smug saying this but it is only after years and years of success that I brag with such ease. Maybe it harks back to my environmentalist days, but I am not a big fan of waste (food waste, especially). And since it sounds like us Americans seem to waste more food than anyone on the planet, I figure repurposing potatoes into something yummy is my way of helping out.

Last weekend I made a batch of mashed potatoes as a side dish and ended up with WAY more than I could humanly eat. Instead of letting the plastic container sit in my fridge for the allotted week until the contents found its way into the trash, I opted to use my spuds as an example of reusing leftovers. Off the cuff, I made a mashed potato casserole (super easy). With just a couple items from my fridge and cupboard, my once plain potatoes turned into a light and fluffy casserole! This is very much a hodgepodge of whatever is readily available in your kitchen, so let your imagination run wild. And stay tuned for the repurposed mashed potato casserole into potato bacon soup (mmm, good fall eating here). Salute!

Mashed Potato Casserole 

• 2 cups or so of leftover mashed potatoes (slightly reheadted as it's easier to mix) 
• 1/2 can of seasoned lima beans
• 1-2 tbsp heavy cream
• 1 tbsp Rondele spread 
• 1/2 stalk of a leek, diced 
• Handful of mushrooms, sliced
• Shredded cheese (any variety)
• 2-4 tbsp seasoned breadcrumbs 

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Prep the casserole pan (I didn't really do anything other than take it out of the cabinet).

Saute the leek and mushrooms in a frying pan for a few minutes (until the mushrooms appear mostly cooked and the leek becomes aromatic).

In a bowl, combine the mashed potatoes, lima beans, heavy cream, cheese spread, leek and mushroom saute, and most of the shredded cheese. Once this looks well incorporated, transfer it to the casserole pan and smooth out the top. Sprinkle the remaining shredded cheese and a few tablespoons of bread crumbs over the top. Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Let the dish cool for a few minutes and serve up while still warm.