2 questions about beef pot pie?

[BAPyessir6]

I've never made pot pie before, but my mom made a ton growing up.

I also grew up eating frozen store bought beef pot pies and now I want to make some for the freezer myself. Then when I want one, I'll take it out and bake it like 400 for like 30 minutes. I like my pot pie better fresh, so I figured minis are the way to go. I've also never made pot pies for the freezer though. (See my first comment).

The first question is for the veggies.

If I'm 1/4 in dicing the vegetables (russet potato, carrot, celery, onion) and then putting it into the beef gravy and freezing it, should I par cook the veggies? I know the freezer kind of breaks down the veggies, so is cooking them first that necessary?

2nd question: do I need to par bake the bottom crust so it won't get soggy? This doesn't seem super plausible as then it'd be harder to get the top crust on after I fill the pies, no?

Or should I just do a top crust and straight filling underneath, no bottom crust? Would this work for the freezer?

3rd extra question! When I'm making just normal pot pie (9 in glass pie dish not frozen), do I need to par cook the fresh veggies? (Say I'm not using frozen mixed veg)

 

[Kathleen]

For the first question, I would par cook the veggies. I've not ever frozen a homemade pot pie, but that is what I would do regardless of whether I was making a larger pie or smaller one. I'm looking forward to others' responses.

 

[dcSaute]

I find it much better to blind bake the crust before adding the filling -
for both chicken and beef, the filling is fully cooked - it's basically reheated.
note: if frozen, takes much longer to 'reheat'

as to attaching the top crust on a blind bake,,, I use ramekins and fill to leave some headspace. looks like:

 

[Sir_Loin_of_Beef]

I always used to make a full size turkey pot pie the week-end after Thanksgiving, but I never froze it.

Instructions for Marie Callender frozen pot pies, any flavor, is 400F for 55 to 65 minutes (I have eaten so many that I have the instructions memorized), so if you bake yours for 30 minutes you are going to get a raw crust.

 

[Andy M.]

SO makes individual chicken pot pies. She prepares the filling and puts it into individual casserole dishes, tops them with crusts and bakes them until the crust is browned then cols and wraps them for freezing. Then you just have to reheat it.

 

[dragnlaw]

so if you bake yours for 30 minutes you are going to get a raw crust.

I believe you will not only have raw crust but a still very, very cold center. Most frozen pot pies take a gooood 40 minutes or more.

1. IMO not par cooking celery and onion is liable to give you a boiled taste.

2. I've never blind baked a bottom crust - can't answer that one. I've just put the crust straight onto the dish, then cooled filing, then top crust. Quite often, I haven't even used a bottom crust.

3. Yes, you still need to use cooked vegies. Your meat is cooked, no? Pot pies, to my way of thinking, are really extra thick stews, with meats cooked and vegies cooked. Then all is incorporated into a nice thick gravy topped with a flakey crust.

3,a. for fresh (not frozen) you could forego the crust and make dumplings to steam on top of the bubbling gravy. Heaven!

 

[BAPyessir6]

I always used to make a full size turkey pot pie the week-end after Thanksgiving, but I never froze it.

Instructions for Marie Callender frozen pot pies, any flavor, is 400F for 55 to 65 minutes (I have eaten so many that I have the instructions memorized), so if you bake yours for 30 minutes you are going to get a raw crust.

Mmmm that's the one I grew up eating. Okay, I will bake it longer! This is going to be fun!

 

[Andy M.]

SO makes individual chicken pot pies. She prepares the filling and puts it into individual casserole dishes, tops them with crusts and bakes them until the crust is browned then cols and wraps them for freezing. Then you just have to reheat it.

I forgot to mention that we do not use a bottom crust.

 

[taxlady]

I forgot to mention that we do not use a bottom crust.

Do the individual pot pies get stored, frozen in a mini pie plate? Or is the whole thing take out of the baking vessel once it is frozen and store that way?

 

[Andy M.]

Do the individual pot pies get stored, frozen in a mini pie plate? Or is the whole thing take out of the baking vessel once it is frozen and store that way?

We make the individual pies in these, 16 Oz. size:

The uncooked crust dough is sealed around the top of the container and baked.

 

[Sir_Loin_of_Beef]

That's the way Boston Market used to make them, but I prefer a two crust pie.

 

[taxlady]

We make the individual pies in these, 16 Oz. size:
View attachment 73096
The uncooked crust dough is sealed around the top of the container and baked.

Do they go in the freezer in those ceramic containers?

 

[Andy M.]

Do they go in the freezer in those ceramic containers?

Of course.

 

[Badjak]

I'm trying to remember what I used to do.
I think it was parbaked shortcrust pastry at the bottom, unbaked puff pastry on top
Filling all cooked.

 

[jennyema]

I forgot to mention that we do not use a bottom crust.

But the bottom crust makes the world go round!

 

[dcSaute]

But the bottom crust makes the world go round!

yeah, but not a mushy/raw/unbaked one . . .

 

[Andy M.]

But the bottom crust makes the world go round!

I'd rather have TWO crispy browned top crusts but, alas, that's not possible.

 

[jennyema]

yeah, but not a mushy/raw/unbaked one . . .

That’s why God invented blind pre-baking.

And, weirdly, I’m ok with mushy but not raw.

 

[Kathleen]

@jennyema +1 for me too.

 

[Sir_Loin_of_Beef]

Without a bottom crust it's not a pie, it's a cobbler!