Hello, Welcome Friends! As November nears, I start thinking about Turkey Day. I am not a crazy planner, but I like to have some idea of what to cook on the big day – the Super Bowl of cooking that is Thanksgiving. More than the turkey itself, which Alex handles because he likes to deep fry or smoke the bird, I like to think about the sides. Today’s Mushroom Potpie struck me as not only a great side, but as a great vegetarian option for the main course – skipping the Tofurkey and other meat impersonations and going straight for something that can stand on its own. Shall we get to it?
Obviously this is not just a recipe for Thanksgiving. It’s really fantastic any day of the week, any time of the year. You can make it in a skillet like we’ll do today, or make individual potpies in ramekins. However you do it, it’s going to be well-received.
First Steps
In a small bowl, pour 2 cups of boiling water over the dried chanterelles (or porcinis) and let them soak while we prep the rest of the ingredients. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Mushroom Potpie Filling
I have everything prepped and ready. Diced red potatoes; sliced carrots; fun crinkle cut butternut squash (thank you, Trader Joe’s!); chopped garlic; diced onion; thinly sliced kale; quartered crimini mushrooms; chopped fresh rosemary and thyme; and a mix of oyster, shiitake and maitake mushrooms, torn into large-ish pieces. I also have dried chanterelles soaking in boiling water, a little cream and vegetable stock.
The Mushrooms
Start by tossing the fresh mushrooms in your skillet with about 1 cup water. Over medium heat bring it all up to a simmer and let it simmer vigorously until all the water is cooked off.
Side note: I got the bones of this recipe from New York Times Cooking, however I am using my preferred method for browning mushrooms; which is to cook them with water to release their moisture; then add the oil so the mushrooms don’t soak up a ton of oil, becoming greasy.
When the skillet is dry, add a good drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of Kosher salt. Sauté, undisturbed for about 5 minutes. Give them a stir and let them go again, undisturbed for another 3-4 minutes, add more olive oil if the skillet seems too dry and sauté until the mushrooms develop some browning.
Add oil and Kosher salt. Sauté until the mushrooms develop browning.
The Veggies
Transfer the mushrooms to a separate bowl and set aside. Over medium heat, add another drizzle of olive oil to the pan and toss in the diced onion. Sauté the onion until it begins to soften and turn translucent. Then add the kale, when the kale begins to wilt, add the chopped garlic, thyme and rosemary. Season with Kosher and pepper. Stir and let the garlic sauté for about 30 seconds.
Sauté the onion. Add the kale and garlic.
Then sprinkle the 1/4 flour over the kale, onions and garlic stir until the flour is fully dispersed and begins to toast, about 1-2 minutes.
Sprinkle flour over the kale, onions and garlic. Stir to fully incorporate and toast the flour.
While stirring, pour in the cream, vegetable broth and 1/3 cup of the liquid from the soaking chanterelles.
Add the broth. Then the cream. Add 1/3 cup of liquid from the soaking mushrooms.
Stir to mix all the liquid together with the veggies. Let simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, until the mixture is has thickened a bit. Turn off the heat. Taste and add more Kosher salt and pepper to taste.
Off heat, add the potatoes, squash and carrots. (Note, I like the carrots to retain some crunch, so I sliced my small carrots into rounds, if you like your carrots to be soft, cut them into smaller pieces.) Stir to combine.
Add the potatoes, squash and carrots. Stir to combine.
Then add the cooked fresh mushrooms back to the skillet. Strain the soaking chanterelles and squeeze out any excess water and add them to the skillet. Stir to incorporate all the mushrooms. Taste again and add more kosher salt or pepper, if needed.
Add the cooked mushrooms and the rehydrated chanterelles. Stir to combine.
Puff Pastry Crust
On a lightly floured surface, roll the thawed but still cold pastry dough out to a roughly 14-inch circle or square. Carefully lay the dough over the top of the skillet. Use kitchen shears to trim corners off, if your dough is square, like mine. You want about 1/2-inch of dough to hang over the sides of the skillet.
Roll out pastry dough. Lay dough over skillet.
Crimp the edges of the dough under so it no longer hangs over the skillet. Then whisk a teaspoon of water with one egg and brush the entire top of the dough with the egg wash. With a utility or paring knife make 4-5, 2-inch slices in dough, radiating out from the center.
Place the skillet on a sheet tray and bake on the center rack in the oven for 25-30 minutes, until the puff pastry is puffed and golden. Let the Mushroom Potpie sit for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Mushroom Potpie
Use a sturdy spatula or knife to make cuts in the pastry dough, to slice and serve.
Slice… and serve!
A bit of the filling will slide out from under the puff pastry crust, but that’s OK! It’s still amazingly delicious. Just spoon whatever filling is left behind in the pan along side the portioned slice on the plate. This vegetarian Mushroom Potpie is overflowing with flavor and texture. Nothing has turned to mush – the potatoes are fork tender, the carrots are still crunchy, and the variety of mushrooms gives this potpie a meaty texture that is hearty and super-satisfying. And let’s not forget the buttery, flaky puff pastry crust!
To make individual potpies, just spoon the filling into ramekins, about 3/4 of the way up. Use a round biscuit cutter to cut circles out of the puff pastry dough large enough to cover the ramekins with about 1/4-inch overhang; crimp the edges under. Brush the dough with egg wash and make three 1/2-inch cuts radiating from the center of the dough. Place the ramekins on a sheet tray and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the pastry is puffed and golden.
A Perfect Potpie
Thank you all so much for joining me today for this one-skillet Mushroom Potpie. Truly, it’s a fantastic plant-based dish to feel good about. Serve it as a Thanksgiving side, or vegetarian main for Turkey Day. Make it for Sunday Supper! It’s a one-skillet wonder! As we start making our way toward holiday cooking, check back through the archives for a few of last year’s Thanksgiving recipes; like Cornbread Andouille Dressing, or Stuffed Acorn Squash. Be sure to follow me on Pinterest to have all the Djalali Cooks recipes in one place. Take care and be well Everyone! xo Kelly
Mushroom Potpie
Mushroom Potpie is full of flavor and texture. A variety of mushrooms gives this pot pie a meaty texture; with carrots, potatoes, squash and kale.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Dried Chanterelle or Porcini Mushrooms (1/2 ounce)
- 1/2 lb. Fresh Oyster mushrooms, torn into separate pieces (or shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and halved)
- 1/2 lb. Crimini Mushrooms, stemmed and quartered (or cut into sixths if large)
- 1 cup Water
- Kosher Salt and Black Pepper
- 4 tbsp. Olive Oil, plus more as needed
- 1 large Yellow Onion, finely chopped
- 1/4 lb. Lacinato Kale, stemmed, leaves thinly sliced crosswise
- 4 Garlic Cloves, chopped
- 1 tbsp. chopped Fresh Thyme Leaves
- 2 tsp. chopped Fresh Rosemary
- 1/4 cup All-Purpose Flour, plus more for dusting
- 1.5 cups Vegetable Stock
- 3/4 cup Heavy Cream
- 1 cup diced Peeled Carrots (from 2 medium carrots, cut into 1/2-inch pieces)
- 1 cup diced Butternut Squash
- 1 cup diced Red Potatoes (from 2 small potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces)
- 1 (14- to 16-ounce) Packaged Puff Pastry, thawed
- 1 Large Egg
Instructions
In a small bowl, pour 2 cups of boiling water over the dried chanterelles (or porcinis) and let them soak.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Toss the fresh mushrooms in the skillet with about 1 cup water. Leave the chanterelles soaking, we will add them later.
Over medium heat bring it all up to a simmer and let it simmer vigorously until all the water is cooked off.
When the skillet is dry, add a good drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of Kosher salt. Sauté, undisturbed for about 5 minutes. Stir and let cook undisturbed for another 3-4 minutes, add more olive oil if the skillet seems too dry and sauté until the mushrooms develop some browning.
Transfer the mushrooms to a separate bowl and set aside.
Over medium heat, add another drizzle of olive oil to the pan and toss in the diced onion. Sauté the onion until it begins to soften and turn translucent.
Then add the kale, when the kale begins to wilt, add the chopped garlic, thyme and rosemary. Season with Kosher and pepper. Stir and let the garlic sauté for about 30 seconds.
Then sprinkle the 1/4 flour over the kale, onions and garlic stir until the flour is fully dispersed and begins to toast, about 1-2 minutes. While stirring, pour in the cream, vegetable broth and 1/3 cup of the liquid from the soaking chanterelles.
Stir to mix all the liquid together with the veggies. Let simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, until the mixture is has thickened a bit. Turn off the heat. Taste and add more Kosher salt and pepper to taste.
Off heat, add the potatoes, squash and carrots. (Note, I like the carrots to retain some crunch, so I sliced my small carrots into rounds, if you like your carrots to be soft, cut them into smaller pieces.) Stir to combine.
Then add the cooked fresh mushrooms back to the skillet. Strain the soaking chanterelles and squeeze out any excess water and add them to the skillet. Stir to incorporate all the mushrooms. Taste again and add more kosher salt or pepper, if needed.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the thawed but still cold pastry dough out to a roughly 14-inch circle or square. Carefully lay the dough over the top of the skillet. Use kitchen shears to trim corners off, if your dough is square. You want about 1/2-inch of dough to hang over the sides of the skillet.
Crimp the edges of the dough under so it no longer hangs over the skillet. Then whisk a teaspoon of water with one egg and brush the entire top of the dough with the egg wash. With a utility or paring knife, make 4-5, 2-inch slices in dough, radiating out from the center.
Place the skillet on a sheet tray and bake on the center rack in the oven for 25-30 minutes, until the puff pastry is puffed and golden.
Let the Mushroom Potpie sit for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Terry
October 24, 2021 at 9:11 amThis looks delicious, I will most definitely give this a shot. I like the puff pastry on top that sounds really good. It’s pouring buckets here in northern cal already 5 inches of rain in 8 hours. Not complaining we totally need this. Have a great Sunday ???Go Braves ?mom
Kelly Djalali
October 24, 2021 at 9:22 amHi Mom, I am happy you guys are getting some rain! Hopefully this will make a big dent in the drought. I am sure you will really like this potpie, it’s a keeper for sure! Happy Sunday, xo Kelly
Mari
October 24, 2021 at 9:42 amWowy kazowy that would make anyone thankful. Those of us that are on special diets can still eat it, because it’s easy to substitute for the cream, and are a lot of gluten free puff pastry recipes online. Having said that, there would be some differences in taste and texture, but it would still be great. While I like meat I like a good hearty vegetable dish equally well. We sraenot traditionalists, and until the year my daughter brined a turkey, no one wanted to eat it. Wegmans sells a really good brined turkey breast, which is what I buy these days! When the kids were young they always voted on what to eat for the holidays, and most often, it was lasagna or homemade pizza. We still have pizza every Christmas Eve, so your recipes have really given me a huge repertoire to choose from! I really liked your idea of frying the mushrooms in a way that would prevent them soaking up too much oil. I know that has happened to me more than once. We had rain yesterday and it looks like we will have it again today, but it’s a great day to curl up with a good book or to watch a movie, or both. Who says you can’t have it all? Happy Sunday Kelly, Terry, Alex, and blog lovers everywhere. ?
Kelly Djalali
October 24, 2021 at 10:18 amHi Mari, One year we had Cioppino for Thanksgiving at my Mom’s and I quite enjoyed the deviation from tradition. I am considering straying from traditional Thanksgiving foods this year, because it will just be Alex and me at our house on Tybee. A seafood stew sounds mighty good on the island. This potpie is great for improvising and making substitutions. And yes, the mushroom cooking method is a game-changer! Have a wonderful lazy, rainy Sunday! xo Kelly
Donna
October 24, 2021 at 9:50 amYes, I agree! Don’t try to impersonate the turkey. Don’t ruin Thanksgiving with a lentil loaf, vegetarians.
Kelly Djalali
October 24, 2021 at 10:19 amLol, Donna! Embrace the veggies for what they are and let’s not make them work so hard to pretend to be meat! xo Kelly
Deanna
October 24, 2021 at 10:02 amOh my word! This sounds delicious! This looks like a perfect recipe for the chillier weather we are experiencing. Love anything having to do with mushrooms.
Kelly Djalali
October 24, 2021 at 10:22 amMe too, Deanna! The oyster mushrooms in this dish are amazing – it really is a great dish. It feels so much lighter than a meat potpie, but just as hearty and satisfying for these chillier days. Have a great Sunday, xo Kelly
Trish Calhoun
October 24, 2021 at 11:02 amThis looks so delicious! (My kale is just coming in, and is the easiest thing on earth to grow in pots and windowboxes if anyone likes to try it.) I love how you give us these wonderful recipes that we can play with, like maybe sweet potatoes or spinach thrown in on this one. BTW, I used King Arthur Measure for Measure in the cider donuts and scrumptious is the word! Teens in the house meant they were gone in minutes! Have a lovely Sunday???
Kelly Djalali
October 24, 2021 at 1:58 pmHello Trish, I am so happy you and your family enjoyed the Apple Cider Donuts. They’re a big hit here too! Great note on growing kale too, I am looking forward to adding winter greens to my garden next year. Have a wonderful Sunday! xo Kelly
Karen
October 24, 2021 at 1:45 pmKelly great recipe! You could also adapt this into a stew!
Yum thanks Kelly,
Kelly Djalali
October 24, 2021 at 1:59 pmHi Karen, Yes this would be a great stew! Thanks for stopping by today, xo Kelly
Kathleen
October 24, 2021 at 10:18 pmKelly, I had seen this in NYT and decided to try it today, so fun to see your version! I’m just cooking up the innards and will make the pie tomorrow or next day. But the tip about cooking the mushrooms is brilliant! Never heard of this, but love it. My M.O. going forward, for sure! Agreed, this would be a fabulous Thanksgiving entree; going to suggest it to the fam.
Kelly Djalali
October 25, 2021 at 8:22 amHi Kathleen, It’s such a great way to doo the mushrooms, they come out perfect every time – they get good browning without getting oily. I am sure you will love this potpie! Have a great week, xo Kelly