What’s cookin’, good lookin’?

I love a potpie. Yum! And this past week I was scouring the Internet for a good venison potpie recipe and just couldn’t find one that spoke to me. A lot of them incorporated secondary meats like bacon (blech) and other culinary evils such as mushrooms (it’s fungus, people). So I decided to create my own. Credit where credit is due, though: my recipe was inspired and influenced by my favorite chicken potpie recipe. But I tweaked it to work for venison and also to optimize the crust-to-filling ratio. Serve with a side of mashed potatoes and a little bit of apple sauce, if you’re so inclined (my mom and I love apple sauce with red meat dishes, cranberry sauce with white meat dishes…so good!).

Oh, and I imagine this would also be delicious with stew beef if you'd prefer it. 

Widgapae Perfect Venison Pot Pie 

• 1 box refrigerated pie crusts (should come with two crusts)
• 1 package deep dish frozen pie crusts (should come with two crusts)
• 2 ¾ pounds cubed venison steak (like you’d put in a stew)
• Olive oil
• 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• Half a bag Steam n’ Mash potatoes (these are in the frozen French fry section at the grocery store)
• 1 bag steamable frozen mixed veggies
• 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon steak seasoning
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon onion flakes
• ½ teaspoon garlic-in-a-jar 
• 1 ¼ cup skim milk
• 1 can (10 3/4 ounce) 98% fat free cream of celery soup (Campbell’s or store brand both work fine)
• 1 can (10 3/4 ounce) beef broth
•  ¼ cup fat free sour cream

~Heat oven to 375°F. 

~Remove refrigerated pie crusts from box so that they can soften.

~In a 3-quart sauté pan, cook the venison meat in olive oil and the Worcestershire sauce (I cooked it, covered, over a very low heat for about 30 minutes). 

~Microwave and drain vegetables per directions on packaging. 

~While the meat and vegetables are cooking, whisk together flour, salt, steak seasoning, pepper, onion flakes, garlic, and milk in 2-quart saucepan until blended. Cook mixture over medium heat until sauce thickens (should take about 5 or 6 minutes). Be sure to stir continuously so the mixture doesn’t cling to the bottom of the pan and burn. 

~Stir in soup, beef broth, and sour cream. Add meat and vegetables (don’t mash the potatoes obviously; just put the little chunks in whole). Mix well. Cook until heated through (remember to keep stirring). 

~Open frozen pie crust bottoms and separate. Pour filling equally into each crust. Unroll top crusts (the refrigerated ones) and place one over each pie. There will be excess around the edges; flute it however you like (I like to make thick edges rather than let the excess hang over the side). 

~Cut a few slits in the middle of the pies to vent them. 

~Bake the pies at 375° for approximately 50-65 minutes (the cooking time will vary depending on your oven, but you want the crusts to be brown and you should see the filling bubbling through the slits). When it’s done cooking, let it sit for about 10 minutes before serving it because it will be piping hot!

Enjoy, and definitely let me know what you think!