Project Description

Inspired by Food52’s whole wheat crusted chicken pot pie, this pot pie’s hearty flavors pair beautifully with our whole-milled wheat flour. Creamy, sweet butternut squash and kale give this classic complexity and a nutritional boost.

Whole Wheat Crust Pot Pie with Butternut Squash, Kale, and Herbs

Inspired by Food52.com.
Serves 4-6.

Ingredients

For crust:

• 1 cup Hard Red Winter Wheat Flour, plus 1 Tbsp
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1 Tbsp finely chopped parsley
• 1 Tbsp finely chopped thyme
• 1 tsp finely chopped dill
• 4 Tbsp cold butter, diced
• 4 Tbsp cold vegetable shortening
• 6 Tbsp ice water

• 4 cups chicken stock (homemade if possible)
• 8 oz. chopped bacon
• 1 1/2 bunches kale
• 3 cups chopped butternut squash
• 1 small red onion, julienned
• 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
• 4 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 Tbsp fresh sage, chopped
• 1//2 Tbsp fresh thyme, chopped — again, forgot, but would be good
• 1/4 cup Community Grains Hard Red Winter Wheat Flour
• 2 Tbsp half-and-half
• 1 egg, beaten with 1 tsp of water

Directions

1. Make the crust: In a large bowl, sift the flours, salt, and sugar. Stir in the chopped parsley, thyme, and dill. Cut in the cold butter and shortening using a pastry cutter or food processor or your hands, and mix until mixture looks grainy, with pea-sized pieces. Add cold water, starting with 4 tablespoons. Fluff and mix gently with a fork. If the dough feels too dry, add more water as needed. You shouldn’t need more than 6 tablespoons. Gather into a ball, flatten a bit, wrap in plastic and chill for at least an hour.
2. Preheat oven to 425° F. Place rack in the middle position.
3. Chop the butternut squash and red onion. Drizzle with olive oil and salt and roast in oven until tender, about 25 minutes. Do not let the squash become too soft.
4. In a large pan or Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring often, until crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon. Leave the rendered fat in the pan; you need about 1 tablespoon.
5. Chop the onion and garlic cloves. Add to the pan with the bacon fat and sweat over medium-low heat for 5 to 7 minutes until onion is translucent. Add half of the chopped sage and thyme and cook another minute.
6. Meanwhile, chop the kale (make sure to remove tough stems) and add to the pan. Cook the kale until wilted, about 3 minutes. Season the veggies with some kosher salt and fresh pepper (a couple of pinches of each).
7. Stir in the flour and cook another minute. Now add the stock, one cup at a time, stirring well as you go. The flour will thicken it.
8. Add the rest of the herbs and stir in the half-and-half.
9. Turn off heat, add the bacon and roasted squash and red onions to the pot and stir to combine. Season with more salt and pepper to taste.
10. Transfer the pot pie filling to a large, deep pie dish or a gratin dish. (Alternatively, you can cook this in a large, deep, ovenproof cast-iron skillet and add the crust right to the skillet, but you’ll have to move the leftovers to store them in the fridge).
11. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough and place on top of the filling. Cut off excess dough around the edges and pinch the dough around the edges to seal. Cut a few decorative slits on top; these will let steam escape. Brush the crust with the egg wash.
12. Cook in the preheated 425° F oven until the crust is golden and slightly brown in places, about 30 minutes. Rotate pie halfway through so it cooks evenly.