An easy, stress free, no chop veggie pot pie made from frozen vegetables! The filling is creamy, cheesy and oh so flavorful, and you can adapt it to your favorite ingredients.
Introducing my best easy veggie pot pie!
The thing with pies is that I always want to eat a homemade veggie pot pie but I never want to make a homemade veggie pot pie. So I set about making the best easy vegetarian pot pie I could, and here we are. Easy means different things to different people, and making a pot pie will never be a fast dinner, but for me this recipe works because:
- There is no chopping. We hit the frozen veggie aisle hard and we reap the rewards of someone else’s chopping efforts. Whoever works in the veggie chopping place. Thanks guys. Realistically you may have some fresh vegetables you want to use – and that’s fine too. I am giving you all the measurements in chopped volume (cups) which means you can use fresh and frozen ingredients interchangeably.
- There is no long prep phase. To make the filling, we add things to the pan, bit by bit, and then we pour that into the pie dish. It doesn’t really matter if things get paused here or there, so we can gather the ingredients as we go. Get the onions and mushrooms cooking, put the bags away and pull out the bag of broccoli for the next step, etc. No long prep / chop phase before you start cooking, and ample time to tidy things away as you go.
- Premade pastry. Because of course.
For me, all of this adds up to an easy, stress free experience. Enough so that I took these photos on the very last day of school before the Christmas break. When really the last thing anyone needs on their to-do list is “make pie and take pictures of every. single. step” 🙀. And it was fine.
Ingredients: what you need, what you can swap
- Frozen veggies a’plenty: I include onion, mushrooms, broccoli, sweet potatoes and then a general mixed veggie bag. The garlic can also be frozen or jarred, as pictured. Any of these ingredients could be fresh and you can swap the amounts in the exact same volume as frozen.
- A can of white beans adds protein but is optional. If you don’t use them, I recommend adding another cup of sweet potato.
- Rolls of shortcrust pastry crust are my go-to here, but if you want to go a step further and get a crust that’s already in a disposable pie tin, that’s even easier.
- I went for a meatless chicken style boullion for the base of the sauce. Both Better Than Boullion and Oxo make these so they are widely available. I think this works better than pure veggie stock, but you could use that if you need to.
- Use a strongly flavored cheese. Mature / vintage cheddar is my pick but you could use an aged gouda, gruyere, parmesan style cheese, whatever your preference is.
- I use a Herbs de Provence (aka Provencal Herbs) mix, which is an easy route to great flavor. You can use any mixed herbs you like, or just throw in your own mix of things. Include tarragon if you can – that is what makes the provencal herb mix so distinct.
Can I make this with weight measurements?
Fresh and frozen vegetables will weigh totally different amounts, and I wanted to keep this recipe interchangeable between the two, which is why I am only giving volume measurements. BUT if you are in a part of the world where measuring cups aren’t used, and you don’t have a set, know that 1 cup is around 3/4 of a standard mug, so grab a mug and work from there!
Do I need the bottom crust?
I do use a bottom crust – I personally think it’s worth the tiny extra effort of adding it – but I don’t prebake it. I have never struggled with soggy bottoms here; after multiple tests with different brands of pastry, it’s been fine. To be on the safe side, you could add an egg wash to the bottom layer before you add the filling.
Can I use meatless chicken chunks?
Sure! Something like Quorn, Gardein or Morningstar Farms chicken style strips or pieces would slot in just fine here. Cook them according to package instructions before adding them into the pan once the sauce is made. To make room for 2 cups of chicken style pieces, I would skip the beans and add a little less of the sweet potato or broccoli.
An alternative and even easier method…
If you aren’t that interested in the bottom crust, and are happy with a pie that only has a pastry top, well you’re in luck because there is an even easier ONE DISH way to make this. Just prepare the filling in a shallow casserole dish (the kind that can go on the stovetop and the oven) or a deep cast iron skillet. Then you can add your pastry top and bake it in the oven, all in the same dish. Alternatively, you could use puff pastry if you’re going down this route.
Serving Suggestions
To be honest, as easy as this recipe is for a homemade pie, I find it’s quite enough cooking for most meals, so I like to serve it with some ready made cheesy mashed potato that can go in the microwave. But if I were putting more effort into my meal, these side dishes would be perfect…
More Vegetarian Comfort Food Staples
Easy Vegetarian Pot Pie
Ingredients
- olive oil or butter, for cooking
- 1 cup diced onion, frozen or fresh
- 1 tbsp minced garlic, frozen, jarred or fresh
- 4 cups sliced mushrooms, frozen or fresh
- 1 cups cubed sweet potato, frozen or fresh
- 2 cups broccoli florets, frozen or fresh
- 1 cup frozen peas, corn or mixed vegetables
- 2 tbsp provencal herb mix
- 14 oz (400 g) can of white beans, drained
- 2 tbsp flour
- ½ cup (120 ml) white wine
- 1 cup (240 ml) meatless chicken style broth
- ½ cup (120 ml) heavy (double) cream
- 2 cups (220 g) grated cheddar cheese
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 2 rolls pie crust (shortcrust pastry)
- 1 egg white or yolk
Instructions
- Heat a little olive oil in a large nonstick saute pan. Add the onions and 1 cup of the mushrooms and saute over a medium heat. If they are frozen, they will release a lot of liquid so just keep cooking, stirring regularly, until all the liquid has evaporated from the pan.olive oil or butter, 1 cup diced onion, 4 cups sliced mushrooms
- Now add the garlic and the remaining mushrooms 1 cup at a time, each time sauteeing until the liquid evaporates before adding the next cup.1 tbsp minced garlic
- Add the broccoli and sweet potato and mix through until they are mostly defrosted.2 cups broccoli florets, 1 cups cubed sweet potato
- Add the peas, corn or mixed veggies, the herbs and the flour. Mix through until the flour is coating the veggies and the herbs are fragrant.1 cup frozen peas, corn or mixed vegetables, 2 tbsp provencal herb mix, 2 tbsp flour
- Add the beans, wine and broth. Bring to a gentle simmer, just for a few minutes until the liquid has thickened and the wine has burnt off a little.14 oz can of white beans, 1/2 cup white wine, 1 cup meatless chicken style broth
- Remove from the heat. Add the cream, mustard and cheese and stir through until the creamy sauce has formed.1/2 cup heavy (double) cream, 1 tbsp dijon mustard, 2 cups grated cheddar cheese
- Lay a sheet of pastry over the bottom of your pie dish. Cut to size, allowing a little overhang on the sides, and scoop in the filling.2 rolls pie crust (shortcrust pastry)
- Add another layer of pastry over the top and cut to size. Press the edges of both the top and bottom crust together. Slightly roll them in, then gently press with a fork all around the edge to seal and score it. Use a fork or knife to poke a few holes through the top of the crust too – this will allow steam to escape while it cooks.If you wish, you can use the offcuts of pastry to make shapes to add to the top.
- Whisk an egg white or yolk in a small dish, and brush it all over the top of the crust.1 egg white or yolk
- Bake at 180C (360F) for 35-45 minutes, until the crust is golden. Allow to sit for about 5 minutes before cutting in.
