Kitchn and Yahoo may earn commission from links in this article. Pricing and availability are subject to change.
Credit: Photo: Vicky Wasik ; Food Stylist: Rachel Perlmutter
Pot pie is one of those cozy fall dinners that I look forward to all year. It’s got everything: hearty filling with protein and veg, savory sauce, and a tender, buttery lid. Traditional pot pie is a double-crust situation — by which I mean, much like a classic fruit pie it’s a bottom pie crust topped with filling and then a second crust goes on top to form the “lid.”
I don’t know about you, but I can’t remember the last time I went to that much trouble. I usually opt instead to skip the bottom crust altogether, and, more often than not, the top crust as well. Instead I turn to any number of quicker, less labor-intensive options like biscuits, crescent roll dough, or drop biscuits. A quick stir-together biscuit dough doesn’t require any rolling, folding, and shaping, and store-bought dough is an even easier way to streamline this dish. But both still require some level of advanced planning.
I recently found the perfect solution for the non-planners like me: buttered toast.
Credit: Andrea Rivera Wawrzyn
Why Buttered Toast Is the Perfect Topping for Pot Pie
While reading through Colu Henry’s newest cookbook, Better At Home, I found my perfect “I didn’t get to the store” pot pie topper: slices of buttered bread. Buttered bread hits all the notes I’m looking for on top of a pot pie: It’s bready to soak up the flavors of the sauce, it’s buttery, and once it’s toasted in the oven, it adds a textural contrast to what is otherwise a pretty soft dish. It’s perfect.
Bookshop
I basically always have bread at home. Colu’s recipe calls for sliced white bread, but you can use whatever you have on hand. You can layer the buttered bread on top of the filling before baking, just like you would with any raw topping, and the bread will come out of the oven golden-brown and toasted. I like to include one or two slices of the toasted bread with each serving, almost like a big buttery crouton for the filling. The best part is that I don’t have to add biscuit dough to my grocery list or prepare a topping myself at home. I can keep pot pie filling in the freezer (it freezes really well) and just defrost it, spread into an oven-proof skillet or baking dish, and top with buttered bread any time. From-scratch pot pie on a weeknight? You betcha. It’s a minor miracle.
How to Top Pot Pie with Buttered Toast
Melt butter in a small skillet over low heat. I find 4 tablespoons to be enough for 3 to 4 slices of bread, which is enough to cover the surface of a 10- to 12-inch skillet, or a large pie plate. You may need a little more or less depending on the specific surface area you’re trying to cover.
Cut the bread in half. I prefer to cut on the diagonal because it’s easier to layer into corners, but do whatever feels right.
Dip one side of each slice in the melted butter. This is why you melted in a skillet and not a saucepan. You want enough space to easily dip the surface of the bread into the butter.
Layer the buttered bread on top of the pie filling, buttered-side up. I like to overlap them a little bit, but it’s up to you.
Bake. Bake your pot pie as you normally would. Colu’s recipe called for a 375°F oven, which is hot enough to both cook the filling and toast the bread without burning it.
Tips for Topping Pot Pie with Buttered Toast
Use unsalted butter. Because pot pie filling is already salted, you don’t need the extra salinity from salted butter.
Use your favorite bread. Colu’s recipe uses white sandwich bread, but this technique also works great with wheat, multigrain, brioche, or really anything you have on hand.
Pot Pie Recipes to Try with a Buttered Toast Lid
Further Reading
Unlock Weekly Recipes You Won’t Find Anywhere Else
The Secret to Better Baked Potatoes? Cook Them Like the British Do
The $15 Amazon Find That Finally Decluttered My Kitchen Drawers and Countertop
Sign up for The Kitchn’s Daily newsletter to receive our best recipes, posts, and shopping tips in your inbox.
Source link
