By Barbara Beltrami

Despite unseasonably warm fall days, there’s been a real chill in the air and some gusty winds lately. The leaves have finished their autumn pageant, the days are shorter and it’s time for some serious comfort food like pot pies. In fact, I can’t think of anything that would hit the spot more on a dark December evening. With the convenience of a pie crust from the refrigerator or frozen food section of the supermarket, you can concentrate on that savory concoction that goes under the crust, pop the whole thing in the oven and sip a glass of wine while you catch up on your emails.

Chicken Pot Pie

YIELD: Makes 6 servings

INGREDIENTS: 

Nonstick cooking spray

4 refrigerated pie crusts

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

1 medium potato, peeled and diced

1 medium onion, chopped

1 medium carrot, peeled and diced

1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley

1/4 cup flour

2 1/2 cups chicken broth

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, poached and shredded

1 cup frozen peas

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup milk

DIRECTIONS: 

Preheat oven to 400 F. Spray 6 ramekins with nonstick cooking spray. On lightly floured surface, cut six 5” circles from two rolled out pie crusts, then roll each circle into an 8-inch round. Line bottoms and sides of 6 ramekins with 8” crusts; crimp around top edges and prick bottoms and sides of dough with a fork. Place ramekins on rimmed baking sheet and bake for about 15 minutes, until dough is lightly browned. 

Meanwhile in a large skillet melt butter over medium-high heat; add mushrooms, potato, onion, carrot, and parsley and stir occasionally until onions turn a light golden color, about 6 to 8 minutes. In a small bowl, whisk together flour and half a cup of the broth; add to skillet, stir, then add remaining two cups of broth, salt and pepper and bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium, stir occasionally and simmer another 5 minutes; stir in chicken, peas and cream, let sit 10 minutes. 

Distribute filling mixture evenly among the six ramekins; cut and roll second two pie crusts as first ones, crimp edges, make slits in top crusts, brush tops with milk and bake on rimmed baking sheet, until crusts are golden, about 25 to 30 minutes. Serve with a crisp green salad.

Seafood Pot Pie

YIELD: Makes 4 to 6 servings

INGREDIENTS: 

1 stick unsalted butter

1 large onion, chopped

1 cup chopped celery with leaves

1/2 cup flour

3 cups clam juice

1/2 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/2 pound bay scallops

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 pound lobster meat, cut into bite-size pieces

One 10-ounce package frozen peas and carrots

One 10-ounce package frozen pearl onions

1/2 cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley

One 9” uncooked pie crust, rolled out

3 tablespoons milk

DIRECTIONS: 

Preheat oven to 375 F. In large skillet melt butter over medium heat; add onion and celery and cook until onion is opaque, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add flour, stir and cook another minute. In large saucepan bring clam juice to a simmer over medium-high heat; add shrimp and scallops and cook just until shrimp are pink and scallops are tender, about 2 minutes. With slotted spoon transfer shrimp and scallops to bowl, but reserve cooking liquid. 

Go back to the skillet and, stirring constantly, add cooking liquid, salt and pepper, a little at a time, to onion and celery and cook 3 minutes. Add the cream and stir. Add lobster meat along with shrimp, scallops and onion mixture, then stir in frozen peas, carrots, pearl onions and parsley; transfer to deep pie dish, cover with rolled out pie crust and crimp edges; brush with milk and make a few slits in crust. Place pie on rimmed cookie sheet and bake until crust is golden and filling is bubbly, about 1 1/4 hours. Serve with an arugula and endive salad.