When I was a kid, pot pies were one of my favorite foods. After all, they were pies for dinner. What's not to love?
And I still adore them. They're an easy dinner, and filling. And there are a whole lot of choices.
The Marie Callender's pot pies come in two sizes - 16 or 10 ounces - and there are a whole lot of flavors, along with the more traditional ones. These are pot pies just like mom used to make.
Or, if I'm being totally honest, they're better than the ones mom made.
Marie Callender's pot pies are in the single-serving frozen section at WalMart. |
I think a smaller pie along with a salad is a perfect meal for me. I've got the comfort food goodness of pastry with a stew-like filling, along with crisp, fresh greenness of lettuce along with the brightness of a tangy salad dressing.
Since the pot pies can be baked in the oven or cooked in the microwave, they're great for busy nights and fun for little get-togethers around the holidays when you don't want to make a big fuss.
For singles or couples, a turkey pot pie along with some cranberry sauce and other favorite sides could work for a super casual Thanksgiving for folks who don't want to deal with a month of turkey leftovers.
But me, I love them for the nostalgia factor. And because they're so easy. These days, there are nights when I want to eat, but I don't want to make every little bit from scratch.
To go with my pot pie, I made a vinaigrette that included jam for fruity flavor. I used a cranberry jam, but raspberry, strawberry or any other red berry would taste good and give the dressing a pretty pink color.
If the color of the finished salad dressing doesn't matter, apricot or peach would make a neutral-colored dressing, or any other jam you like. Blueberry or blackberry would be interesting, right?
This dressing recipe makes enough dressing for two two four salads, depending on how large your salads are, and how much dressing you like on your salad.
Jam Vinaigrette
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon red-colored jam (raspberry, strawberry, cranberry, red plum, etc.)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon dry tarragon
1/2 teaspoon dry thyme
1/4 teaspoon salt
Several grinds white pepper
1 teaspoon sugar, optional (or to taste)
Combine all of the ingredients (except the sugar) in a small jar with a tight-fitting lid. Shake to emulsify the dressing.
Taste and add sugar if you think you need it - if your jam is very tart, you might need just a little extra sweetness. Add more salt or pepper, if desired.
Refrigerate the dressing until needed. It's best if you can make this ahead of time to let the herbs hydrate in the dressing - at least an hour. Shake again before serving.
Use this dressing to dress your salad just before serving.
Here's more about Marie Callender's Pies - check out all the flavors! You can also follow them on Facebook.
I cooked the chicken pie for this post, but I bought a selection of flavors. Because ... pot pie! With a flaky crust. It's comfort food! |