Food Network Friday: Turkey Pot Pie By Paula Deen

Hey Y'all! It's time for another Food Network Friday Cookalong and this time 'round, we're gonna make the most incredible Turkey Pot Pie but with a little twist. Now Paula Deen has a bit of a reputation for her less than healthy cooking with a little extra butter y'all but this Pot Pie is completely vegan so it has to be healthier even without running the nutritional info! The original recipe is a little crazy and tries to use up leftovers from Thanksgiving but this one you can make anytime. If you clicked to see the recipe you would have seen two cans of condensed Cheddar cheese soup in that list and I gotta tell y'all, I never heard of that before in my life! I used to be a serious cheese eater but I never hit the can for a fix that's for sure. In place of all that cream condensed soup I decided to make a herbed cheezy gravy for my pot pie using good ol' nooch and miso paste to add a little zing y'all (who's tired of y'all by now??). I also went right ahead and skipped the turkey or any sorta vegan substitute and just went straight vegetable on this pie (I was thinking soy curls but I wanted my mom to eat so I skipped them). But then came the top of it y'all and I didn't know what to do. Now I know there are a few supermarket brands of puff pastry that are vegan y'all but they also come with that "may contain milk ingredients" warning which doesn't fly in our house since we have allergies to think about as well. I didn't know what I was going to do so I thought real hard and wondered, "What would Paula Deen do?" and it came to me! A tater tot crust was the answer to all my questions (well at least that one) since Paula always loves a little fried something in her food. I have to say this version is super creamy and rich and I wasn't missin' anything y'all! Next time you have a craving for a little taste of Pot Pie, maybe you'll give this Tater Topped Veggie Pie a try!


Don't forget to check in with Tami to see what everyone else did with this recipe!

That corner bite was the one Ryan and I almost fought for...
Good thing the pan has four corners!

 


Tater Topped Veggie Pot Pie
Inspired by Paula Deen's Turkey Pot Pie

4 cups soy milk
2 tbps nutritional yeast
2 tbsp yellow miso paste
1 tsp ume plum vinegar
2 tsp vegetable bouillon powder
1/4 tsp celery seed
1/4 tsp rubbed sage
1/4 tsp poulty seasoning
1/2 tsp ground white pepper
1/2-1 tsp salt, depending on your taste
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp dry mustard powder


1/2 cup vegan margarine
1 1/2 onions, finely diced
3/4 cup all purpose flour


2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
1 onion, diced
1/2 small head of cauliflower, diced
1 cup frozen peas
1 bag of tater tots (I used McCain's Tasty Taters), you might not need a whole bag but you wanna make sure you have enough

1. Start by prepping all your veggies and set them aside so they are ready when you need them. Preheat the oven to 350F.

2. Next, mix soy milk, nutritional yeast, miso paste, ume plum vinegar, vegetable bouillon powder and the rest of the seasonings/spices in a blender until well combined. Set aside.

3. In a large, heavy bottomed soup pot, melt the margarine over medium heat. Add the finely diced onion and cook stirring occasionally until they are softened, about 5-8 minutes. Sprinkle the flour into the pot and stir with a wooden spoon. The flour will absorb all of the margarine and it will look like a paste. Stir this around in the pot until it is light golden brown. Switch to a whisk and slowly add the soy milk mixture from the blender into the pot while constantly whisking. I made a mess so you've been warned if you are messy like me it might fly out of the pot! Once all the soy milk mixture is added, just keep whisking until it just nearly comes to a boil and thickens. It is thick enough when it coats the back of a spoon and when you slide your finger down the back of the spoon it leaves a distinct line.

4. Turn the heat down to medium-low and add the diced carrots, onion, cauliflower and the frozen peas. Stir to combine and put the lid on the pot. Let it cook like that for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. You don't want it to boil, just gently warming the veggies.

5. After 10 minutes, pour the contents of your pot into a 11x13 glass baking dish. Cover the top with rows of tater tots. Carefully place the pan in the preheated oven and you might want to put a baking sheet on the rack below in case of drips (speaking from experience!). Bake for 50-55 minutes, until the tater tots are golden brown on the top and the sauce is bubbling. Remove from oven and let cool/set for 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy y'all!