Pot Pies Are the Perfect Meals for Family Caregivers for These Reasons
National Great American Pot Pie Day dates back to 2002 when it was created by Marie Callender’s, a leading producer of frozen pot pies. Since then, the day has been celebrated across the nation each year on September 26th.
Frozen pot pies are handy in a pinch, but people don’t stop to think about the benefits of making their own. A simple pot pie can cover each food group in one easy meal.
What is a Pot Pie?
Pot pies are a meat and vegetable pie that incorporates a mix of ingredients in a pie pan. The pie pan may have a prepared crust in place, but it doesn’t have to. What is important is that the pie is topped with a crust before it’s baked.
You can make a full-size pie to feed a family or purchase small aluminum pie pans and make single-serving pies. You can make them in advance and freeze them until needed. This is very handy for nights when you don’t have time to cook a full meal. Pop a pie in the oven and complete other pressing chores while you wait for your pot pie to bake.
Variety is Key
There is no set rule on what ingredients go into a pot pie. To make them healthy, make a whole grain or whole wheat pie crust. Skip lard, butter, or shortening when making that pie crust and use a healthier oil like avocado or olive oil instead.
The filling is up to you. Be creative and add a variety. You could do a filling of diced chicken breast, tart apples, raisins, sweet potatoes, chard, curry spices, and sprinkle the top crust with sharp cheddar. You could also make a classic beef stew with beef cubes, potatoes, onions, carrots, celery, and turnips. For a vegetarian pot pie, chop a variety of appealing vegetables.
Cook your pot pie filling to remove excess liquid. You’ll be adding gravy and don’t want so much liquid in the pot pie that the crust turns to goo.
You want to create a gravy, too. Again, you have options. You could make a butter and flour roux, cornstarch, or arrowroot powder to thicken low-sodium broth or homemade bone. Add plenty of fresh herbs to keep the sodium content low.
Mix your gravy and cooked fillings, spoon into a prepared pie crust or pie pan. Add the top crust and place in the oven. If you don’t need the pot pie at that moment, wrap it in foil and place in the freezer until needed.
In addition to stocking your parents’ freezer with pot pies, talk to a homecare agency about meal preparation services. Your parents can avoid days of takeout meals and have a home-cooked meal every night. Call our homecare specialist and get answers to all of your questions.
