Homemade pie crust, roasted venison, and all the veggies? Nothing is more comforting on a cold day than a venison pot pie!
Who doesn't love a good pot pie? It's got your meat, veg, even potatoes, all rolled into a crust. It's the perfect one dish comfort food that is enjoyed by all ages. You can easily mix in leftovers and use this as one of my framework recipes.
I love to use familiar foods like a pot pie to introduce guests and family to wild game. It can often have a distinct taste people are unsure of, so coating it in familiar items makes it easy to give it a taste. Not yet into wild game? Make up a Turkey Pot Pie with holiday leftovers. Meat lovers will enjoy a hearty Steak Pie.
While I like my Sourdough Quiche with bacon, you can also make it vegetarian. Have a whole dinner of several pie options, and end with Blackberry Hand Pies.
Key Ingredients
Crust - I always recommend making your own crust! It's super easy to do and the taste can't be beat.
Venison - I like to roast up a leg, but you can use any sort of cut that you can roast and either slice or dice.
Veggies - Carrots, celery, and onion are standard fare, and then I chose to add leftover mashed potatoes rather than a gravy.
How to Make Homemade Pot Pie
***See recipe card below for precise measurements and instructions.***
Step 1: Roast leg of venison until medium. Do not overcook!
Step 2: Roll out bottom crust into pie plate.
Step 3: Sauté veggies until they begin to soften.
Step 4: Slice venison and add to pie crust.
Step 5: Top venison with veggies.
Step 6: Spread mashed potatoes evenly overtop.
Step 7: Add top crust and slash for steam to escape.
Step 8: Seal edges and add an egg wash if desired.
FAQs
I include a basic wheat crust in the recipe card below, but if you are big on sourdough, I've also got a great Sourdough Pie Crust that works well here. You can easily freeze pie crust dough, so you can keep it on hand in the deep freeze, making it just as easy as premade crusts from the grocery store.
One thing I have switched to doing is splitting my dough into ⅔ and ⅓, rather than half and half. I find having more crust for the bottom makes it a lot easier to place in the pie pan, and then you can fold the edges over the top piece to do your sealing and crimping. Roll out over parchment and you can transfer much easier than just peeling it off a floured surface.
I stuck with the "classic" veggie trio of carrots, celery, and onion, but you can add anything here. Whatever is in the fridge, go for it. Just dice things small enough and give them a head start on the stove so they cook through in the oven. No one wants crunchy veggies in their pie. You can even pour in some frozen peas or corn if those are your favourites. Leftover green beans in the fridge? Go for it!
Photos by Dante from Shire by the Sea
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Venison Pot Pie
Ingredients
Crust:
- 3 cups organic all-purpose flour
- 1 cup cold butter
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup cold water
- 1 large egg plus 1 tablespoon water for egg wash
Filling:
- 2 pounds venison such as leg or a roast
- 3 carrots
- 2 stalks celery
- 2 cups mashed potatoes optional
- 1 onion
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
Make Dough:
- Mix salt into flour in a mixing bowl. Dice cold butter or grate frozen butter into flour, and mix with hands. Slowly add water until the dough comes together in a ball.
- Cover bowl with a damp towel and set aside.
Prepare Filling:
- Roast deer leg in pan for 15-20 minutes, in roasting pan. Keep meat red and juicy for the pie. Cool for cutting.
- Cut carrots and celery in thin slices, and dice onions and add salt and pepper to taste. Then warm in pan on medium heat with a splash of fat or butter for 10-15 minutes until slightly softened.
- We had mashed potatoes from leftovers so we added it. The mash tastes great in the pie, but you can either skip this part, or roast a few potatoes or mash some on the side if you really want to include them. But the potatoes are optional.
- On cutting board, lay out the cooled venison and cut into one inch pieces, set aside in a bowl.
- On floured cutting board, place your dough ball and cut 1 third off and set aside. With remaining ⅔rds, roll out dough into a rough round shape until slightly larger than your large pie plate. Place into greased pie plate and fit it to the ridges of the plate if it has some. Cut off any excess and add it to the remaining ⅓ dough and set aside.
- Start to layer your ingredients into the pie: venison, carrots, celery, and onion mix, mashed potatoes (if you are including).
- Now roll out the remaining dough for the lid of the pie. Place on top of the ingredients and pinch together with the dough edges. Cut 4-6 slits into top for venting.
- If you are adding an egg wash, beat egg well with water and brush overtop the dough lid.
- Add pie to the center of the preheated oven and bake until the crust starts to lightly brown on the edges, for about 40-45 minutes.
- When crust if lightly browned take out of oven and let rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- I like 2 pounds or so (raw weight) of meat, but you can again use whatever you have on hand.
- Feel free to substitute beef stew meat for venison if you don't do wild game.
- Serve with gravy if desired.
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