4 Savory Pie Recipes for Winter

When winter comes, it's hard not to crave a warm plate of comfort food. Next time such a craving strikes, try one of these savory pie recipes. While these recipes are simple and straightforward, they're certainly not short on flavor. Give them a shot for yourself and enjoy a scrumptious meal!

Stay Warm with Savory Winter Pies

1. Chicken Pot Pie

Reining supreme among comfort food is chicken pot pie. Filled with warm gravy, vegetables, and chicken, this classic dish is a family favorite. We're featuring an easy version that makes this one of the best savory pie recipes when time is not unlimited.

Recipe borrowed from Pillsbury.

Ingredients

• 1 box refrigerated pie crusts, softened per directions
• 1/3 cup butter
• 1/3 cup chopped onion
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 1 ¾ cups chicken broth
• ½ cup milk
• 2 1/12 cups shredded cooked chicken
• 2 cups frozen mixed vegetables, thawed

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Prepare pie crusts per box instructions for a two-crust pie in a 9-inch glass pie pan.
2. In a 2-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion, cook two minutes, stirring frequently, until tender. Stir in flour, salt, and pepper until well-blended. Gradually stir in broth and milk, cooking and stirring until bubbly and thickened.
3. Stir in chicken and mixed vegetables. Remove from heat. Spoon chicken mixture into crust-lined pan. Top with second crust, seal edge, and flute the pie crust with your thumb or a spoon. Cut slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape.
4. Bake 30-40 minutes, or until golden brown. During the final 15-20 minutes of baking, use strips of foil to cover the crust edge and prevent excessive burning. Let stand for 5-10 minutes before serving.

2. Shepherd's Pie

Hailing from England, shepherd's pie is a traditional dish served to hearty farmers in the countryside. While the English version usually uses ground lamb, it's more common to use ground beef in the U.S. Both are delicious, so feel free to substitute or mix in this savory pie recipe.

Recipe borrowed from Delish.

Ingredients

• 3 cups prepared mashed potatoes (from 1.5 pounds potatoes)
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
• 1 ½ pounds ground beef or lamb
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup chicken broth

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Prepare mashed potatoes if you have not already done so.
2. In a large, oven-safe skillet or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, garlic, and thyme, and cook until fragrant and softened, about five minutes. Add ground beef and cook until no longer pink, about five minutes more. Drain the fat.
3. Stir in frozen peas and corn and cook until warmed through, three minutes more. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Sprinkle meat with flour and stir to evenly distribute. Cook one minute more and add chicken broth. Let the mixture simmer until thickened slightly, about five minutes.
5. Top beef mixture evenly with mashed potatoes and bake until the liquid is mostly absorbed and the potatoes are golden, about 20 minutes. Broil if you desire more browning on the potatoes.

3. Italian Cheese and Tomato Pie

If a taste of the Italian countryside is what you crave during winter, take a shot at making cheese and tomato pie. While this is a great summer dish for fresh tomatoes, it can also be made in winter. The result is warm, gooey, and comforting. A couple of notes before cooking, though. Puff pastry is great for the crust, but a store-bought, prepared pie crust will also work. Additionally, tomatoes with less water, such as Roma and plum tomatoes, are best. You can even use grape or cherry tomatoes if you desire.

Recipe borrowed from An Italian In My Kitchen.

Ingredients

• 1 puff pastry or pre-made pie crust
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted
• 7 ounces (200 grams) fresh mozzarella, drained and thinly sliced
• 5 ¼ ounces (150 grams) gouda or gruyere cheese, thinly sliced
• 2 ripe tomatoes, thinly sliced
• 1 ½ teaspoons oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• ¼-1/2 teaspoon salt
• Olive oil, for drizzling
• Fresh basil, for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a 12-inch round pizza pan.
2. Place the puff pastry or pie crust on the prepared pan, brush the pastry with melted butter.
3. Top the pastry first with the mozzarella, then the gouda, and then the tomato. Sprinkle with salt, oregano, and dried basil, drizzle with oil, and bake for 35 minutes, until golden.
4. Top with torn fresh basil and serve immediately.

4. Taco Pie

Last, but not least, is taco pie. A bit different than our other savory pie recipes, taco pie is a Midwestern favorite. It can be made with a deep-dish pie crust, or some people even craft a crust out of tortillas. For simplicity, we're sticking with the former method, but feel free to use tortillas if you desire.

Recipe borrowed from Food.com.

Method

• ½ pound ground beef
• 3 tablespoons taco seasoning
• 15 ounces refried beans
• 8 ounces salsa
• 8 ounces shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese
• 2 cups tortilla chips, crushed
• Lettuce, for topping
• Diced tomato, for topping
• Sliced black olives, for topping
• Sour cream, for topping
• Sliced jalapeno, for topping

1. Bake the pie crust per the package directions.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
3. Brown ground beef in a skillet over medium heat until no longer pink. Drain fat.
4. Add the taco seasoning to the ground beef, per the package directions.
5. In a separate bowl, mix the refried beans and salsa.
6. To assemble the pie, start by spreading the bean mixture over the bottom of the baked pie crust. Then, add half of the ground beef, tortilla chips, cheese. Repeat beef, chips, and cheese layers once more.
7. Bake for 20 minutes, or until cheese is melted.
8. Cool for 10 minutes before topping with remaining ingredients and serving.

When the cold air blows and the craving for comfort food strikes, keep these savory pie recipes close to hand. And don't forget to share them with a friend or family member who could use some new recipes!  

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