Mini mushroom pot pie pastries popular at spring events
Mini pastries are always popular for spring showers and graduation parties. These petite pot pies are filled with mushrooms, shallots, bell pepper, peas and carrots, so they are hearty enough for a nice meal, served with a side dish and a salad.
The rich, luxurious sauce that surrounds the mushroom mixture is made with a base of potatoes and cashews, which is my new favorite way to create a decadent cream sauce or soup base.
Prepared puff pastry makes a crispy, buttery, flaky crust to encase the silky sauce and mushroom mixture. This makes the pots pies easy to assemble, but with very rewarding results.
Put these little pot pies together for dinner, or make a batch or two to serve for a party. They are best served warm, so if reheating I recommend an air fryer verses using a microwave. If you do not have an air fryer available, the pastries can be reheated in the oven, loosely covered with foil.
Angelina Larue is a food writer, recipe developer and author of “The Whole Enchilada Fresh and Nutritious Southwestern Cuisine.”
Mini mushroom pot pies Makes 4 to 6 servings.
8 ounces button mushrooms, trimmed and diced
1 shallot, peeled and finely diced
1⁄2 bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and finely diced
1 large Russet potato, peeled and cubed
1⁄4 cup raw cashews
1 clove garlic, peeled
1⁄2 cup soy milk, or other unsweetened milk
3⁄4 cup frozen peas and diced carrots
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1⁄2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, or 1⁄2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 sheets prepared puff pastry (1 standard package), thawed
Place mushrooms, shallot, and bell pepper
into a dry saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring often until shallot is translucent and mushrooms begin to brown.
Placed cubes of potato into a medium saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and cook for about 15 minutes until potatoes are fork-tender. Reserve
1 cup of cooking liquid. Drain off remaining water.
Place potatoes into a blender. Add cashews, garlic, and the 1 cup of reserved cooking liquid. Blend on high speed until smooth and creamy.
Pour creamy mixture into a medium saucepan. Whisk in soy milk until smooth. Add mushroom mixture and stir. Add peas and carrots, soy sauce, salt, black pepper, and thyme; stir to combine. Cook over medium-low heat for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Roll each pastry sheet out to smooth the folds. Cut each sheet into 6 portions, (each one will be about 3x4 inches). Press them into 12 muffin tin cups.
Fill each pastry cup with a heaping 1⁄4 cupful of mushroom filling. Fold each of the 4 corners up over the filling in each cup; gently pinch them together. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes.
Note: An egg-wash may be brushed onto the tops of the pastry prior to baking for a deep golden sheen.