Mmm, Pot Pie!

All Butter, Really Flakey Pie Dough

Pinterest:  Tara Liptak (Smells Like Home)
Yield:  2 9-inch pie crusts
Time:  15 minutes, 2 hours

2 1/2 cups flour
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
2 sticks cold butter, grated
1/2-3/4 cups icy cold water

Mix flour, sugar, & salt.  Crumble in butter.

Mix in water, adding more as needed, until dough comes together.

Separate in half & form into disks.  Wrap in plastic wrap & refrigerate at least 2 hours.

Pork Pies

Inspired By This Pin's Photo
Yield:  12 pies
Time:  about 1 hour

5 pork chops, cut into 1/2-1 inch cubes
Salt & pepper to taste
2 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp rosemary
1 1/2 tbsp butter
Pie dough, plus flour for rolling

Gravy
1 potato, cut into small cubes
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 cup milk
1 pkg McCormick Brown Gravy
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
1 stalk celery, halved lengthwise & sliced thinly
1 carrot, sliced thinly (halved lengthwise if necessary)
Salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375°.  Season pork.

Melt butter in pan over medium heat & add pork.  While pork is cooking, roll out dough disk to roughly 1/8 inch thickness.

Cut into squares, roughly 3 inches.  Grease/butter jumbo muffin tin(s).  Press dough squares into the muffin tin(s), and pierce the bottoms a few times with a fork.

Bake 5 minutes.

Remove cooked pork from pan & add potato, cooking for roughly five minutes.  Add chicken stock, milk, & brown gravy mix.  Let come to a boil.  Stir in tomato sauce until well incorporated.  Let return to boil.  Add in carrot & celery and cook, stirring often until carrot & celery are just starting to become tender.

Put a single layer of pork into pie crust.

Top with a tablespoon or two of gravy.

Top with dough squares.

Pierce each pie once with a fork and bake for 20 minutes.

More Info

All Butter, Really Flakey Pie Dough

Okay, if I had my way, this would just be titled "Pie Dough."  As it stands, however, I left the title as is so it'd be easier to find on Pinterest's website.  Now, as for what differs from the original recipe...I grated the butter.  The original recipe says to cube it up, but I wanted to grate it to make it easier to incorporate it into the flour mixture.  After grating it, though, I stuck it in the freezer for about five to ten minutes while I gathered everything else together.
It's best to use your hands to mix this dough, by the way.  Just get in there and attack it!
The recipe also said this dough could be refrigerated for a week, or frozen for up to 2 months, but that it had to be refrigerated at least 2 hours before use.
Also, as a last note, handle this dough as little as possible.  The colder it is, the better.  It will help make it flakier and fluffier.  Why?  Because when the butter is hit by the heat of the oven, it will basically evaporate and make the dough puff up.

Pork Pies

Okay, this recipe is credited to Pinterest, but really...it's pretty much my own.  I was inspired by a photo on Pinterest.  Even when you go to the website for the recipe, it's only a picture, with no way to get to a recipe at all.  So this recipe basically came out of my head.
And yes, yes, I know...I cheated again, using the Brown Gravy mix.  MEH.  It worked perfectly for the gravy, and it helped thicken the gravy as well.

Overall Meal

 

 

So I served my family two of these pies each (there was enough dough and pork/gravy for a dozen, but I only made 8).  Quite frankly, it wasn't enough.  My brother can be quoted as saying "I could probably eat four or five" after I asked him how many he thought he could've eaten.  So next time I make these, I will probably be doubling my recipe (for the dough at least...I think I can stretch the pork and gravy enough to make 24...not sure yet).  However, it probably would've helped if I'd made sides...which I didn't.  Honestly, I had like four potatoes left, otherwise I would've made mashed potatoes and corn to go with it.  Yes, I know, that's a LOT of starch, but it would be filling and taste good together.  However, if that's not for you, go with broccoli for a side instead of corn.  And if you don't want mashed potatoes, double up on the broccoli and add a cheese sauce!  Easy peasy~.

UPDATED 02/13/14:

• Added links under recipe titles for credited source

Questions?  Leave a comment!