The words vegan pot pie might not be ones you would think to put together in a sentence, or as something that you might want to make.
But yes, you can make a pot pie with something other than chicken! And even though my family grew up working in my grandpa’s chicken pot pie restaurants, and pot pies have a special place in my heart, you’ll be surprised how great a plant-based pot pie tastes.
These shareable vegan pot pie pockets are just as comforting and delicious, and I think your family will love them as much as mine does!
Aren’t they cute? Pot pies can be hand held, and hand-held pastries can be savory! These are perfect for your holiday parties, potlucks, or as an appetizer! Easy to transport and freezer-friendly as well. Let’s get into it!
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How to customize vegan pot pie pockets
This vegan version is easily adaptable to fit a large crowd and the dietary preferences of you or those you’re feeding! Here are some ways you can make this recipe your own.
The filling
The vegetable pot pie filling relies on classic pot pie veggies including onion, garlic, carrots, celery, potatoes, and peas. This is my personal favorite combination and what I think works best for this recipe, but there is certainly room for customization! Broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, or corn would be great swaps or additions.
Whatever veggies you decide to use, keep in mind that they will cook best if they are all chopped about the same size. That’s because if you’re going to be eating something handheld, you want the filling to remain somewhat intact; if you have large chunks of veggies in there, the filling is more likely to fall out while you’re trying to enjoy this pot pie!
Pro tip: Harder veggies like carrots, parsnips, and potatoes will need to be cooked with the broth, while softer veggies (and those you may have defrosted from frozen) can be added later on.
For the protein, I used Gardein Crispy Chick’n Tenders. This is my favorite protein for this recipe because they are easy to cook and easy to chop up and add to the veggie filling. I like the breading because it adds extra flavor, but you can certainly choose an option with no breading. If you are an omnivore, you can use some rotisserie chicken to make this super easy, or your favorite method of cooking chicken.
This filling is super leftover-friendly! If you have leftover turkey, chicken, or vegan roast, add that instead of the recommended protein to use up what you have! The same goes for using up extra veggies you have on hand.
It’s not traditional, but you could add a little bit of vegan cheddar. Or if you’re making these vegetarian and not vegan, feel free to use a little bit of cheddar or even a good nutty Swiss. You won’t need much more than 1/2 cup or so.
You can also try out our Classic Chicken Pot Pie Recipe!
The pastry for these vegan pot pies
I used a frozen puff pastry to keep this recipe fairly simple. The pastry also makes for a super flaky and delicious pot pie pocket! I have found that a lot of puff pastry in the frozen section is accidentally vegan, but just double-check the ingredients if you need to avoid dairy.
NOTE: You can also use regular pie crust if you like; just know the end result may. not be quite as flaky and light as if you’d used puff pastry. It would be a bit more sturdy so if you’re traveling with these pocket pot pies (say that three times fast!), you could try out pie crust. And you could totally shortcut that with store bought!
For a gluten-free option, your store may carry an option like Schar puff pastry! If you cannot find gluten-free or regular puff pastry, crescent dough or pie crust will work great instead. Keep in mind if you use a different pastry option that the oven temperature and cook times may vary so be sure to check the packaging! You can of course use your favorite homemade dough recipe as well, but since we are already making the filling it is nice to keep the pastry simple.
Related: Reuse Thanksgiving Leftovers: 30 Meals To Enjoy After Your Holiday Feast
How many vegan pot pie pockets does this recipe make?
This recipe makes about 8 palm-sized pot pie pockets. This recipe is easily doubled to feed a larger group!
Tips for working with pastry
When working with puff pastry and pie dough in general, it is best to keep it as cold as possible. Once your puff pastry has defrosted to the point where you can unroll the sheets, I recommend slicing the sheets and then placing them back in the freezer until you are ready to fill them. The sheets will become pliable again quickly once you add the filling, and if they get too cold you can warm them up in your hands enough so you can shape them.
What’s the deal with all the refrigeration? Keeping it cold will help the layers puff up the best once you put it in the hot oven and create those delicious flakey layers. If it gets too warm the fat won’t do its job.
How to store and reheat these vegan pot pie pockets
You can make this filling in advance and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days before making your pot pie pockets! If you make the filling in advance, there is no need to reheat the filling before you make your pockets.
You can assemble your pot pie pockets and freeze them for easy baking in the future! Assemble your pockets as normal and stop before you top with butter and make the slits. Freeze the pockets for at least two hours before transferring to a freezer-safe container and keep for up to 3 months. To reheat, bake as normal from frozen and add 5-10 minutes to your bake time. Be sure to check on them after the normal recipe time to be sure you do not overbake them!
Baked pot pie pockets will be good for up to 3 days in the fridge. Reheat in a toaster oven or oven for best results.
Happy prepping!
And don’t forget to check out our other delicious holiday recipes!
- Au Gratin Potatoes With Butternut Squash
- Brussel Sprout Caesar Salad
- Spinach and Artichoke Dip
- Stuffed Shells With Spinach
- Stuffed Mushrooms
- Mini Pineapple Upside Down Cakes
- Easy Carrot Cake Recipe
- The Best Chocolate Pecan Pie
Vegan Pot Pie Pockets
Ingredients
- 5 oz vegan chicken strips about 4 strips, I used gardein crispy tenders
- 1 russet potato small, no larger than your palm, diced
- 1 celery stalk diced
- 1 carrot diced
- 1/2 cup vegetable broth
- 1/4 cup peas frozen or canned
- 1 TBSP vegan butter
- 1 shallot sub 1/4 yellow onion, diced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 TBSP flour
- 1 cup non-dairy milk of your choice
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 TBSP fresh parsley
- 1/2 TSP dried thyme
- 1/2 TSP pepper
- 17 ounce frozen puff pastry defrosted, sliced into 8 rectangles, keep refrigerated while you prepare the filling
- 2 tbsp butter melted
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 F (205 C) and prepare a baking sheet with a silicone mat, parchment paper, or cooking spray. Prepare the vegan chicken strips according to the package. While they bake, heat a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat.
- To the pot add the diced potatoes, celery, carrots, broth and peas and stir everything together. Cook for 7-10 minutes uncovered, stirring occasionally until the potatoes are fork-tender and the broth has evaporated. If there is still broth once the potatoes are done cooking then drain out the extra. Remove the cooked veggies from the pan and set aside.
- To the same pot, add the vegan butter, shallot, and garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the onions have softened and the garlic is fragrant. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 more minutes. Slowly add the milk while you continue to stir constantly to remove any lumps. Add the salt, parsley, thyme, and pepper and continue to cook while stirring constantly for 3-5 more minutes or until the roux has thickened. Once thick, remove from the heat and add in your cooked veggies and chopped vegan chicken strips. Stir together to coat everything evenly.
- Assemble your pot pie pockets! Work with half of your puff pastry rectangles at a time so they do not get too warm while you are filling them. Lay your rectangles on a clean, flat surface and place about 1/4 cup (one large spoonful) of the filling on one half of the rectangle. Be careful not to put the filling too close to the edges because you will be crimping that down! Fold the other half of the rectangle over the filling, stretching slightly if necessary, and crimp the edges with a fork. Repeat this process with all of your puff pastry rectangles and transfer them to the baking sheet. Once on the baking sheet, brush some melted butter on top and cut two slits in the top of each pocket to allow steam to escape while baking.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, until pastry has puffed up completely and is golden brown. Allow the pot pie pockets to cool slightly on a wire rack before serving. Serve warm for best results and enjoy!
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