Pot Pie Pizza
Roasted vegetables (carrots, parsnips, butternut squash & garlic), gravy (with leek, yellow onion, thyme, mustard, vegetable broth & white wine), buttermilk rosemary biscuits, shredded Cooper Cheddar
Recipe
Ingredients: 1 ball of dough flour for dusting olive oil salt & pepper 1 hunk Cooper cheddar (or another sharp cheddar), shredded
For the pot pie:* 4 parsnips (or 1 lb), peeled & cut into ½-inch cubes ½ small butternut squash (or about 1 lb of it), peeled, seeded & cut into ½-inch cubes 1 lb carrots, peeled & cut into ½-inch cubes 1 whole head of garlic, the top ¼-inch cut off to expose tops of cloves within, flaky outer layer removed 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (removed from sprigs)
For the gravy*: 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons butter 1 medium yellow onion, peeled & diced 1 leek (white & pale green parts only), cut into ¼-inch slices 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves 3 tablespoons flour 1 cup dry white wine 4 cups vegetable broth
For the biscuits*: 2 ¼ cups flour 1 tablespoon baking powder 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped 1 teaspoon salt 6 tablespoons butter, diced 1 1/3 cups buttermilk
*This recipe makes a pot pie to fill a 9"x13" baking dish. This is far too much for a pizza, so feel free to divide the ingredients as needed, depending on what size baking dish you have. Or feel free to make it all and have leftovers for the next couple days!
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 375° F. In a large bowl, toss the parsnips, carrots & butternut squash with the thyme, about three tablespoons of olive oil, plus a bit of salt & pepper. Once they’re all coated, transfer to a large baking sheet, or two—you’ll want enough room to spread the vegetables out in a single layer.
Place the head of garlic in the center of a sheet of aluminum foil. Drizzle the cut side with olive oil and sprinkle with salt & pepper, and then pull the sides of the foil up to enclose it. Place this in the center of one of your baking sheets, amidst the vegetables.
Roast your garlic and veggies in the oven for about 45 minutes, until the vegetables have softened and are beginning to brown on the edges. Then take them out and set aside, increasing your oven temperature to 400° F.
Meanwhile, you can start making the gravy. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and leeks and saute for 5-7 minutes, until they are softened and translucent.
Next, add the mustard and thyme, stirring frequently for about a minute. Now add the flour and mix well, stirring for another 2-3 minutes, until the flour is starting to stick to the bottom of the pot (but hasn’t burned).
Stir in the wine, scraping any remaining flour off the bottom, followed by the vegetable broth. Now let it simmer for 25-30 minutes until the mixture has reduced by about a quarter.
While the gravy is simmering, start on the biscuits. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, rosemary & salt. Next add the butter, and use your fingers to work it into the mixture until it resembles a coarse meal.
Gradually add the buttermilk, whisking until the dough is evenly moistened. If it still feels too dry, you can add some more buttermilk a tablespoon at a time until it reaches the desired consistency.
Fill a baking dish with your roasted vegetables—you can squeeze out and chop a few of the roasted garlic cloves (4-5) and add them to the mix as well. Pour the gravy on top, leaving about an inch between the surface and the top of the baking dish.
Scoop out the biscuit dough in heaping tablespoons and place it evenly over the filling. Bake for about 45 minutes, until the filling is bubbling and a fork stuck in the biscuits comes out clean. Increase your oven temperature to 550° F.
While your oven is heating, you can prepare your pizza dough, using the instructions on the right. Once it has baked for a minute, take it out and brush it lightly with olive oil.
First add the shredded cheese, sprinkling it evenly over the dough. Next, scoop out the filling of the pot pie—you want a hearty amount covering the pizza, but not too much, or you won’t be able to pick up your slices.
Finally, tear the biscuits apart from each other and place them on top. Pop it in the oven and bake until the biscuits are getting slightly toasted on top and the pizza crust is a nice golden brown. Take it out and enjoy!