Thanksgiving Pot Pie

Since we are vegetarians, Thanksgiving is an adventurous holiday for us. I have to whip up our own gravy and stuffing, since those are my two favorite parts and are usually made with some sort of meat product, and I have to come up with a main course. I usually buy the Quorn Turk'y Roast because my boyfriend likes the idea of something resembling turkey. I could care less, but the Quorn company does make a good alternative to everyone's favorite white meat - it tastes almost exactly like the white meat of a turkey breast. But I like something different. This time of year is filled with luscious root vegetables, and since Thanksgiving is supposed to be about celebrating the harvest, this a great time of year for me to experiment with rutabagas, parsnips and sweet potato. My favorite thing to make is a veggie pot pie. When I was a kid my parents used to buy those terrible frozen pot pies in the freezer section, and I was traumatized by them. Last Thanksgiving, though, my step-daughter requested pot pie for our meal and I trusted her. Thankfully. It was delicious and I couldn't wait to make it again, served with sweet potato soup, it was the perfect fall meal.

Fall Veggie Pot Pie
2 9inch pie crusts (store bought or home-made, or get creative and try something different altogether!)
1 large parsnip, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
2 large potatoes, chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 handful of greens
1 1/2 C gravy
3/4 C vegetable stock
3 T butter
salt and pepper
2 T oil

Make pie crust or pull out of package and put bottom layer in pie pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onions, parsnips, carrots, and potatoes and saute for 10 minutes, until tender. Add 1/2 cup of stock and simmer gently over medium high heat until most of stock is gone. Add garlic and greens and mix thoroughly. Add gravy and stir to coat everything. Add last 1/4 cup of stock to veggies then pour into pie plate. Place 3 T of butter, over top of veggies then cover with other crust. Cut a few small slits into top crust (or make a decoration with it if you're crafty), then place on baking sheet. Bake in oven about 45 minutes, or until crust is golden brown. Remove from oven and let sit 5-10 minutes in order to set before cutting and serving. Enjoy with stuffing, sweet potatoes and gravy for a full Thanksgiving meal.