pocket pot-pies from scratch

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(Well, I did cheat a little and use instant mashed potatoes. It makes things a little easier when you have a toddler and a preschooler underfoot. :-)

Ingredients for filling:

*about 2 cups mashed potatoes
*about 1 cup (maybe a little more) frozen peas
*several slices diced cooked ham or turkey (I use the fancy deli meat), about a cup [skip this for a vegetarian version]
*about 1 cup diced cheddar cheese
*salt and pepper to taste
*milk and butter for mashed potatoes
*garlic powder

Mix together the mashed potatoes with a splash of milk and a couple pats of butter; mix in about 1/2 to 1 tsp garlic powder and salt and pepper to taste. Partially defrost peas in microwave, then add them to the potatoes along with the diced ham/turkey and cheese.

For the biscuit crust:

For the biscuit crust, I use the awesome biscuit recipe in La Leche League's Whole Foods For the Whole Family cookbook; though I use half whole wheat flour and half white (unbleached) instead of 100% whole wheat. (Below is the recipe, nearly tripled to fit the amount of filling.)

*2.5 cups whole wheat flour
*2.5 cups white unbleached flour
*1 1/4 tsp salt
*5 tsp baking powder
*1 1/4 cups butter, softened
*1 2/3 cups milk

(If you don't have a huge bowl, you might have to split the recipe and do this in two batches.)

Mix together flours, salt, and baking powder. With your fingers (or a pastry cutter), blend in softened butter until mixture is well-blended and resembles coarse crumbs. Add milk and mix with spoon until moistened. Mix just a tiny bit more (maybe 5-10 times) until dough pulls away from sides of bowl. On a clean (lightly floured if you prefer) surface, cut dough into about twelve equal portions. (At this point, start to preheat the oven to 425F.)

Assembly:

Take one of the twelve dough portions and divide it in half. Flatten the first half into a circle about 3.5 inches in diameter. Place scoop of filling (maybe about 3 tablespoons, or just a little smaller than a scoop of ice cream) in center. Flatten second half of the dough piece into another circle the same size as the first, and place on top of first piece and filling. Seal all around edges by smushing the edges of the dough together with your fingers. Place in ungreased baking pan (I used a large Pyrex lasagna dish and a smaller square Pyrex cake pan, but you could use three smaller Pyrex dishes or two foil-lined cookie sheets) and poke steam holes in top layer of dough by poking a few times with a knife or fork. Repeat process for each of the other eleven dough pieces and the rest of the filling. Place in preheated oven and bake at 425F for about 15-17 minutes or until crust is fully cooked and golden around the edges. Enjoy plain or with gravy on top!

God bless,
Mrs. Bear