Cooler days and longer evenings just seem to lend themselves to cozy recipes.
It’s also the time of year when I start thinking about my fall baking reset and making sure the freezer is stocked with a few homemade favorites.
And since I’m trying to keep Hubby on track with his gluten-free diet, I recently modified two of his very favorite comfort-food recipes.
The secret?
A frozen gluten-free pie crust.
Store-Bought Frozen Gluten-Free Pie Crust
Finding a premade gluten-free pie crust can be tricky. I’ve never found one in my regular grocery stores, but Trader Joe’s carries them seasonally, and Sprouts has them year-round.
And here’s the deal: If you don’t need to eat gluten-free, just skip it.
It’s not great.
The texture is a little rough and pebbly—not exactly the buttery, flaky crust you might associate with a delicious homemade pie.
That means whatever you put inside—or on top of—it needs to be extra special.
And I think these two recipes hit the mark.
At least, Hubby thought so.
He ate both pies in their entirety!
Light Pumpkin Pie
For the pumpkin pie, I started with this Skinnytaste pumpkin pie recipe and made a few changes, including using a frozen gluten-free pie crust for the bottom.
I simply thawed the crust for about 20 minutes, following the package directions, and then filled it with the pumpkin pie mixture.
I also made a few substitutions based on what I had in the refrigerator:
- Used whole milk instead of fat-free milk
- Used regular butter instead of whipped butter
- Used ⅓ cup liquid egg whites instead of separating an egg
Of course, we topped it with a generous helping of whipped cream.
It was quite a tasty dessert.
Or, for John, breakfast the next morning.
Chicken Pot Pie
Many years ago, I got the idea from the old Cooking Light magazine to use pieces of pie crust on top of a pot pie filling rather than having crust contain the entire pie.
I’ve been doing it that way ever since.
It works especially well with my chicken pot pie recipe.
But I should warn you: because I make a homemade white sauce, this is a rich chicken pot pie.
Having three helpings may give you a bellyache.
Ask me how I know.
Yep.
He ate three helpings.
And . . . this recipe makes wonderful leftovers, so there’s really no need to eat the whole thing on day one.
Gluten-Free Chicken Pot Pie
This recipe is easy to modify using a regular pie crust if you don’t need to eat gluten-free. You can also add whatever vegetables you like or happen to have on hand.
It is definitely rich, with a good amount of butter, but using the pie crust only on top helps balance some of that richness.
Gluten-Free Chicken Pot Pie
Ingredients
Cooked Chicken
- 1 large chicken breast
- 1 tsp chicken bouillon
- 1 cup water
- 1 tbsp dried onion flakes
- 1 stalk celery
- 1 pinch black pepper
White Sauce
- ⅓ cup butter
- 1 tbsp dried onion flakes
- ⅓ cup all-purpose gluten-free flour
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1¾ cup chicken broth
- ½ cup milk
Vegetable Filling
- 1 small potato, peeled and diced
- 2 carrots, peeled and diced
- 1 cup frozen green beans chopped
Pie Crust
- 1 frozen gluten-free pie crust, thawed for 20 minutes
Instructions
Cook the Chicken
- Place the chicken, bouillon, water, onion flakes, celery and pepper into a slow cooker.Cook on low until the chicken is cooked through, a few hours depending on your slow cooker.Shred the chicken and set aside.
Make the White Sauce
- In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat.Add the onion flakes and stir until just browned, less than a minute.Add the salt, pepper and gluten-free flour, whisking until well blended.Gradually add the chicken broth and milk, whisking constantly until the mixture is bubbling and thickened.
Prepare the Vegetables
- Boil the vegetables until just softened.Drain and add them to the white sauce.
Bake the Pie Crust
- Preheat oven to 425°
- Bake 15-20 minutes until golden brown.
Assemble the Pot Pie
- Add the shredded chicken and vegetables to the white sauce and combine well.Spoon the chicken pot pie filling into individual bowls.Cut or crumble pieces of the baked pie crust and place them over the top of each serving.
Wrap Up
I hope these recipes inspire you to modify some of your own favorite cozy fall recipes to meet your family’s needs.
Gluten-free, low-sugar, dairy-free, picky eater . . . a few little changes might mean enjoying what you like rather than skipping it!
Where there is a will, there is a way, right?
May God bless you and yours, and thank you for being here.
