Pot Pies were a treat when I was a little girl. I think they may have been one of the first ‘convenience’ foods that surfaced in our house. We thought they were great! They were filled with creamy chicken and best of all, we could eat them on a TV tray in front of the television! Plus we had those little handy foil pans to play and create with as an extra bonus. Wow! Life was good! Well these days your blood may thicken just by reading the fat, sodium and carbohydrate content on most pot pies. I still like them, but just can no longer bring myself to buy them and allow anyone I care about to eat them. So I decided to make my own. Now one of the things about pot pies was the luxury of taking one out of the freezer, popping it in the oven, and eating them. So I could make my own dough for the crust, or purchase ready-made pie crust. The stickler is both are rather fat filled. Looking through my pantry and freezer I came upon a roll of phyllo dough. Perfect! Phyllo dough is water and flour, and very, very, very, little fat. The dough always results in a flakey crust. My freezer also had a bit of frozen, cooked turkey so I was set. Rather than form the pies in individual tins or one large dish, I used the phyllo dough to make individual pot pies. It worked! The crust slight and flakey. The filling is creamy and satisfying. These ‘pies’ are quite low in fat and very low in sodium. I did use the convenience of low-fat cream of mushroom soup, but your own white sauce would work too. I was after a speedy version of home-made pot pies and got i!. I love it that I can make pot pies that are healthy to eat and taste so good. I control what goes in them. One problem did arise however: I just can’t seem to make enough of them!
This recipe makes four small pot pies. You could increase amount of filling to make 2 large pies.
3/4 cup cooked meat (Turkey is my choice.)
1 medium raw carrot, diced.
1 8-inch stalk of celery, diced.
1 medium, yukon gold raw potatoe, diced
1/2 cup frozen peas
4 – 5 tablespoons olive oil, seperated.
2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
1/2 teaspoon crushed, dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon ground corriander
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1/2 cup fat-free chicken stock
1/2 cup fat-free milk
1 roll of phyllo dough at room temperature – not frozen. Do not unwrap the dough until you need it.
In large saute pan heat two tablespoons olive oil. Once the oil heats add all the vegetables except peas. Stir and cook on medium for 5 minutes. Stir in the meat and heat through. Add the stock and all the spices. Reduce heat to low and add the soup and the milk. Stir well. Increase heat to medium and cook until mixture is thick. Stir in the peas and remove from heat. Allow the mixture to cool completely before adding to the phyllo do, or refrigerate 30 minutes.
Unwrap phyllo dough and cover with a cloth. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and heat oven to 375 degrees.
The phyllo dough sheets are about 12 x 8 inches. Cut them in half with a kitchen shears so they measure 6 x 8 inches. 
Carefully peel off three sheets. The sheets are thin and a bit fragile. Keep the three sheets together. Measure 1/2 cup of packed filling. Place the filling on the bottom half of the dough sheets, without crowding the edges. Using a brush coat the edge of the top sheet with olive oil. Coat all four edges. Fold the sheets over and press down. The sheet with the oil will seal the pocket. Be sure and press firmly. Continue with three more sets of dough, each using three sheets. If making two large pies do not cut dough in half and work the same manner with three 12 x 8 sheets. Once the pockets are filled, brush the top of each pocket with olive oil. Bake in the 375 degree oven for 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove to plates.
This is good just as it is, or served with 1/2 cup sour cream and the remainder of the can of mushroom soup mixed together and heated. These reheat fast in the oven and easily crisp again when reheated.
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