Individual Beef Pot Pies — The All-Day Kitchen Project That Reminds Me Why I Cook

Last week of school before winter break. I sent the children off with a good lunch on Friday — baked chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, a roll, and a cookie — and for the ones I worry about, the ones like my quiet girl, I packed brown bags with fruit and granola bars and a juice box, and I left them at the end of the line where they could take them without anyone seeing. Fourteen bags. Fourteen children who I know won't eat well over the break. I paid for those bags myself. I've been paying for them for years. It's not in the budget. It's in mine.

The quiet girl took her bag. She looked at me. She didn't speak this time, but she did something new: she waved. A small wave, fingers barely moving, but a wave. A goodbye. An acknowledgment. An "I'll see you in January." I waved back. I said, "Merry Christmas, baby." She walked out with her bag and I stood behind the counter and felt the full weight of what it means to feed a child who is hungry. It is not charity. It is not pity. It is the most basic human act: I have food, you need food, here. That's all it is. That's everything it is.

The fruitcake is ready. Three weeks of aging, brandy-soaked cheesecloth, tin on the top shelf. I unwrapped it Saturday and it was perfect — dark, dense, fragrant, the kind of cake that smells like a Victorian Christmas and tastes like patience. I cut a thin slice for Earl and a thicker one for myself because I am the one who made it and I deserve the larger portion. He agreed, which is the wisdom of forty years of marriage: know when your wife has earned the bigger slice.

Christmas is next Sunday. The house is ready. The tree is lit. The stockings are hung — yes, I still hang stockings, one for each child and grandchild, and one for Michael and one for Hattie Pearl and one for Earl that he says is unnecessary and that I hang every year anyway. I have been wrapping presents in the bedroom with the door locked because Earl Henderson is a sixty-seven-year-old man who peeks at presents like a seven-year-old boy, and I will not have my surprises ruined by a man in a bathrobe.

I'm starting the Christmas cooking tomorrow. Three days of prep. The ham is thawing. The sweet potatoes are on the counter. The flour is measured. Hattie Pearl's cast iron skillet is seasoned and ready. This kitchen is my chapel and Christmas dinner is my sermon, and I will deliver it with butter and love and the conviction that feeding people is the closest thing to holiness this life offers.

Merry Christmas, baby. Set a place for the ones who aren't here. They know.

Now go on and feed somebody.

Now, I know I said Christmas dinner is my sermon — and it is — but a preacher still needs her weeknight suppers, and nothing says I love these people on a cold December Tuesday quite like individual beef pot pies, each one sealed up and golden like a little gift. I’ve been making these during the weeks of advent when the house is full of bustle and everybody needs something warm and substantial to keep them going through the wrapping and the decorating and Earl’s very important job of peeking at things he shouldn’t. Here’s how I make them.

Individual Beef Pot Pies

Prep Time: 50 minutes | Cook Time: 35 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes | Servings: 9 individual pies

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 lbs beef chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
• 1 large yellow onion, finely diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 3 stalks celery, cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 cup frozen green peas, thawed
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups beef broth, warmed
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crumbled
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 4 rounds refrigerated pie crust (two 2-count packages), or homemade equivalent for 9 tops and 9 bottoms
• 1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water for egg wash

Instructions

1. Brown the beef. Pat beef cubes dry and season generously with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in two or three batches so you don’t crowd the pan, brown the beef on all sides, about 4 to 5 minutes per batch. Transfer browned beef to a bowl and set aside. Do not drain the pot.
2. Cook the vegetables. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the same pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more. Add the potatoes and stir to combine.
3. Make the gravy. Push the vegetables to the sides of the pot and add the butter to the center. Once melted, sprinkle the flour over everything and stir well to coat. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Slowly pour in the warmed beef broth, stirring as you go to prevent lumps. Add the milk, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, and rosemary. Stir until smooth and beginning to thicken, about 3 minutes.
4. Finish the filling. Return the browned beef and any accumulated juices to the pot. Stir well, reduce heat to low, and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes, until the beef is tender and the gravy is thick. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Remove from heat, stir in the peas, and let the filling cool for at least 20 minutes before assembling — a warm filling is fine, a hot filling will melt your crust.
5. Preheat and prep. Preheat your oven to 400°F. Grease nine 10-ounce ramekins or individual oven-safe bowls. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each pie crust round and cut circles sized to line the bottom and sides of your ramekins with a little overhang, plus a matching circle for each top. Press the bottom crusts gently into each ramekin.
6. Fill and top. Ladle the cooled filling evenly into each crust-lined ramekin, filling to just below the rim. Lay a top crust circle over each pie, pressing the edges of the top and bottom crusts together and crimping to seal. Cut two small slits in the center of each top crust to allow steam to escape. Brush each top generously with egg wash.
7. Bake. Place the filled ramekins on a large rimmed baking sheet to catch any drips. Bake at 400°F for 28 to 35 minutes, until the crusts are deeply golden and the filling is visibly bubbling through the vents. Let rest 10 minutes before serving — the filling will be very hot.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 540 | Protein: 27g | Fat: 30g | Carbs: 42g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 640mg