Broccoli, Cheddar and Ham Pot Pies

I love a pot pie, especially this time of year. Although to be honest, it still feels like summer here in Los Angeles and it honestly feels like it’ll never be cold again. But I digress. Pot pie is the kind of dish that I always think about but for some reason don’t make too often. Maybe it’s because usually there are a lot of steps with the classic version. I wanted something to capture that comfort food feeling from the original but with a bit less work and of course just as delicious. So that’s where these Broccoli, Cheddar and Ham Pot Pies come in. They’re like broccoli cheddar soup meets chicken pot pie and honestly it doesn’t get much more comfort and cozy than this. Speaking of soup, now is a good a time as any to remind you of this cheesy broccoli cheddar gnocchi soup from the archives. It’s still a winner in my book and always will be.

Set a large skillet over moderate heat. Once the pot is hot, add 2 tablespoons butter. Stir in the onion and garlic and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Season with crushed red pepper flakes, dried basil, dried oregano and a large pinch of salt and pepper.

Add in the diced ham and cook until just starting to brown, about 5 to 8 minutes longer.

**Note: You can easily swap this out for sausage if you’d like. Or bacon would be great as well. But, it would be just as delicious if you wanted to keep things vegetarian and omit the meat all together.**

Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and allow to melt. Sprinkle in the flour and cook, stirring often, for about 30 seconds or so. Stir in the chicken stock and milk. Cook over low heat until thickened, about 10 minutes. 

**Note: At this point you can taste and adjust the seasoning accordingly. If you like a bit of spice, you can also add in a couple dashes of hot sauce if you’d like.**

Add in the chopped broccoli and cook until vibrant green. You don’t need to cook it much here as it’ll continue to cook later on in the oven.

**Note: I used fresh broccoli crowns for this that I removed the stems and sort of gave a rough chop. You can easily use frozen broccoli that has been thawed, drained really well and chopped. If you go that route, you don’t have it cook it at all once added.**

Turn off the heat and stir in the cheese until melted through and the sauce is super silky.

**Tip: Feel free to play around with the cheeses here. A smoked cheddar or gouda would be great here!**

A great little tip is you’ve basically made broccoli cheddar soup here. If you want to go the soup route, I would use a bit more chicken stock to make it slightly more soupier. But other than that you’re good to go. Serve it in a bread bowl for an even tastier treat.

Divide the mixture evenly between four individual baking dishes or ramekins and set aside. Dust a work surface with flour and roll out the pie dough into a large circle about 1/4-inch thick. Cut out four large circle that are slightly larger than the baking dish.

**Note: I made a homemade pie dough here but honestly store bought dough would be fine. Or even puff pastry would be great as well.**

Make 4 slits on each and then place on top of the pot pie filling. Brush the top with egg wash and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

**Note: If you’re looking for a great pie dough recipe, you can use the one from this banana cream pie recipe. It’s the same dough I use and I don’t put sugar in my dough so it can really be used for sweet or savory applications.**

Place on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated 400°F oven until deep golden brown and bubbly, for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Make sure you really let it cool slightly before diving in because believe me, I burned the roof of my mouth right off when I tried it. But it was worth it! Just don’t do what I do.

I like to serve these with a simple green salad on the side. It is absolute perfection. But it honestly would be great all by itself…or dare I suggest, a rice pilaf with this would be delicious as well.

You can easily make this as a whole pie if you’d like. You can even make a classic double crust pot pie…I would just double the pie dough recipe and make it in a deep-dish 9-inch pie plate. It also freezes really well. Assemble the pie, freeze and then bake from frozen. Either way, I hope you give this recipe a try because it’s a keeper. Let me know what you think below and as always thank you so much for reading and following along!