Variations on a theme: Veggie Pot Pie

By popular request, here is the recipe for veggie pot pie. I made this recently for pie day with hubby's family (March 14th, in honor of pi) as the token healthy pie of the night.

The problem? I didn't really use a recipe. That's because Veggie Pot Pie almost by definition shouldn't have a set recipe. It's the classic "use up whatever's in the vegetable drawer" dish.

Here's the basic plan:
1) 4-6 cups chopped vegetables, cooked until crisp-tender
2) Some kind of sauce or gravy
3) A pie shell
4) A crumbly topping if you want

1) Suggestions for vegetables: Chopped cooked carrots, frozen or canned corn (both corn and carrots add some sweetness to the pie, so I highly recommend using one or both of them), frozen peas, thawed, frozen green beans, lightly steamed, finely chopped broccoli and/or cauliflower, steamed, 1 chopped and sauteed onion (really great for flavor, so I highly recommend this as well), chopped and steamed celery, cooked diced potatoes or sweet potatoes, chopped and sauteed mushrooms, steamed asparagus, lightly sauteed red or green bell peppers, etc.

2) Some suggestions for the sauce:
a) my personal favorite (but less healthy) option is to use cream of mushroom (or celery or chicken) soup. You can find reduced-fat versions pretty easily as well. Mix one can with the prepared vegetables and season with a little pepper, parsley, and thyme. Add no more than 1/2 can of milk or water to thin it if it looks dry.
b) another good (and healthy!) choice is to make a simple gravy with broth and cornstarch. Mix 2 cups of vegetable or chicken broth with 2 T. cornstarch mixed with a little cold water. Heat until bubbly and add about 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. of thyme, pepper, parsley, and maybe garlic, sage, and rosemary. The gravy should be very thick, so add another 1-2 T. cornstarch mixed in cold water if it still looks thin. Be forewarned that the pie does not hold together quite as well with this kind of sauce.
c) yet another choice is to combine 1/2 C. milk or soy milk with 2 T. flour and heat until bubbly, then stir in about 1 1/2 C. mashed potatoes, then season generously with salt, pepper, and other desired spices.

3) For the pie crust, you can use a store-bought crust, or make one on your own using whole wheat pastry flour. Poke holes in the crust and pre-bake at 450 for 5-7 minutes or until just starting to firm up. Mix the hot vegetables with the hot gravy or sauce and heat through, then pour into the crust.

4) If you want a crumbly topping, mix 1/2 C. soft bread crumbs (pulverize 1 slice of bread in a food processor) with 1 T. melted butter and sprinkle over the top. You can also use dry bread crumbs, crushed saltine or ritz crackers, crushed cornflakes, or even french-fried onions. Don't add butter to the onions if you go that route. Also, they're kinda fatty, so be forewarned.

Bake the pie at 350 for 25-35 minutes, or until bubbly and the topping is browned. Cover the edges with foil when they start looking too brown (I guarantee they will). Let cool about 10 minutes before slicing.