Beef or Bison Pot Pie

Warm and hearty meals begin with whole foods from the farm and from local farms. Friends of ours raise pastured beef and fellow farmers in the Rogue Valley raise pastured bison...either meat is delicious when it is raised out in the pastures in the farm fresh air and grazing to their heart's content! The London Broil cut of meat is quite tasty and best when slow cooked. We had a 5 pound bison roast that had been slow cooked for about 4 hours in the oven. The shredded meat was super tasty after roasting with garlic, onions, apples, and a few spices.

The meat was shredded and set aside. Next, the homemade version of cream of mushroom soup was made: 1 small onion, chopped fine 1 clove of garlic, minced 2 cups of sliced mushrooms 3 Tablespoons of butter. Saute together first onions and garlic until onions are soften. Add sliced mushrooms and saute just until softened lightly, which is about 2 minutes on medium low heat. Add 3 Tablespoons of flour to vegetables in pan and stir to cover. Add all at once: 2 cups chicken stock and stir Mixture will thicken, Then add 2 cups milk or milk sustitute Stir until desired consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste. This smooth and tasty sauce will cover the meat and vegies for the pie. Leave on warming heat until ready to use.

2 carrots, chopped, use 2-3 leftover baked potatoes, chop into small bite sized chunks, 1 left over sweet potato works well too. 1 cup frozen peas Add all to shredded bison. Use a 9" x 13" pan, line with parchment paper. Place meat and vegetable mix into prepared pan and evenly distribute. Pour warm, creamy mushroom soup sauce over meat and vegetables. Place in preheated 375' oven. While the base of the pot pie is getting warm and bubbling, make the herbed cheese biscuit topping: 2 cups flour 1 T. sugar (scant) 4 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup vegetable shortening 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan Cheese 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning 1 cup milk Combine flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and stir. Add shortening and with hands mix until flour mixture resembles coarse corn meal. Stir in cheese and seasoning. Add milk and stir. Remove pan from oven and drop biscuit mixture on top of bubbling goodness in spoonsized pieces. There should be enough biscuit dough to cover the top of the meat mixture. Return to oven and bake another 25 minutes.

Be sure the biscuit tops are cooked all of the way through. Check by gently moving the top of biscuit to one side or the other. If it is still gooey underneath, return to oven for a few more minutes. Serve with coleslaw and fruit salad, and family gathered around the table.