Vegetarian "Chicken" Pot Pie

This is a recipe I made up on my own last month or so. Usually I like to look up some recipes first, but it didn't occur to me. I think I already thought I knew how to make a pot pie.

Dough isn't really my thing. (I don't think I've ever made dough.) So I wasn't keen on making any for the pie. I also had a plan to only make a top for the pie, and no bottom crust. This allowed me to make it in a ~2.5l pot instead of a pie pan. This is a great way to go as the dish becomes a "one pot wonder." Sort of like making a Shepherd's Pie.

I use leeks and carrots from our garden as the base, and usually celery as well if we have it in the house. Crimini mushrooms are important as they give a meaty flavor to the dish. I saute all this in butter then eventually turn it into a roux with flour and vegetarian chicken stock. Just before adding the flour I add a little thyme to it. Then I add imitation chicken. Which in my first few attempts came from Yves, but this last go around I used Trader Joe's Vegetarian Chicken Strips. They are lightly seasoned and probably better suited to a more spicy cuisine, but I couldn't seem to rinse the seasoning off so I used them anyway. It didn't make a difference. I add frozen peas before sinking it into the oven.

In all of my attempts at this recipe, I have used Trader Joe's Puff Pastry as the top on my pie. The first go around I placed a piece right on top of the pot when I put the whole dish in the oven. This resulted in the pastry sinking into the filling leaving us with a gooey (but delicious) crust over the pie and light flaky puff pastry over the edges of the pot. The second attempt failed in the same way. This last time I actually cut the pastry first to the shape of the pot and then cooked it separately before placing it on the top of the pie before serving. That system finally worked! I didn't take any pics of the final product, so you'll have to take my word for it.