They’re here, and they’re glorious: I give you, the Broccoli Cheddar Puff Pastry Vegetarian Pot Pie! An ooey, gooey vegetarian broccoli cheddar filling topped with a puff pastry crust and baked to perfection.
Other Vegetarian Puff Pastry Pot Pie Recipes
Last year, I shared another vegetarian pot pie recipe with you, and it’s been one of the most popular recipes on my site. You can find my Mushroom Vegetarian Pot Pie Recipe with Puff Pastry Crust here. I wanted to share another recipe with you that is just as DELICIOUS, and even easier to make.
And who doesn’t love the broccoli cheddar combo?!
Jump to Recipe
I mean, just look at that filling!
Preparing Your Broccoli
I’m not a fan of HUGE chunks of broccoli in soup or pot pie filling. So for this recipe, you’ll cut the ends off the broccoli florets (and save the rest for something else!) and dice them into little bits before you steam them. To steam them, you’re going to place them in a large, microwaveable bowl and add 3 tablespoons of water. Then you’ll microwave them for 3-5 minutes until they’re nice and green and soft!
Broccoli Cheddar Filling
There are lots of broccoli cheddar soup recipes out there, but this is different. Since it’s a pot pie filling and not soup, it’ll be thicker than soup like you’re used to — don’t panic!
You’ll sauté some onions in butter before adding flour and whisking it all together. Then you’ll add milk, seasonings, and then, the cheese.
Anytime you’re making a cheese sauce, I highly, highly, highly, recommend shredding your own cheese rather than buying it pre-shredded. You’ll get a WAY better result! Here’s why.
You’ll add the steamed broccoli at the end and give it all a good stir, so you’ll have a really nice, thick filling. Then, you’ll add your puff pastry on top before popping it in the oven for about 25 minutes, or until you get the type of crispy topping you like.
The Puff Pastry Crust
Working with puff pastry is crazy easy. There’s no need to fuss with making your own dough, and you get a delicious outcome every time. Puff pastry is virtually un-screw-uppable (I just made that up) and it doesn’t need to be cut or shaped perfectly whatsoever.
Be sure to let your puff pastry defrost according to package directions before adding it to your pot pie. You can then either cut it to fit perfectly into your ramekins, or into squares so the corners of the puff pastry hang over the edges of the ramekins. For this recipe, I cut the puff pastry into thick strips, and layered two strips over each other. Then, I cut and X in the middle for ventilation and you brush it with a whisked egg before baking.
Other Tips for this Recipe
- If you have a steaming basket, feel free to steam the broccoli that way. You may need to add a tiny bit of water to your filling if you find it’s WAY too thick without the extra water you get from my method.
- These are best served hot, but you can refrigerate them and reheat them. The puff pastry crust just might not stay as crispy.
- This recipe makes two vegetarian pot pies in a standard 8 oz. ramekin. Feel free to double, triple, etc., this recipe to feed a bigger crowd. It might not seem like a huge serving, but I find with the puff pastry on top, it ends up being pretty filling!
- Wondering if you can make vegetarian pot pie ahead of time? If you’re going to do this, make the broccoli cheddar filling and refrigerate. Then, when you’re ready to eat it, remove from the fridge and let it come to room temperature. Then, put the puff pastry (brushed with egg) on top and bake it.
Broccoli Cheddar Puff Pastry Pot Pie
Broccoli Cheddar Puff Pastry Pot Pie
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp butter
- ½ cup onion diced
- 3 tbsp flour
- 1 cup whole milk or cream
- ¼ tsp mustard powder
- ¼ tsp paprika
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp salt or to taste
- 5 oz old/sharp cheddar shredded
- 3 cups broccoli chopped into small bits
- 1 sheet puff pastry
- 1 large egg whisked
Instructions
For the Steamed Broccoli
- Cut the ends of the broccoli off and dice into SMALL pieces. Save the stems and stalks for something else. Place three cups of chopped broccoli bits into a microwaveable bowl. Add three tbsp. of water and microwave for 3-5 minutes until vibrant green and tender.
For the Pot Pie
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a large saucepan on medium heat, melt 2 tbsp. of butter. Add diced onion and sauté for about 5 minutes. Whisk in flour and let cook for about 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the milk, salt, paprika, garlic powder, and mustard. Keep whisking (the mixture will be quite thick) for a few minutes.
- Turn off the heat, and add the shredded cheese.* Fold in the steamed broccoli and stir until combined. Divide the broccoli cheese mixture into two 8 oz. ramekins. Top with puff pastry crust.** Brush the puff pastry with a whisked egg, and cut an X in the middle to ventilate.
- Bake for 25 minutes or until the puff pastry is golden brown and crispy to your liking.Let cool for 10-15 minutes before serving (it will be HOT!).Dig in and enjoy!
Notes
Did I manage to not defrost my puff pastry and so screw up the unscrewuppable? Yes.
Other than that mistake which was all of my own doing, this was the easiest recipe EVER and so so yummy.
Hahaha — I have had to microwave puff pastry before because I forgot to defrost it as well! I’m so happy you loved it!