With the Super Bowl, Winter Olympics, and Oscars behind us, this coming “regular” weekend is a good time to relax and bake some comfort foot. While it may be “warm” by recent standards (meaning above zero!), it’s still definitely a time when we need to warm ourselves inside as well as out. Plus, you can celebrate National Crabmeat Day to boot (yes, there’s a day for that, too), which is March 9. Well then, a not-so-regular weekend after all calls for a not-so-humble pie.
This twist on the classic pot pie also benefits from a “crust” that takes only minutes to mix using Japanese-style panko crumbs, which are the large, especially crisp breadcrumbs. Whether it’s a special lunch, sophisticated first course, or main dinner dish, these individual-serving pot pies fit in anywhere and into any busy schedule, notes recipe developer, frequent Real Food contributor, and cookbook author Elinor Klivans. Preparation consists of a quick cooking to soften the vegetables and then simply stirring the ingredients together and adding the topping.
If you have any leftovers, maybe you can take some to work for National Pack Your Lunch Day on Monday, March 10! (Now, that’s not really a food “Day,” is it? I’m not sure where they come up with all these “Days” but a little levity for this very long, tough winter…)
Deviled Crab Pot Pie
Serves 4
Filling:
1 lb. crabmeat
¼ c. mayonnaise
1 tbsp. butter
½ c. finely chopped onion
½ c. finely chopped celery
¼ c. finely chopped sweet red pepper
1 tbsp. finely chopped fresh parsley
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
1 tsp. paprika (preferably sweet Hungarian)
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
Topping:
1½ c. panko crumbs
1 tsp. paprika
¼ c. (½ stick) butter, melted
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Put 4 ovenproof baking dishes with 2-cup capacity on baking sheet.
In a medium bowl, stir crabmeat and mayonnaise together. Set aside. In a medium frying pan, melt butter over medium heat, about 1 minute. Add onion, celery, and red pepper and cook until softened, about 5 minutes, stirring often. Remove pan from heat and set aside. Stir parsley, lemon juice, lemon zest, paprika, and Worcestershire into crabmeat. Stir in cooked onion mixture. Divide mixture evenly among baking dishes.
In a medium bowl, stir panko crumbs, paprika, and melted butter together to evenly moisten crumbs. Divide crumbs evenly among filled baking containers, patting crumbs gently to form firm, even coating.
Bake until crumb topping is lightly browned and juices are bubbling gently, about 15 minutes. Serve hot.