# Need help with pot pie gravy **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 6, 2012, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-pot-pie-gravy/643216 "2012-12-06T19:14:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-pot-pie-gravy/643216/1 "2012-12-06T19:14:51Z")
Mrs. Cad loves pot pies but hates gravy because of the texture (too gelatinous). She wants that sort of sauce that you get with Marie Callendar’s pot pie. My sister-in-law tried it with cream of chicken soup but that was an abhorant mess. I saw a recipe where the gravy was thickened by roasted root vegetables and not flour or corn starch so I’m thinking of trying that. Any other ideas on how to get the texture of Marie Callendar’s pot pie sauce/gravy? ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-pot-pie-gravy/643216/2 "2012-12-06T19:18:21Z")
I’ve seen a few pot pie recipes where the sauce was thickened with arrowroot instead of cornstarch or flour - it is supposed to produce a less cloudy/starchy gravy. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-pot-pie-gravy/643216/3 "2012-12-06T20:27:30Z")
Has she tried pot pies with broth, instead of gravy? Pot pies, IMO, don’t actually need gravy, but they do need some sort of liquid. ---
**Author:** ![LH75](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lh75/32/4438_2.png) [@LH75](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LH75)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-pot-pie-gravy/643216/4 "2012-12-06T20:32:36Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > Mrs. Cad loves pot pies but hates gravy because of the texture (too gelatinous). She wants that sort of sauce that you get with Marie Callendar’s pot pie. My sister-in-law tried it with cream of chicken soup but that was an abhorant mess. I saw a recipe where the gravy was thickened by roasted root vegetables and not flour or corn starch so I’m thinking of trying that. Any other ideas on how to get the texture of Marie Callendar’s pot pie sauce/gravy? Thin the cream of chicken soup to the desired consistency with chicken stock. ---
**Author:** ![andrewbub](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@andrewbub](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andrewbub)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-pot-pie-gravy/643216/5 "2012-12-06T20:49:56Z")
chicken broth and a blonde roux. make a blonde roux and then add chicken stock until you get the quantity and desired texture. ---
**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-pot-pie-gravy/643216/6 "2012-12-07T16:40:23Z")
Yeah, why not try just using a little less roux to make the gravy a little less thick? Or less of whatever thickener you’re using. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-pot-pie-gravy/643216/7 "2012-12-07T16:42:50Z")
If you want to experiment with something different, I’ve seen pot pies that use cheese instead of gravy as the semi-liquid filling that holds the solid ingredients together. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-pot-pie-gravy/643216/8 "2012-12-07T16:57:56Z")
I don’t know what Marie Callender’s pot pies are like, but when I make lobster and clam pies I just use heavy cream and the starch from the potatoes and the crust does plenty to thicken it up. ---
**Author:** ![papergirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/aca169/32.png) [@papergirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/papergirl)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2012, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-pot-pie-gravy/643216/9 "2012-12-08T00:54:00Z")
I don’t make gravy from scratch for my pot pie…I buy a nice jar of gravy and use that. It’s…well, gravy rather than thick and jelly ish. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2012, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-pot-pie-gravy/643216/10 "2012-12-08T06:14:07Z")
Cream of Celery soup works very well. ---
**Author:** ![fumster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9c0ed/32.png) [@fumster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fumster)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2012, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-pot-pie-gravy/643216/11 "2012-12-08T07:49:59Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > I don’t know what Marie Callender’s pot pies are like, but when I make lobster and clam pies I just use heavy cream and the starch from the potatoes and the crust does plenty to thicken it up. Clam pie. That sounds wonderful. Have a recipe? ---
**Author:** ![getitrite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@getitrite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/getitrite)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2012, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-pot-pie-gravy/643216/12 "2012-12-08T16:15:43Z")
The best use of instant potatoes ever, use them instead of flour for thickening, adds texture without the gluten, should work in a pot pie as well. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2012, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-pot-pie-gravy/643216/13 "2012-12-08T19:32:51Z")
> [@andrewbub](#): > > chicken broth and a blonde roux. > > make a blonde roux and then add chicken stock until you get the quantity and desired texture. Or if you want to sound fancy, call it veloute. ---
**Author:** ![emacknight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3ec8ea/32.png) [@emacknight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emacknight)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2012, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-pot-pie-gravy/643216/14 "2012-12-08T20:22:19Z")
A lot depends on the nature of the recipe you’re using. But a couple of other methods to thicken your sauce would be to cook some diced potatoes in stock, then puree with a bit of cream–this can be added to your cooked aromatics and chicken. Alternatively I’ve found cauliflower works well as long as there isn’t too much liquid, I’ve done this with alfredo sauce before. Arrowroot or tapioca would be your other two possibilities. ---
**Author:** ![turner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/22d042/32.png) [@turner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/turner)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2012, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-pot-pie-gravy/643216/15 "2012-12-08T21:31:03Z")
I make pot pie in puff pastry, like a pot pie turnover, so I can’t have the gravy too thin or it runs out and the pie doesn’t stay sealed. I fry about three chicken breasts in about a tablespoon of oil. remove the chicken breasts from the pan, fry my veggies in the same pan (adding more oil only if needed, i.e. a dry pan). dust the veggies with a couple of teaspoons of flour and some herbs, cook for a a couple of minutes then add chicken broth a little at a time until I get a sauce that’s a little thinner than I want (it tightens up over time). This way I get all the chickeny bits off the bottom of the pan and I can get a non-slimy or wet gravy for my pot pit. It just ties all the flavors together. ---
**Author:** ![andrewbub](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@andrewbub](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andrewbub)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2012, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-pot-pie-gravy/643216/16 "2012-12-08T21:32:09Z")
> [@Sattua](#): > > Or if you want to sound fancy, call it veloute. one of the five mother sauces 😃 - just remember BETH V. ---
**Author:** ![lovelybones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e19adc/32.png) [@lovelybones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lovelybones)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2014, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-pot-pie-gravy/643216/17 "2014-02-10T23:43:59Z")
I love the idea of box potatoes in the pie. I am making some now so I have to try it ! ---
**Author:** ![mozchron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c2a13f/32.png) [@mozchron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mozchron)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2014, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-pot-pie-gravy/643216/18 "2014-02-11T02:39:53Z")
> [@andrewbub](#): > > chicken broth and a blonde roux. > > make a blonde roux and then add chicken stock until you get the quantity and desired texture. This. Its pretty easy, just cook patiently. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2014, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-pot-pie-gravy/643216/19 "2014-02-11T05:09:26Z")
> [@Sattua](#): > > Or if you want to sound fancy, call it veloute. Oh, look at you getting all fancy and Frenchified. Next you’ll be talking about mirapoix and the like. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2014, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-pot-pie-gravy/643216/20 "2014-02-11T07:57:00Z")
I think you can thicken anything with that tasteless instant mashed potato. That is the only reason I have it in my pantry. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-pot-pie-gravy/643216.md?page=2)