Bringing Family Back to the Table by Katie Wojciechowski November 10, 2021 by Jill Foucre Leave a Comment Growing up, we sat down at the family dinner table together almost every night. A meal with a meat, a vegetable, and a starch was always served along with a salad (which my family ate last, my mother is French). That time at the table was about sharing; Sharing of food, of course, but also sharing about your day. Each one of us had a different day, we interacted with different people or went different places but always came back together at the dinner table. As an adult with kids of my own now, my husband and I have tried to stick true to this tradition. A meal is on the table (or island) every night at the same time. If you aren’t home for “dinner time” your meal is placed on a plate wrapped in foil to be eaten when you get home, but never to be eaten alone. I notice now as a mom that the dinner table is once again a shared space. A space where I find out about the cute boy in class or the math test that didn’t go so well. A space where lots of laughs and giggles happen as a funny story that happened in school is retold and shared. A true shared space. So, yes, I have a culinary degree and know how to make dinner but for me it’s not always about the food, it’s about the shared time. It’s about the comfort of the people around your table that make the dinner experience a special one. One of my family’s favorite comfort foods is pot pie. There is nothing better after a long day of school and activities than coming home to a warm Beef and Butternut Squash Pot Pie. I hope by sharing this recipe your family will enjoy a wonderful warm meal in your shared space. Beef Pot Pie with Butternut Squash 2021-11-05 16:52:15 Print Ingredients 1 pound beef tenderloin, cut into ½ inch cubes 1 onion, diced 3 carrots, peeled, cut into ¼ inch thick rounds 2 cups butternut squash, peeled, cut into ½ inch cubes 4 thyme sprigs 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, minced 1 14 ounce can diced tomatoes, drained 4 tablespoons butter 4 tablespoons flour 2 tablespoons Worcestershire 4 cups beef stock Salt and pepper, to taste Puff pastry sheets, defrosted 1 egg, beaten Instructions Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a sauté pan, add the butter until melted. Add in the onion, carrots and squash. Cook until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Add flour and stir to coat. Allow flour to cook about 1-2 minutes. Add in worschestshire and beef stock slowly (you may not need all of the beef stock) until thickened. Season with beef with salt and pepper and add to the mixture. Stir to incorporate. Add in the fresh herbs and tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Allow the filling to cook together for about 5-8 minutes. Ladle the filling into an oven proof pie dish or 4 oven proof bowls. Top with a round of puff pastry. Brush the top of the pastry with the beaten egg and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake until the top is golden brown, about 8-10 minutes. Marcel's Culinary Experience https://www.marcelsculinaryexperience.com/