I actually felt my stomach growl in anticipation, which it rarely does even for long time favorites.
I haven't had a Pot Pie of any kind in many years; several years ago I decided to eat healthier in general as well as restrict my gluten and dairy intake (as my body demands).
As per the ingredients panel this meal met all of my desires save one, the one that requires opening closed doors and taking a blind chance. I put one in my cart with the intent to try it sometime during the weekend.
That "sometime" happened late Saturday afternoon: Earlier during the morning I ran a local 5k race, because it was the first run in several weeks and only one of a very few runs in many months, I had to push hard to complete the distance. After a good hard workout I always crave some kind of provocative flavor during the evening, something to literally feed the excitement my body still felt from the morning's adrenaline rush.
Though the instructions clearly state that the Pot Pie can be prepared in the microwave there was no way I was going to pass up on having a nice crispy crust topping this off. If you are going to have a memory provoking meal you should go for the full effect. I grew up on TV dinners and the Pot Pie was always one of my top requests. The smell of this one baking in the oven brought back a lot of those pleasant and simple memories.
I didn't have any preconceptions on how this would taste, I just hoped it would fall somewhere between the frozen pies of my youth and the "Best of the Best" pies made by Marie Callendar's.
The crust was wonderfully crispy, without being cracker-like. I know a lot of people worry that gluten-free baked goods will not act like the standard ones do but this was just perfect to me: it broke apart when and where I pushed with a fork but held together well when mixed into the pie's filling so I could get it's texture and flavor with each bite.
The filling didn't just satisfy my post-run craving; it wrapped it in swaddling clothes, sang it a lullaby, and promised many wonderful meals together. Granted, it's been quite a while since I've had a Pot Pie but I always remember how much I enjoyed it and how good it always tasted. This topped the memories easily: There were large chunks of chicken and potatoes inside, the sauce was thick and strong with flavor of chicken stock, even the peas and carrots were a nice touch (despite my strong dislike for peas).
In my personal opinion, as of this weekend, there is a new standard in what I will call the "Best of the Best" Chicken Pot Pie. Not only did I pick up a few more but I've decided to try their Shepard's Pie which is also gluten-free. If I ever find their Hearty Beef Stew around here I'll have to try that too.
Here's a link to their website. Their products are posted there along with the all important nutritional information.
Blake's All Natural Foods
*My opinion is my own. I was not
compensated in any way for this review.*
