Pumpkin Pot Pie with Sausage & Kale

In the spirit of fall and everything pumpkin around here, I whipped up this tasty little pot pie. I loved using fresh pie pumpkins and ground pork instead of the traditional chicken, carrots, and peas. This recipe was a home-run and I cannot wait to make it again for family around the holidays. It’s easy to prepare (even the crust is a breeze to whip up!) and bursting with fall flavors. Between the pumpkin, sausage, onions, sage and dash of nutmeg this is what cozy, comfort food is all about. Grab a fork, pour a glass of wine and dig in!

Ingredients:
For the Crust

•     1 ¼ cups all purpose flour (spooned and leveled,) plus more for the work surface
•     ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
•     ½ cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter
•     3-5 tablespoons ice water

Egg wash

•     1 egg
•     2 tablespoons cream or milk

For the filling

•     1 pound ground pork
•     1 large onion, finely chopped
•     1 1/2 teaspoons dried sage
•     pinch of ground nutmeg
•     hefty pinch of salt and pepper
•     1 small bunch of kale, tough stems discarded and coarsely chopped
•     1 medium-small sugar pie pumpkin, cut into 1/2 inch cubes (seeded but no need to peel) for a total of about 1 1/2 cups
•     1/4 cup all-purpose flour
•     3 cups low-sodium chicken or pork stock

Directions:

1. Make the crust: Cube the cold butter into ½ inch dice with a sharp knife and place in the freezer to cool back down after handling. Pulse together flour and salt. Add cubed butter and pulse 12-16 times or until the mixture resembles a coarse meal, with a few pea-size pieces of butter remaining. With the machine running, gently pour in the water. Pulse until dough begins to form a ball (it may still be crumbly and that’s okay as long as when you pinch it it holds together.) If it seems too dry add a touch more ice water. Do not over mix.
2. Form dough into a disk, wrap tightly in plastic, and refrigerate until firm, about 45 minutes to 1 hour (you can also leave the dough in the fridge overnight).
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large, deep cast iron pot, cook the pork over medium-high heat, using a wooden spoon to break up the meat a bit. Cook until lightly browned and no longer pink. Remove the pork to a paper towel lined plate to drain. Add the onion, sage, nutmeg  salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes. Add in the kale and pumpkin and cook until beginning to softened, about 5 minutes.
4. Sprinkle in the flour and stir well. Slowly add the stock, 1/2 cup at a time. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until the pumpkin softens and the mixture thickens up a bit, about 8-10 minutes. Return the pork to the pot and give it a good stir. Remove the pot from the heat and keep to the side for a few minutes.
5. On a floured work surface, roll out the dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Place dough over the pot (being careful not to burn yourself) and fold the overhang inward while pinching to crimp the edge. Alternatively, you can pour the contents of the pot pie into a pie pan and drape the crust over the pie pan. Cut vents in dough. Brush with egg wash. Place dish on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling around edge, 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes before serving.