This Canadian bacon and white bean pot pie is exactly the kind of food I’ve been craving lately – rich and hearty, it’ll warm you up right down to your toes. I created this recipe for Jones Dairy Farm as part of their blogger ambassador program. Thank you for supporting the brands that keep me inspired in the kitchen!
Sometime last year, I fell in love with Canadian bacon. We had gone to the diner for breakfast, but I wasn’t very hungry and all I wanted was an egg and some toast. For some reason, it was cheaper to get a meal that included an order of meat then it was to order the two items a la carte, so I picked the lightest option: Canadian bacon. It’s not something I had eaten very often and, honestly, most of my experience with it involved fast food. What I received wasn’t at all what I had been expecting: it was more like ham, cut from one piece of meat (I was expecting something way more processed). It was delicious and now I order it pretty much every time we go there.
Aside from the occasional Eggs Benedict though, I haven’t really made it at home very often. So when Jones Dairy Farm asked me to use it in my recipe for them this month, I was pretty excited. I also knew right away that I wanted to do something a little unexpected with it. Although pancetta might be more traditional in a recipe like this, the Canadian bacon is right at home. It gives the filling a ton of flavor and has a great slightly chewy texture that contrasts really nicely with the creamy beans. One bight brought me straight back to the comfort foods of my childhood.
I’ve been working with Jones Dairy Farm for a few months now, but when I mentioned something about them the other day Shawn thought I was talking about a new client. Once he realized who I was talking about, he said he thought their name was just “Jones Farm” and he wondered why a company that sells bacon and sausage would call themselves a dairy farm. I had to admit that I was curious too, so I did a little research on their web site.
It turns out that the company actually did start as a dairy farm in Wisconsin (where it’s still based), but the head of the family wasn’t able to keep up with it after being diagnosed with arthritis. He started selling homemade sausages, and the company took off. They were the first meat packing company to quick-freeze sausage, allowing them to ship throughout the US without chemicals or preservatives. I knew that their sausages – and the rest of their products – are all-natural but I had no idea that they were such a pioneer in the industry. I also had no idea that the company has been around for so long – they’ll be celebrating their 125th anniversary this year. And, yes, it’s still run by the Jones family. Pretty impressive!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 small onion minced
- 1 carrot peeled and finely chopped
- 1 package 6 ounces Jones Dairy Farm® Canadian Bacon, cut into 1/8-inch dice
- 1 can 14.5 ounces whole peeled plum tomatoes (undrained)
- 1 can 14.5 ounces cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary chopped
- 2 springs fresh thyme chopped
- 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons Gold Medal® all purpose flour
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 4 cups baby spinach
- 1 prepared whole wheat pie crust thawed if frozen
- 1 egg yolk
Instructions
- Heat oven to 400ºF.
- Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot. Add the garlic, onion, and carrot; cook 2-3 minutes, or until soft. Add the Canadian bacon; cook 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, beans, rosemary, thyme, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil, pressing on the tomatoes with a heavy spoon to help them break down.
- In a small bowl, mix together the flour and chicken broth. Whisk into the stew. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in spinach.
- Pour the stew into a deep dish pie pan. Top with the whole wheat crust. Brush the crust with egg yolk and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake 30 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Remove from oven and let cool at least 15 minutes before serving.
I want this like now! I’ve been so cold all day today and it looks like the perfect dish to warm me up.
Bacon in pot pie?! I’m in!
Oh wow…this sounds delish! Hoping we get a cold snap so I can make it soon!
Even though its not as cold in San Diego as the rest of the country, I still would love a hot bowl of this when I get home in the evening. Looks awesome!
Oh my goodness. Sign me up for this pot pie, please!
I don’t really care for traditional pot pies…but with Canadian bacon, beans and no cream of anything….soooo perfect!
Adding Canadian bacon to my grocery list. Right. Now.
This sounds so comforting, especially considering that I feel like I’m coming down with a cold. Can I order some to be delivered? 😉
This looks so comforting for this freezing cold weather we are having!
Thick cut Canadian bacon is so great to cook with – so salty and meaty. Love the look of this pot pie!