It’s a savory smorgasbord of circular fun as the Lutheran Ladies convene the Party Planning Committee to celebrate Pi(e) Day in style.

Is March 14 actually a liturgical holiday? No. Do we at the Lutheran Ladies’ Lounge just love pie (and also irrational, transcendental numbers)? You betcha.

Sarah gets the party started in dramatic fashion with a Big Question: What kind of oven is the best kind for baking? Electric? Gas? Convection? Gas convection? She has some thoughts — and so do lots of ladies in the Lounge.

Erin keeps things cooking with a mouthwatering recipe for chicken pot pie that can be scaled up or down for every occasion. (Scroll down to see her recipe and comments below.)

Finally, Rachel adds meaning to madness with a trivia challenge all about pie and pi.

“I just love pi,” says Rachel. “It humbles me deeply even to think about it. ... Enjoy your Pi Day. Eat some pie, but also: do some math. Because it’s marvelous.”

Erin's Chicken Pot Pie

Makes one 9x9 casserole dish

• 5-6 T butter
• 5-6 T flour
• 1/3 c chopped onion
• ½ t salt
• ¼ t pepper
• ½ t herbes de Provence
• 2 c chicken broth
• 1 c milk
• 11 oz cut up, cooked chicken
• 1 # frozen mixed vegetables
• 1 recipe crust (below)

Heat butter over low heat until melted. Mix in the flour, onion, salt, pepper, and herbs. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is smooth and bubbly. Gradually stir in the broth and milk, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil and cook for 1 minute (still stirring!!). Stir in the chicken and frozen vegetables. Set aside.

Crust

• 350 g flour
• 1 t salt
• 2.5 sticks butter, sliced into small chunks
• 3 t celery seed
• 3 oz cold water (plus more as needed)

Combine about 225g flour (just eyeball about two-thirds of your flour), butter and salt in a food processor. Pulse 25 times. Add remaining flour. Pulse 5 times.

Turn out into a bowl and sprinkle with 3oz cold water. Combine with a spatula. Add more water sparingly, as needed, until it comes together.

Combine into 2 disks, one a bit larger than the other, and chill for at least 2 hours before rolling (ideally you will chill it, but if you need to get this made pronto, press on!).

Preheat oven to 425.

Roll out the larger portion into a rectangle big enough to fill an 9x9 casserole. You need to make it big enough to go up the sides. So depending on how deep your casserole is, you might need a bigger or smaller square. But start with around 13x13-ish. Lay the crust in the dish. It will drape over the sides a little bit.

Roll out the other portion of dough into a square about 11x11. Add the reserved filling and cover with the second portion of dough. Roll the edges under and flute. Cut a charming design in the top, or just poke it with a knife a few times, to allow steam to escape.

Bake, uncovered for 30-35 minutes, until it is browned and bubbling. It may take longer. You might need to protect the crust with foil, if it is browning but not yet bubbling.

Notes:

You can also use this recipe to make Mini Chicken Pot Pies! If you use 4-inch pie pans, you can make 10 miniature double crusts. You might need to adjust the filling quantity a bit (I forgot to make notes on that). Assemble in the same way as the full-size pie, heap the filling a bit. Cut a little heart on the top to make yourself smile a month from now when you eat this.

Freeze on a cookie sheet until frozen solid. Wrap each pie in plastic wrap and store in ziplock freezer bags- 4 will fit in a gallon bag.

To bake a mini pot pie, unwrap the plastic wrap and place on a baking sheet with some foil underneath (it might bubble over). Do not thaw; don’t wait for the oven to preheat, just put it in. You might need to protect the crust from over-browning. I usually start with the crust covered and then remove it midway. You could also do the reverse.

Bake in a toaster oven at 350 for 70 minutes with convection, until beautifully browned and bubbly. Let it cool for 5-10 minutes, so you do not destroy your tongue with the molten filling.

Learn more about the topics discussed in Rachel’s trivia segment by cruising Wikipedia entries for “pie” and “pi” and checking out these links:

• Pi calculated to 62.8 trillion digits, setting new world record
• The Pi Song (Memorize 100 Digits Of π) | SCIENCE SONGS

Connect with the Lutheran Ladies on social media in The Lutheran Ladies’ Lounge Facebook discussion group (facebook.com/groups/LutheranLadiesLounge) and on Instagram @lutheranladieslounge. Follow Sarah (@hymnnerd), Rachel (@rachbomberger), and Erin (@erinaltered) on Instagram!

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