National Great American Pot Pie Day is a holiday that’s observed on September 23rd every year and encourages everyone to make them one of the greatest comfort foods ever created: a pot pie. These little pies are filled with a variety of ingredients and have been enjoyed by people for quite a long time now.
Pot pies are a savory dish that’s easy to make, especially since frozen pot pies were introduced to the American public in the 1950s. And because this holiday is observed after the beginning of autumn, it’s the perfect time to place this warm food into your hungry belly.
The History Of National Great American Pot Pie Day
Before we talk about the creation of this holiday, we’d like to take a few moments and talk about when pot pies were first created. According to most historians, pies have been made and enjoyed by humans since the Neolithic Age-about 9,500 to 10,000 years ago.
The Greeks would make pies with cooked meats and other ingredients in open pastry shells, a practice that was soon adopted by the Romans.
During the Middle Ages, pies were named “coffins” and they were spread throughout Europe during the Crusades. Unfortunately, the crust on these pies was inedible and was mainly used as cooking vessels for the meat, poultry, and vegetables contained within them. Pot pies would become a popular dish in England and later in the United States.
The popularity of this dish spiked during the 1950s with the introduction of the frozen chicken pot pie and later, the frozen beef pot pie. In the U.S., the most popular types of pot pies are beef and chicken pot pies.
Although frozen pot pies would be around since the mid-20th century, National Great American Pot Pie Day wouldn’t be created until 2002. It was created by Marie Callender’s, a frozen food company known for their frozen pot pies, to spread the word about this delicious dish.
Observing National Great American Pot Pie Day
Go ahead and make your own pot pies from scratch, or if you’re short on time, buy some frozen pot pies on this day. While you do so, don’t forget to use the hashtag #NationalGreatAmericanPotPieDay to encourage everyone to enjoy a piping hot pot pie on this day.
If you would like to make the chicken pot pie in the above picture, click here for the recipe.
Laura Goguet