Last month, my mother and I ordered lunch from Down Home Delights in Pioneer. While I was at their restaurant in the Village Buckhorn shopping center, I decided to order a couple of frozen mini chicken pot pies to take with me and put in our home freezer to eat later. I took them with the pitas, took a photo of the many pine trees that border the Village Buckhorn parking lot shown above, and then brought them home to surprise my mother.
A few days after we had our pitas for lunch, my mother took the six-inch pot pies out of the freezer so she could bake them for dinner. Each pot pie was in a metal pot pie pan and placed in a cardboard box with a transparent plastic top. Written instructions for baking the pot pie were on one side of each box.
My mother put the frozen pot pies on the kitchen counter for about 15 minutes while the oven heated to 450 degrees. Then my mother put the pot pie pans on top of a baking pan and baked them for 40 minutes. Once the pot pies were baked, she kept the pot pies within the pans and placed them on dinner plates.
Our Pot Pies
The top of the pot pie with a buttered herbed crust certainly looked appetizing, and the smell wafting from the pot pie smelled familiar but I couldn’t identify it for sure. When I sent a message on Facebook asking about the herb, I was told that it was a secret family recipe. My money’s on cumin, but no matter the herb, it was strong enough to permeate the entire house.
The pot pies were piping hot, as we discovered after we ate our first bites and then took gulps of iced tea. The ingredients didn’t disappoint, either, with plenty of chicken chunks, peas, carrots, and thick chicken broth. We were pleasantly surprised when we started eating the bottom of the crust and it was still crispy.
The Verdict
We thought the pot pies made for a satisfying meal during the last evening in June where it felt like spring, so the pot pies weren’t too hot. The taste stayed in my nose and mouth for hours, so if you don’t like a strong herb aftertaste then you may want to brush your teeth and tongue after you eat.
In all, we give a green light for Down Home Delights mini pot pies. If you want pot pies for only two people, the mini pot pies are a less expensive option. And they are worth driving up to Pioneer to buy.
The price for each pot pie was $8.00. If you prefer a beef pot pie, Down Home Delights offers that mini pot pie for $9.00.
Want to Try Them?
Down Home Delights is located in the Buckhorn Village shopping center at 26590 Highway 88 in Pioneer. They serve breakfast and lunch including coffees, teas, and frappés. Down Home Delights also offers food to go including whole smoked meats, family-sized side dishes, as well as mini- and family-sized pot pies.
They are open from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on Sundays. Visit their Facebook page for their latest offerings and you can message them for more information. If you prefer to call them with questions and/or you’re ready to order, dial 209-295-8888.
Amador Business Ticker food reviews are adventures in local dining with Editor Eric Butow and his mom.
