South Jersey Oyster Pie

½ pound bacon

1 double crust ready-to-use pie crust

1 small onion, chopped

3 stalks celery, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 small green bell pepper, chopped

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

¾ cup heavy cream

24 oysters, shucked with liquid reserved

½ teaspoon seafood seasoning (such as Old Bay®), or more to taste

Cook the bacon in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat until golden brown, about 10 minutes; remove to a paper towel-lined plate to drain, reserving the drippings. Crumble the bacon.

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a 9-inch pie pan with 1 of the pie crusts.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the reserved bacon drippings in a skillet over medium-low heat; add the onion, celery, garlic, and green pepper to the hot drippings, cover, and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Remove the cooked vegetables to a bowl. Increase heat to medium and stir 3 tablespoons of the reserved drippings and the flour together in the skillet to make a thick paste. Slowly pour the cream and 1 cup of the reserved liquid from the oysters into the paste; cook and stir until a thick gravy forms. Fold the bacon, oysters, and vegetables into the mixture; season with seafood seasoning. Pour the mixture into the prepared pie crust. Cover with the remaining crust.

Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 30 minutes.