We all know thanksgiving food is great and having leftovers for days is the best. But then the third or fourth day rolls around and microwaved turkey and mashed potatoes on a plate has lost some of the appeal. Enter turkey pot pie. Warm, cozy, and different enough to keep things interesting. I actually got the idea from my mom a few years ago – she used a leftover pre-made pie crust and topped the whole thing with stuffing which was AMAZING. I unfortunately didn’t have enough stuffing left for that and had to go with pie crust. No as amazing as my mom’s, but a close second.
Start with a pie crust. Cut three sticks of COLD butter into 2 and 2/3 cup flour with a pinch of salt to form pea sized clumps of dough. Add a tiny splash of cold cold water, just enough to bring it all together into a dough. Split this in two, form them into discs. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate until we’re ready for them. Now onto the filling:
Preheat the oven to 400 F
- 3 carrots, sliced
- 2 stalks of celery, sliced
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1/2 cup stock (chicken, veg, turkey, doesn’t matter)
- 1 1/2 cup whole milk
- leftover turkey
- any other leftovers – I used some sautéed mushrooms and some twice baked potatoes (scooped out of the skin)
- salt and pepp
Start by melting the butter over medium high heat in a skillet. Add the carrots, celery, and onion and stir to coat in the butter. Let them cook until they’re soft, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally so they don’t burn. Once they’re soft, sprinkle the flour over top and stir to coat everything. Add the stock and scrape the bottom of the pan to make sure nothing is stuck behind. Let that go for a few minutes until the stock starts to look thick. Add the milk and let cook for a few more minutes, stirring occasionally. We’re looking for it to thicken enough to coat the back of the spoon. Then add the turkey and whatever other leftovers you’re using. Stir to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Turn off the heat.
Take your pie crusts out of the fridge and roll them until they’re each about 1/4″ thick. Place one in the bottom of a pie tin, making sure it’s flat against the bottom and sides. Fill it with the filling. Top with the other pie crust. Crimp the edges together and cut off any overhang. Cut a few slices in the top to let the steam escape while baking. Bake for 30-35 minutes. (Note: Whenever I’m baking any kind of pie I always put a baking sheet on the rack below it in case anything drips.)
And now that the last of the leftovers are gone, it’s time for Christmas 🙂