Turkey Pot Pie

What are we supposed to do with all the leftover turkey?  Most of us will make the classic Dagwood-style post-Thanksgiving sandwich at least once (a sandwich consisting of turkey, cranberry sauce, etc.) but sandwiches will not warm you up after shoveling the sidewalk.  So, what better dish than pot pie?  With its golden flaky crust, smooth turkey cream sauce, savory vegetables, and moist flavorful turkey… this dish dons the cape and tights as the superhero of leftovers.

I sure hope there’s a fireman around — ’cause that baby is smokin’!

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 3 red potatoes, washed and cubed
• 2-3 carrots, scrubbed and sliced
• 1/2 an onion, diced
• 2 ribs of celery, scrubbed and sliced
• 1 cup frozen peas (optional for all of you pea-haters — I know you are out there)
• 2-3 cups cooked turkey breast, shredded
• 2 cups chicken or turkey stock
• 1 can of evaporated milk
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1-2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup water
• dash of crushed thyme
• dash of garlic salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the double crust:

• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cup unsalted butter or Crisco
• 1 1/4 cup ice water

Make your crust by stirring together the flour and salt.  Add the butter and use a pastry blender to cut the butter until the flour mixture is light and looks like course crumbs.  Now ad the ice water tablespoon at a time, tossing with a fork after each addition.  Stop adding water once the dough is just beginning to hold together.  Form it into two balls, wrap them in plastic wrap, and shove them in the fridge.  See?  Not hard to do at all!

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  Pull out a nice glass or ceramic pie plate.

Now for the filling!  Melt some butter in the bottom of a kettle and add the diced potatoes and onion.  Brown them a bit and add water.  Let cook with a lid.  Add carrots once the potatoes soften a bit and keep them cooking on med-low.

Place the chicken or turkey stock in the bottom of a saucepan and add the cornstarch using a whisk.  Mix well and bring to almost a boil.  Reduce heat to low and add the milk.  Stir well and add the cheese.  The sauce should thicken up nicely.

Now add the sauce, celery, turkey, peas (if you are not a hater), and seasonings to the potatoes.  Mix well and remove from heat.  This should make for a thick mixture and you will probably be thinking something along the lines of: “Why couldn’t I have just used a big can of condensed cream of chicken soup?”  Well, it’s my recipe — that’s why!

Bring out those lumps of pie crust and roll one crust out.  Place the crust in the bottom of your pie plate and poke the base with a fork.  Now stick the thing in the oven for about 5-10 minutes (you can foil the edges or just lay a piece of foil across the top.  Remove from oven and spoon the mixture into the pie crust-lined plate.  Roll out the other crust and cover the glorious thing.  Press the edges together, cut some windows in the top, and use a pastry brush to cover the top crust with egg wash.  Sprinkle the top with some garlic salt.

Bake for 30 minutes (until the crust is a lovely golden).  Let cool for about 5 minutes.

Slice, serve, devour, and repeat.  You’ll thank me later.  I promise.

NOTE:  You can use shredded cooked chicken or even ham in this when turkey is not handy, okay?  You won’t see any ham recipes on this site though.  No pork.  No shellfish.  Nope.