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Dinner Tonight: Leftover Turkey Pot Pie

Posted by Blake Royer, November 27, 2009 at 4:00 PM

[Photograph: Nick Kindelsperger]

You've got a lot of turkey and you don't quite know what to do with it. We've all been there. Lunch today was a turkey sandwich with cranberry sauce smeared on bread with gooey stuffing in between. As good as that tasted, you're ready for something new.

Pot pie is my solution. Chances are you already have some leftover turkey stock, which makes this a very easy-to-put-together meal. With your roux-making skills in top shape from making the gravy, now's the time to act.

I used store-bought pie crust for this, but if you've got the time and energy, homemade is even better (Ina Garten's recipe is rather foolproof). The flavors in this are traditional: celery, onion, and carrots with a little parsley thrown in. Feel free to take it in a new direction with, say, a tablespoon of curry powder. I baked the pies in ramekins to decrease the cooking time (plus they also look cuter that way).

Leftover Turkey Pot Pie

- serves 6 -
Adapted from Simply Recipes.

Ingredients

3 discs store-bought pie crust
2 cups leftover turkey, shredded (or simmer uncooked meat in a little stock until cooked)
1 stick unsalted butter
1/2 cup flour
2 1/2 cups turkey or chicken stock
1 1/2 cups milk
1 large onion, diced
3 carrots, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
Small handful parsley, roughly chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
1 egg

Procedure

1. In a large heavy skillet or saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery, and cook until soft and golden. Sprinkle in the flour and cook for an additional minute, then whisk in the stock vigorously to avoid any lumps. Whisk in the milk and bring to a simmer, then turn the heat to low and allow to thicken, stirring often, for 10 minutes or so. Stir in the turkey and parsley, then season to taste with salt and pepper, keeping in mind that the stock might have been salty already.

2. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Arrange six 10-ounce ramekins (or use a smaller number of larger ones) on a baking sheet. Roll out the pie crusts on a floured surface until large enough to make rounds to cover the ramekins with a little extra around the edges. Extra dough around the edges can be balled up and rolled out again, as necessary. It should be about 1/4-inch thick.

3. Spoon the filling into the ramekins and cover with the crust rounds. Tuck the edges back under, and slash the top to vent it. Beat the egg in a small bowl with a tablespoon of water, then brush it into the crust surfaces. Bake until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbling, about 25 to 30 minutes.

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Tags: pies, pot pies, Thanksgiving leftovers, turkey

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