A turkey pot pie is a great meal to make using leftover turkey from the Thanksgiving roast. Add fresh veggies, herbs and a nice stock all topped off with a golden, homemade short crust pastry – it’s just good old fashioned comfort food at its best! You can even try adding a small amount of any style of rice to the mixture as it’s cooking to make it more substantial.
I used ready cooked turkey for this recipe from my deli, as it was still 5 days to Thanksgiving when I made this recipe and hadn’t roasted my bird yet. Also, if you’re not much of a pastry chef, by all means buy a store bought frozen pastry crust - it works just as well.
I have to say, the recipe below for the pastry crust turns out light and flaky, is easy to make and takes no time at all in the food processor (less than 2 minutes,) so don't be afraid and give it a shot! I only used a top crust for this pie, but you can use both crusts if you wish (top and bottom.) Freeze one of the crusts for future use if only using one.
Short Crust Pastry Recipe
This recipe will make 2 crusts for a 9 inch pie plate.
Ingredients
2 cups (16 oz.) All purpose flour (plain flour)
2 pinches of table salt
1/2 cup butter, cubed (4 oz.)
5 - 6 tbsp. cold water (preferably iced)
Method
1. Place the flour, salt and butter into a food processor. Pulse the ingredients until the butter becomes the size of peas. Then, with the motor running, add the cold water 1 tbsp. at a time until the mixture pulls away from the sides. Form into a disc and wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes before using.
Filling
Ingredients
2 oz. butter
2 tbsp. olive oil
3 stalks celery, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 medium russet potato, diced small
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1/4 tsp. dried basil (or 1 cup fresh, chopped)
1/4 tsp. whole oregano
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. turmeric
1/4 tsp. ground celery seed
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. kosher salt
3 1/2 cups cooked turkey or chicken, shredded or cubed
1/4 cup flour
3 cups Knorr Tomato bouillon + 1 tsp. extra bouillon
1/2 cup frozen peas, defrosted
Egg Wash - beat one large egg thoroughly with a little cold water
Method
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
1. Melt the butter and olive oil over a medium heat. Add the celery, carrots, potatoes and onions. Stir and cook until the onions become opaque and then add the basil, oregano, thyme, turmeric, ground celery seed, pepper and salt. Add the chicken and cook for 5 more minutes.
2. Sprinkle the flour all over the ingredients in the pan and stir to combine. Cook for at least 2 more minutes. Raise the heat to medium high and add the broth. Bring to a boil and cook for 2-3 minutes until you see the mixture start to thicken. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the veggies are tender and the sauce is nice and thicken. Taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary. Stir in the peas and turn off the heat. Set aside to cool.
3. When the mixture is cool, place the ingredients into a casserole dish or whatever you are using. Remove the pastry from the refrigerator and place on a floured surface. Roll out the pastry to between 1/8 inch to a ¼ inch, rolling in one direction and turning the disc as you go (not back and forth.)
Place the pastry over the filling, pressing down slightly and overlap the edges around the dish. You can use a little of the egg wash to help the pastry stick to the dish. With a pair of scissors, snip a few vent holes on the pastry and brush liberally with the egg wash. During the first 10 minutes of baking, it may be wise to cover the pastry with foil and then remove it to brown. Total baking time should be 25-30 minutes until golden brown.
