Turkey Pot Pie

Now that Halloween is over, American Persephoneers are probably turning their thoughts to the turkey feast that is Thanksgiving, and the inevitable leftover pile-up in its wake. But there is hope. My dear American neighbours, I am Canadian and I had my Thanksgiving weeks ago. I can guide you in the ways of leftover use with a steady and experienced hand.

I don’t want to let anyone down late into the recipe, so let me just get this out into the open right now: I used store-bought frozen pie shells, chicken broth from a carton, and frozen peas from a bag in this recipe. With time and patience, you can make your own chicken broth and shell your own peas. By following Cassandra’s pie crust recipe, you can make your own flakey, delicious pie crusts. But I am a creature of infinite laziness, and I have hilarious GIFs to view, and important recaps of Downton Abbey to read.

Still with me? Good stuff.

Preheat your oven to 450°F.

You’ll Need:
2 deep dish frozen pie shells
1 cup each of chopped onion, chopped carrot, chopped celery
“generous splash” of vegetable oil
2 tbsp flour
1½ cups chicken broth
½ cup of sherry
1 cup cooked, chopped turkey meat
½ cup of frozen peas
seasonings (your call!)

The first thing I do is coarsely chop up about one cup each of carrots, onions, and celery. I’m not too picky about the measurements, though. My personal pot pie philosophy (What? Doesn’t everyone have personal philosophies built on dinner pastries?) is to fill the pie with everything you can manage to fit into the shell. But that comes later.

After the chopping them, put the onions, celery, and carrots into a large, deep frying pan with some vegetable oil and sweat them until the onion becomes soft translucent.

Push all the vegetables to one side of the pan and add 2 tbsp of flour to the oil and liquids that have cooked out of the vegetables. Let it simmer (while stirring) for a minute, then start adding chicken broth in small increments and while stirring constantly. Then add sherry. Sherry is important.

Next, add your chopped turkey meat and frozen peas. If you need more liquid after adding the turkey, add more broth and sherry. Season to taste. Let it simmer for several minutes until the turkey is warmed all the way through and the gravy is somewhat thick. But not too thick, or you’ll need to add more sherry.

Spoon mixture into the bottom pie shell. Invert the second pie shell, and press all along the edge with your fingers until the two shells are sealed together. With a sharp knife, poke a few vents into the top pie shell.

Place the pie plate on a baking sheet (to catch spills if there are any) and bake for 15 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Serve hot. Comfort food, allons-y!