A stellar pot pie from Thanksgiving leftovers
My family keeps inquiring about our 2020 Thanksgiving plans. My response? Be prepared but stay tuned. My daughter and I have both ordered small turkeys and ingredients for all the sides. We hope to cook together in her new home. It’ll be a game day decision. If health and safety concerns prove too risky, we’ll each cook the holiday meal in our own kitchens. After dinner, we’ll enjoy warm pumpkin pie via Facetime.
Either way, there will be leftovers. I suspect that’s the case for most families in this year of the pandemic. Especially when cooking a whole turkey and a sheet pan full of vegetables.
So, let’s take a proactive approach and make a leftover plan. I’m strategizing for a turkey and roasted vegetable pot pie. After the big meal, I’ll stash away portions of the savory cooked items. Refrigerated promptly in covered containers, turkey and vegetable leftovers will keep several days.
When baking for the holiday, I’ll make a couple of extra pie crusts and stash them in the refrigerator or freezer. Then, I’ll create a rich, slightly smoky sauce to hold it all together.
Pot pie — heck, any kind of homemade pie — intimidates. It helps to break the preparations down into parts: crust, filling, sauce. With these parts ready, all you’ll need to do is assemble and bake the pies about 1 hour before serving.
My favorite timesaver is to make the pie dough several days in advance or simply use frozen or refrigerated pie crust.
I am a fan of the Trader Joe’s frozen pie crusts for their natural ingredients and crisp texture. The crusts are also generously sized, which makes working with them nearly carefree. If your crust cracks or tears while rolling it out, no worries; just patch things together with your fingers. Rolling between sheets of floured wax paper makes transferring to the pie dish less traumatic.
Since I can’t stand soggy crusts, I prefer to make top-only pot pies (which just baffles my husband). This approach proves a boon for the cook — no-fail crispiness and easier crust work. And fewer calories — always appreciated.
For the filling, reserve roast turkey and vegetables from Thanksgiving dinner. Alternatively, roast turkey breast tenders or chicken and some vegetables, or purchase roasted chicken and roasted vegetables from the grocery store or from the local takeout shop. You’ll need 3 generous cups of cooked turkey or chicken.
To accompany the turkey or chicken in the filling, I add large chunks of roasted vegetables — not the bland celery, carrots and peas found in freezer-case pot pies.
Nearly any vegetable that tastes good roasted will taste great in the pie — from