Recipe....Turkey Pot Pie (Part I)

I love it when a recipe comes together and you can say, "This is the one!" Last year around Thanksgiving I was searching for the perfect pot pie recipe.  After lots and lots of time searching for the perfect pot pie, I came across this one from Deep South Dish. I knew I was on the right track.  After lots of tweaking, I think I've cooked up just the right pot pie recipe that my family loves.  It's rare that I try a recipe and leave it as is.  That was the case with this recipe so I thought I would share my version at the end of this post.  

Introducing my Turkey Pot Pie....it tastes as good as it looks.  I have to admit that this pot pie sticks out in my memory much more than my turkey dinner.  It was that good.  I have fond memories as a child of my mom fixing the little store bought pot pies that came in the little tin pie pans.  I had them a lot after my half days of Kindergarten.  I remember that I would carefully turn the pie over on my plate, hoping that the crust wouldn't break apart.  Then I would break off all of the crisp crust and savor it for last.  Mom always served us bread and butter with our pot pies so we could sop up that last bit of gravy.  

As good as I remember those little pot pies were, the homemade version is always better.  It starts with a creamy base finished with half and half and lots of seasonings.  

Then lots of meaty goodness from leftover turkey or chicken.  My husband loves that there's lots of meat chunks in this pie.  No skimping here.

Then fresh/frozen veggies are mixed in.

Then fresh, diced potatoes are folded into the mix.  Your meat and potato lovers will thank you.  I'm telling you, this pot pie is filled to the brim with homemade goodness.  

You need to find a deep dish pie pan for this pot pie.  It's oversized which means there's plenty for everyone at your table.  I prefer to bake mine in my Longaberger pie plate.  If your filling is just too much for your pie plate you can always put the remaining filling into a small baking dish and top with a few canned biscuits.  

Okay, I cheat on the pie crusts.  The pot pie takes a little time to assemble so I like to have my pie crusts all ready to go.  I must admit...I love the taste of Pillsbury pie crusts.  They're flaky and taste so buttery. It's on my list to perfect a homemade pie crust but until then, let's roll with it.  Don't judge.

I roll out the pie crusts just a bit so that they stretch over my deep dish pie plate.

Then I fold under the crusts to seal in all the ingredients. 

Next it's pie crust crimping time.  There is an art to learning how to crimp a pretty pie crust.  I learned the pinch and twist method from my mom.  She can make a pie like nobody's business.  

My Jordan has perfect her pie crimping skills too.  It must be a family thing.  Next, cut slits in the pie top for venting.  I'll be sharing my Part II post later this week where my mom comes for a visit and shows me the most artistic pie venting ever.  Stay tuned.

Bake as directed and then become the most loved cook in the world.  Isn't it pretty?  They say a man can pick a good woman by the look of her pie crusts.  I read that in some historical fiction book once where all the ladies brought their pies to a pot luck and the men got the ladies to go along with their pie.  Well I certainly want to keep my man so I learned real quick-like a good secret from my mom.  Brush the pie crust with a little milk for the perfect browning.  If it's a sweet pie, she always sprinkles sugar on the top too to make the pie crust have a nice crunch. Mamas know best.  

Let the pie rest for 10 minutes or so before cutting into it.  This is very hard for my husband.  He likes things scorching hot out of the oven.  That's why I purposely don't call him to supper until I'm ready to cut a pie.  But would ya look at this below?  Talk about a meal all stuffed into a delicious crust.  This is culinary heaven, folks.  Like maybe one of the best things I've ever made.  

This particular pot pie was made right after Thanksgiving using leftover turkey.  Filling. Meaty. Delicious. Flaky Crust. Creamy.  Melt in your mouth.  Comfort food at it's best.  

Fast forward to last week and I decided to make two pot pies of the chicken variety.  I made one for my family and then we baked one for a family whose son just had shoulder surgery.  I baked up my mom's Chocolate Sheet Cake also for good measure.  I was immediately asked for both recipes.  You know that's a good sign when you get recipe requests. I'll show you that version later this week that has my mom's signature pie venting technique.

Now for the recipe....a big thank you to Deep South Dish for the inspiration for my version of Turkey Pot Pie. I hope you enjoy!

Recipe: Old Fashioned Turkey Pot Pie 

By Michelle Wooderson (Fall 2013)…..adapted from Deep South Dish
Prep time: 20 min |Cook time: 45 min | Yield: About 8 servings

 Ingredients:

• 1 pound of cooked turkey or chicken (about 2-1/2 cups cubed) I use leftover Thanksgiving turkey or one whole, cooked deli chicken without the skin
• 2 large russet potatoes, peeled
• 2 cups chopped vegetable mix (I use a combination of frozen mixed vegetables (corn, green beans, peas & carrots) or fresh carrots, fresh celery, fresh onions…all chopped into small cubes
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 6 tablespoons of salted butter
• 6 tablespoons of all purpose flour
• 1 can chicken broth
• 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon of dried parsley, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano or thyme, crushed
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder • dash of season salt, to taste
• 1-1/2 cups of half and half
• splash of milk to brush top of pie crust
• 2 homemade pie crust, or 1 box of Pillsbury refrigerated pie crusts, softened to room temperature 

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Chop the potatoes into small cubes and place into a microwave safe dish with a little water. Cook on high for about 6-8 minutes or until tender. Set aside.

In non-stick skillet coated with olive oil, add the mixed vegetables and garlic. Stir on medium heat until vegetables are tender. Add potatoes to the skillet. Set aside.

In a large skillet (I prefer my cast iron skillet), heat the butter over medium heat. Add the flour in a tablespoon at a time, stirring in before adding the next. Cook, stirring constantly until mixture is bubbly and there are no remaining lumps, about 5 minutes. Slowly begin to incorporate the chicken stock, stirring vigorously until fully incorporated. Add in the dry seasonings and stir in well. Remove from the heat. Stir in the half and half until smooth.

Stir the chicken into the cream mixture, then add the vegetables; mix well. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Unroll one of the pie crusts and place into a 9-inch, ungreased deep dish, glass pie plate. Gently press the crust down into the bottom and edges of the pie plate. Pour the hot filling into the crust and top with the remaining crust, tucking the top crust up under the edges of the bottom crust. Flute the edges and cut vents into the top of the crust. Brush the top of the crust with milk.

Bake immediately at 425 degrees F for 20 minutes. Remove and place strips of foil around the edges of the crust to prevent over browning. Return to oven for an additional 20-25 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbling. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.

Note: Use a deep dish pie plate for this recipe. This recipe makes a large pie that will be filled to the brim so you need a little larger dish for this recipe.

Note: This pot pie is so good, it’s the ultimate comfort food. I suggest doubling the recipe and gifting the second pie to friends or family.

Deep Dish South suggestions for other toppings:

Biscuit Topping: Prepare the filling as above, eliminate the pie crusts and make a batter using 1-1/2 cups of all purpose flour, whisked together with 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1-1/2 teaspoons of baking powder. Stir in 1/2 cup of milk, blend together and add 1/4 cup of butter that has been melted. Pour batter on top and bake at 425 degrees F for about 30 to 40 minutes, or until crust browns. You can also use canned biscuits for a shortcut or if you have extra filling leftover.

Cornbread Topping: Prepare the filling as above, eliminate the pie crusts and make a batter whisking together 1 cup of all purpose cornmeal, 1 cup of all purpose flour, 1 tablespoon of baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Add 1 cup of half and half or whole milk, 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) of melted and cooled butter and 2 large eggs. Pour batter on top and bake at 425 degrees F for about 30 to 40 minutes, or until crust browns.