Yum! Turkey Pot Pie!

I’ve always dreaded baking pie.  You always hear how difficult pie crust is.  Just ask anyone, they’ll tell you.  And, I believed it. Well, until a couple of years ago when I decided to bake a pumpkin pie from scratch.  I went to the source.  Martha Stewart.  Her pie dough is exceptionally easy.  I couldn’t believe it

Here’s the recipe for Pate Brisee (Pie Dough):

Ingredients

Makes 1 double-crust or 2 single-crust 9- to 10-inch pies

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water

Directions

1. In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, salt, and sugar. Add butter, and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal, 8 to 10 seconds.
2. With machine running, add ice water in a slow, steady stream through feed tube. Pulse until dough holds together without being wet or sticky; be careful not to process more than 30 seconds. To test, squeeze a small amount together: If it is crumbly, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time.
3. Divide dough into two equal balls. Flatten each ball into a disc and wrap in plastic. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill at least 1 hour. Dough may be stored, frozen, up to 1 month.

From Martha Stewart Living, October/November 1992

My pumpkin pie turned out beautifully.  And, my confidence grew.

Fast forward to this autumn.  I got to taste an amazing chicken pot pie made by my friend, Louise.  So, I decided that’s what I’d do with my leftovers from Thanksgiving.   I went to another favorite cook of mine:  Pioneer Woman.  Here’s my twist on it . . .

Pioneer Woman’s Leftover Turkey Pot Pie (ala Liza)

• 1/2 stick butter
• 2 cloves chopped garlic
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped carrot
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup chopped mushrooms
• 2 cups leftover turkey, light and dark, chopped
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1-1/2 cups low-sodium chicken or turkey broth
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup chopped green beans
• Fresh thyme, chopped
• salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

1. Melt butter in a cast iron skillet. Add garlic, onion, carrots, mushrooms, and celery, and cook until translucent (a couple of minutes.)
2. Add turkey and stir. Sprinkle flour over mixture and stir. Cook over medium heat for a couple of minutes, stirring constantly.
3. Pour in chicken or turkey broth, stirring constantly. Pour in cream.  Stir in chopped green beans.
4. Bring to a slow boil and allow mixture to cook and thicken for a few minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste (do not underseason), and fresh or dried thyme to taste. Do one final taste at the end and add what it needs.
5. In large casserole dish, fit bottom pie pan with pie crust.  Use pie weights and pre-bake the bottom crust for 5 minutes.  When it’s cooked, remove the weights.
6. Pour mixture into the baked pie crust.
7. Roll out crust so that it’s about 1 inch larger than the pan you’re using.
8. Place the crust on top of the pot pie mixture, and press crust into the sides of the dish. Cut vents in the top of the crust.
9. Bake for 30 minutes or until very golden and bubbly.
10. Allow to cool for a little bit before serving.

Serve with a large spoon.

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