Day Six of Thanksgiving Leftovers: Turkey Pot Pie with Pumpkin Biscuit Crust

Pot pie is to leftovers what Botox is to aging celebrities: the ideal method for making something a bit past its prime as good as it ever was.  But really, just throw whatever you have on hand in some gravy, top it with a delicious crust and it tastes better than it ever did.

For this one, I used shredded leftover turkey as well as the apples and onions that had been stuffed inside the cavity and cooked for hours in butter and fresh herbs.  I added some additional veggie and used the turkey broth I made using the turkey carcass to create the gravy base.  I then topped it all with a healthy whole wheat pumpkin crust.

This is definitely one of the best pot pies I’ve made.  The apples gave the inside subtle sweetness and the fresh thyme really came through.  I absolutely loved the crust.  It had a distinct biscuity flavor and texture and the pumpkin really came through.  I actually made it vegan, and would highly recommend it to top a vegan tofu pot pie.  

Thank you Mr. Turkey for providing us with yet another delicious feast (and about three more… this thing was huge!)

Turkey Pot Pie with Pumpkin Biscuit Crust

For the Filling (adapted from my chicken pot pie recipe)

• 2 1/2 cups turkey stock or chicken stock
• 2 medium sweet potatoes cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 2 medium carrots, diced
• 1 cup corn
• 1 1/2 frozen peas
• 12 oz (~2 cups) shredded leftover turkey (a mix of light and dark meat is good)
• 1 medium onion, diced or 1 cup pearl onions*
• 1 medium apple, diced*
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 1/4 cup milk of choice (I used almond milk)
• 3 T fresh thyme
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper

*I actually used the onion and apples that had been stuffed in my turkey.  You can really use whatever leftover veggies you may have in your fridge.

Bring broth to a boil in a large sauce pan or dutch oven.  Add sweet potato and carrots, lower temperature and let simmer for five minutes.  If your onion was raw, you should add that now too.  Once the raw veggies are soft, add corn, peas and apple.  Transfer all contents to a large bowl and return broth to the sauce pan using a strainer.  Add the turkey and any previously cooked vegetables to your vegetable mixture and set aside. Put flour into a medium bowl and gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until well blended.  Add milk mixture, thyme, salt and pepper to broth and cook until thickened, stirring often.  Stir in turkey and vegetable mixture, mixing well.  Pour into a greased 9″ x 13″ baking dish.

For the Crust (from Clean Eating):

• 1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour + more to roll out
• 3 T fresh sage, chopped
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 T butter or butter alternative (I used Earth Balance)
• 1 1/2 cup pumpkin puree

In a large bowl, combine flour, sage, baking powder and salt.  Stir in butter, mashing until mixture is crumbly. Add pumpkin purée and stir until flour is blended and mixture is clumpy. In bowl, use your hands to knead dough just until dough comes together and is soft and slightly sticky, about 1 minute.  Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface.  If the dough is still sticky, add a bit more flour.  I actually had to add quite a bit of flour at this point.  Using a rolling pin dusted with flour, roll dough out to a 1/4-inch-thick, 9 x 13-inch rectangle.  Gently transfer your dough on top of the pie and shape as necessary.

Transfer to oven and bake at 400 degrees for 30-35 minutes until filling bubbles and crust is lightly browned.  Let cool for 5 minutes before cutting.

Johanna