Who doesn’t like pot pie?  The perfect combination of creamy savory filling topped with a buttery crust.  I decided to use as many Thanksgiving leftovers as possible for my pot pie.  Turkey, of course, turkey stock from the carcass, and stuffing.  Stuffing?

I decided to press a thin layer of stuffing into the bottom of each individual pot pie.  It was DELICIOUS!  Turkey, stuffing, vegetables, gravy and a killer crust.  YUMMY!

Of course, you can make this pot pie without stuffing.  You can also easily substitute chicken and chicken broth for a chicken pot pie.  Add whatever frozen vegetables you like.  I would normally add a one pound bag of frozen mixed vegetables but all I had on hand were frozen petite peas.  Gosh, you could substitute all vegetables and vegetable stock if you wanted a completely vegetarian pie.  It’s your choice.

This recipe is large, it makes 8 individual pies.  You can very easily cut the recipe directly in half if you like.

I use a food processor for the crust.  It goes quickly and perfectly blends the cold butter into the flour.

Here we go:

Add 4 cups of flour, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 stick of unsalted butter cut into 1/2″ cubes to the food processor . Pulse 15 times, should be perfect.
It should look like this.  No uneven lumps.  Should resemble cornmeal.   Alternatively, you could use a pastry blender to incorporate the butter into the flour.   Dump the mixture into a large mixing bowl.
Next you’ll need to add ice water.  With this recipe you can go ahead and add 1 cup of ice water and mix with a fork.
Add additional water a tablespoon at a time so that it looks like this.  You do not want lots of dry ingredient left in the bottom of the bowl.  Most of the ingredient should come together and be pretty moist but not too wet.
Dump the dough onto your board or counter.
Form a ball of dough with your hands, kneading only 2-3 times.
Cut the dough into 8 equal pieces.  Do this by first cutting it in half, then half the halves, you know what I mean.
Place the chunks of dough into a bowl and refrigerate while you prepare the filling.  Warm 6 cups of turkey (or chicken or vegetable) stock in the microwave until just warm (like the temperature you’d give to a baby).  When you add this to the flour mixture below this will prevent lumps.
Have a large spoon and a whisk handy.  Melt one stick of butter in a large pot.  Once it’s completely melted, add 1 cup of flour.  Cook over medium heat for a couple of minutes.   With your whisk in hand, add all 6 cups of the warm stock to the flour mixture.  Whisk the mixture to prevent any lumps.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until it comes to a boil. Cook another couple of minutes.  Remove from heat.
Add a couple of tablespoons of heavy cream or half and half.  Optional.  This is the perfect time to taste and add salt and pepper to your taste.
Add 5 cups of shredded cold turkey.
And 1 pound of frozen vegetables, you can see that I used peas.  Don’t worry that it will cool the sauce.  It’ll be in the oven soon and will make it easier to place the crust on the top.
You will need eight 2 cup oven proof dishes.  Coat with cooking spray.  Layer 1/2 cup or so of prepared stuffing. (optional)  Evenly distribute the filling into the prepared dishes.
Time for the crust.  Form each chunk of dough into a ball and roll out on a floured board until large enough to for 1″ of dough to go over the side of the bowl.  Cut a slit in the top for the steam to escape.
It should look like this.
Lastly, using a pastry brush, coat the crust with milk.  This will make for a nicely browned top.  Bake at 350′ for 45-55 minutes or until bubbly and nicely browned.    Serve with a salad with a vinaigrette.  Serves 8.

Enjoy!

Angie