Fab Food Chicago

Fab Soo Park. Fab Appetite. Living the Fab Food Life. Restaurant Reviews, Recipes, Chef Interviews, and more.

Fab Recipe: Not Your Ordinary Thanksgiving Pot Pie

by

‘Tis the season to put on my stretchy pants and gorge on an ungodly amount of good food. I look forward to the Thanksgiving feast every year. However, it is not the main event that excites me the most; it is the leftovers! Who’s with me?

Using Thanksgiving leftovers allows me to be creative and inventive with my cooking. I like the challenge of making something great with what you have. Don’t get me wrong, I have my fair share of Thanksgiving leftover sandwiches and my hungry belly always appreciates it. But, it can get boring at times, and I yearn for something different. So this year, here’s a recipe to make something unique.

I have always been a fan of a good pot pie. This recipe has a scrumptious pot pie filling but uses leftover turkey meat and vegetables. I like to season the filling with fresh thyme and sage as well as poultry seasoning since I usually have a whole jar leftover from making the stuffing. Also, I like to add Sherry wine and turkey stock gravy to give it more character and depth. Instead of a pastry crust or biscuit topping, I like to use garlic bread rolls on top. Yes, you heard me right; bread rolls are not just made as a side for a dinner spread anymore. It can be used as a part of a delicious casserole that you can easily make at home. You can use store bought bread roll dough (just follow the instructions below) but I prefer making my own. I know making and baking bread at home can be daunting to most people, but I will show you that it can be done. It is not hard to do. All you need is a little patience and time. I promise it is worth your while.

Not Your Ordinary Pot Pie // Photo: @sherriesavorsthecity

For the “pot pie” to work successfully, you need to make the filling in a dutch oven (I like using my CorningWare 3.5 quarts French White Dutch Oven). Then, bake the rolls in a separate 9 inch round aluminum pan. This step is essential for the bread to cook properly before it is placed directly on top of the prepared turkey filling. Lastly, it is baked again until it starts to bubble and the baked bread rolls have soaked up some of the creamy filling. I know that there are a few steps to this recipe but do not be intimidated by it. You can make the turkey filling and bread dough a day ahead and keep refrigerated until ready to assemble. Advanced preparation will make the whole process relatively easy. The result is a turkey pot pie like you have never had before. The soft, buttery garlic rolls are perfect to sop up all that flavorful and creamy turkey filling. Holy deliciousness, Batman!

Fab Recipe: Not Your Ordinary Thanksgiving Pot Pie
 
Print
Author:
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: American
Serves: 8
Ingredients
For the Garlic-Parsley Butter:
  • ¼ cup butter, melted
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon poultry seasoning
  • 1 Tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
For the Soft Dinner Rolls:
  • 2¼ teaspoon or 1 packet Fleischmann's Rapid Rise instant yeast
  • 1 Tablespoon granulated white sugar
  • ½ cup lukewarm water
  • 1½ cup Pillsbury bread flour
  • 1½ cup all purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 Tablespoon sugar
  • ¼ cup softened unsalted butter
  • ½ cup whole milk
For the Turkey Pot Pie:
  • 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 cups sliced cremini mushrooms
  • 1 cup chopped leeks
  • 1 cup diced celery
  • 1 cup chopped yellow onion
  • 1 cup peeled and diced sweet potatoes or russet potatoes
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh sage
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
  • ½ teaspoon poultry seasoning
  • ½ cup all purpose flour
  • 1 cup dry Sherry
  • pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
  • 4 cups turkey stock
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • 4 cups leftover turkey meat
  • 2 cups leftover vegetables (corn, green beans, carrots and etc)
  • kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven at 350 degrees F.
  2. Grease with pan spray a 9 inch round cake pan and line with parchment paper.
  3. Set aside.
For the Garlic-Parsley Butter:
  1. Melt butter in a small saucepan.
  2. Remove form heat.
  3. Stir in garlic powder and fresh parsley.
  4. Set aside.
For the Soft Dinner Rolls
  1. In a small mixing bowl, combine the lukewarm water, 1 tablespoon sugar and instant yeast.
  2. !FAB TIP: Make sure that the water is lukewarm to touch. If the temperature of the water is too hot, there is the risk of killing the yeast. Therefore, the bread will not rise as it's supposed to be.
  3. Mix to combine.
  4. Put a plastic wrap over it.
  5. Set aside for 15 minutes.
  6. The mixture should look foamy and bubbly. Then, you know that the yeast is alive and ready to use.
  7. !FAB TIP: This step is essential because it's hard to know how long the instant yeast has been sitting on the grocery shelves. So by doing this, it is a sure way to find out if the yeast is alive or dead. I prefer buying the instant yeast in the jar since it seems to be fresher than the ones in packets. Once the jar is opened, just keep refrigerated and use within 4 months.
  8. In a Kitchen Aid mixer fitted with a dough hook, place the bread flour, all purpose flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, and salt.
  9. Mix at low speed until combine.
  10. Add the softened butter.
  11. Mix until butter is well distributed in the dry ingredients.
  12. Add the yeast mixture and whole milk.
  13. Mix until a dough forms around the dough hook.
  14. Depending on how it looks like, add flour if too wet or milk if too dry.
  15. You want the mixture to just come together.
  16. Knead on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes or until the dough is smooth.
  17. Gather into a tight ball.
  18. Place inside a mixing bowl that is greased with pan spray.
  19. Cover with plastic wrap or kitchen towel.
  20. Place in the warmest part of the room.
  21. Let it rise until double in size.
  22. Place the dough onto a table.
  23. Divide equally in half.
  24. For each half, cut into 8 portions. You will end with 16 rolls total.
  25. Start folding the dough using your finger tips.
  26. Pull gently towards both directions and tuck the dough to form a smooth ball.
  27. Crimp of the bottom.
  28. Place the rolls in the prepared round cake pan.
  29. There will be a total 12 rolls in the cake pan which leaves you 4 extra rolls.
  30. You can bake them separately in a parchment lined sheet tray and serve them on the side.
  31. Cover with a kitchen towel and set aside in the warmest part of the room.
  32. Let it rise until double in size.
  33. Gently brush with the melted garlic-parsley butter.
  34. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown all over.
  35. Set aside.
For the Turkey Pot Pie:
  1. In a 3.5 quarts Corning Ware dutch oven over medium-high heat, add 3 tablespoon of butter and stir until melted.
  2. Add the cremini mushrooms and saute until slightly softened and browned.
  3. Add the leeks, celery, onions and sweet potatoes.
  4. Stir until vegetables are softened.
  5. Add the minced garlic, sage, thyme leaves, and poultry seasoning.
  6. Keep stirring until fragrant.
  7. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
  8. Set aside.
  9. In the same pot, add the rest of the 3 tablespoon butter.
  10. Stir with a wire whisk and let it melt completely.
  11. Add the all purpose flour and let it cook for 1-2 minutes to remove the starchy aftertaste.
  12. Add the dry sherry and let it come to a boil.
  13. Reduce by half.
  14. Add the the turkey stock and let it come to a boil.
  15. Reduce to a simmer until mixture begins to thicken.
  16. Add the heavy cream and freshly grated nutmeg.
  17. Then, add the turkey meat, sautéed vegetable mixture and leftover vegetables.
  18. Adjust seasonings with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper if needed.
  19. Set aside.
To Assemble
  1. Invert the baked bread rolls onto a round plate. The whole thing should come out in one solid round piece.
  2. Lay the baked bread rolls on top of the prepared pot pie filling. It should fit perfectly and snugly over it.
  3. Place inside the oven and bake for another 20 to 25 minutes or until mixture is bubbly.
  4. As soon as you take it out of the oven, brush with more garlic-parsley butter.
  5. Serve immediately.
  6. Voila! You have made something that will surely impressed your family and friends!
  7. Enjoy!!!

For those who are not fans of Thanksgiving leftovers, this turkey pot pie will change your mind. I have been dreaming about this wild idea for awhile now. It took a few trials and errors to figure out the logistics of this “not your ordinary turkey pot pie’. But when everything finally fell into place, the results were nothing short of amazing. This unique yet comforting dutch oven recipe takes a little more time to make. But once you see the fruits of your labor, you will be proud of what you have accomplished. Needless to say, your family and friends will love you for it.

Not Your Ordinary Turkey Pot Pie // Photo: @sherriesavorsthecity

Not Your Ordinary Turkey Pot Pie // Photo: @sherriesavorsthecity

Hope you will find time and make this special recipe that is near and dear to my heart and belly.

What is your favorite Thanksgiving leftover recipe? Please comment below!

Savor Every Moment,
Sherrie

{Giveaway}
We’re giving away one CorningWare French White Cast Aluminum 3.5-qt White Round Dutch Oven. Entering is easy. Follow @fabfoodchicago and @corningware on Instagram. Must follow both to qualify. Let us know what you are cooking, baking, or eating during Thanksgiving by tagging #FabCWThanksgiving. We will pick one lucky winner with the best photo. Contest ends 11/30/15 at 12 p.m.

Comments

  1. ChefCherryl says

    Loooks yummy Sher!!! The garlic bread seems easy to make,… Now I need to just find my dough hook for my kitchen aid mixer. My fave leftovers are the mac and cheese so I cam make it into mac n cheese balls and deepfry them😋😋🙌🏼🙌🏼.