By Rebecca Bent
Turkey-leftover pot pie is one of my favorite dishes, especially the days following a big Thanksgiving dinner. Sometimes I’ll make one big pot pie, however individual ones are popular too in my house—it means whatever is placed in front of you is all yours to gobble up and kids generally like that. If you like cheese in your pot pie, add a thick slice of cheddar cheese beneath the crust which melts as it bakes making it even more creamy and fun to eat. If you would like to slim-down the pot pie recipe, top it off with low-fat cheese and omit the top crust. You might even want to omit the heavy cream, but only do that if you absolutely have to.
Thanksgiving Turkey-Leftover Pot Pies
Makes 6 servings
4 cups leftover turkey, diced into bite-size pieces
1 cup cooked soup noodles
½ cup frozen green peas
1 baked potato, peeled and cut into ¼-inch cubes
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 celery stalk, ends removed and thinly sliced
1 15-ounce can of your favorite corn chowder
½ cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon thyme leaves
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup store-bought caramelized onions or homemade, optional (This is worth it. See recipe below if you want this flavor and can’t find it in the store)
Unbaked pie crust, enough for six 5 to 6 inch-wide ramekins
Optional: 6 to 8 thick slices of cheddar cheese
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees with two racks placed at least five inches apart.
While the oven is heating up, cut out six discs from the pie crust, large enough to press into the ramekins and 6 discs (that allow for a ¼-inch hangover) that will cover the tops of the ramekins.
In a large bowl, combine the diced turkey, noodles, peas, potato, carrots, celery, corn chowder, cream, thyme, salt and optional caramelized onions. Mix everything until well-combined.
Evenly divide the mixture among six ramekins (about two inches deep). Cover the ramekins with the pie crust tops and gently press the pie crust together making a traditional crust, by pinching the ends in between your fingers to make a rim.
Place the ramekins on two sheet pans with a piece of foil tented over them and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another five minutes or until the crusts turn golden brown. Serve the pies with a fork and spoon. Careful, the contents are mighty hot.
Caramelized onions: one tablespoon olive oil, one large Vidalia onion (peeled and sliced into very thin rings), Kosher salt to taste. Place a large skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil and heat until it slides easily across the pan. Add the onions and salt. Cook until golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 12 minutes or more.
