Thanksgiving Turkey Pot Pie

Turkey to me, is the gift that keeps on giving!

The day after Thanksgiving I pulled the meat off the carcass, threw the bones, skin, fat and whatnot into a big pot, added some chopped celery, carrots, parsley stems and a big onion, covered it with water and boiled that for 4 hours to make a huge pot of delicious turkey broth.

And finally today - the fourth day after Thanksgiving - the leftover stuffing, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, corn, cranberry sauce and gravy have been eaten up. However, we still have lots of turkey left and that with a couple of cups of the turkey broth, some vegetables and a pastry topping makes for a great family pot pie.

THANKSGIVING TURKEY POT PIE
Serves 4

2 cups cooked turkey, cubed
½ onion, chopped
1 carrot, cubed
2 stalks celery, cubed
1 cup frozen peas
3 tbsp butter
5 tbsp all purpose flour
2 cups turkey broth
1 cup milk
1 tsp thyme
2 tbsp chopped parsley
Salt and black pepper to taste

• Microwave, or boil the carrot and celery until crisp tender, drain.
• In a saucepan over medium heat, cook onions in butter until soft and translucent. Stir in flour and then slowly stir in turkey broth. It will be lumpy at first, but continue stirring until sauce is smooth. Add in milk, thyme, parsley, salt and pepper.
• Stir in the turkey, carrots, celery, peas and simmer on medium low heat until thick. Pour into a 11”x8” dish and set aside to cool.
• When cool, top with rolled out pastry, brush on an eggwash and bake in a preheated 400°F oven for 40 to 45 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.
  

Pot Pie Pastry
1¾ cups all purpose flour (I used whole wheat flour)
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
½ tsp salt
¼ cup cold water

• In a large bowl, sprinkle salt on flour, add butter and rub with fingers until it resembles breadcrumbs.
• Add cold water a little at a time and mix with a butter knife. Knead very gently with your fingers until a ball is formed. Cover with cling wrap and leave in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before using.