Thanksgiving Leftovers: Turkey Pot Pie

I love leftovers. You get all of the care of making a dish—-without having to lift a finger. And there was one thing on the Thanksgiving dinner table that was prepared with a lot of TLC—-Mr. Turkey. Mr. Turkey was juicy and delicious, and although we used a lot of the “pan juices” for the cornbread dressing and the gravy, we still had some left over. Plus, we had cleared most of the meat off of the bones, so we were left with a lot of bones. I made a turkey stock (recipe below) from the remaining bones, and then used that stock for the base of an incredibly delicious turkey pot pie.  Whether or not pot pie is your thing, I still recommend you make a turkey stock and use it as the base for pretty much any soup, stew, risotto, or even beans. Anything!  Of course, you can also make a homemade vegetable stock, and just use vegetables if meat-free is your thing!

My family absolutely ranted and raved about this turkey pot pie.  I didn’t have anything to judge it against since I had never eaten any kind of pot pie before last night. But, it was so delicious that it is on our “must cook” list for Christmas (and that is a tough list to get on!)

I used a homemade crust because I had a leftover pie crust already prepared, but you can use the pre-made crusts in a box. I do however recommend that you use a deep baking dish.  You can even skip putting crust on the bottom to make it “lower carb.”

Turkey Gravy Recipe

Ingredients: 6 cups turkey stock (recipe follows), 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, 1 large onion (diced), 2 celery stalks (diced), 4 cloves garlic (minced), 6 tablespoons all purpose flour, water, remaining pan juices from turkey.

1. Bring stock to a boil.  Reduce heat and let simmer until the stock reduces in half (to three cups).
2. In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat.  Saute onion until browned and tender, about 5 minutes.  Add celery and garlic and saute, about 5 minutes.
3. Sprinkle the flour into the skillet 1 tablespoon at a time, carefully stirring each time, until all 6 tablespoons of flour have been incorporated.
4. Use the pan juices to deglaze the skillet.  Add remaining pan juices.  Add reduced stock, and simmer on low for 30 minutes.  Strain through a colander-lined with cheesecloth, if desired.  Keep warm until ready for use.

Turkey Stock Recipe

Ingredients: 5 lb. turkey pieces, 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, one large onion (quartered), 3 stalks celery (roughly chopped), 2 large carrots (roughly chopped), 1 head of garlic (cut in half), 1 tablespoon black peppercorns, 1 bunch parsley, 3 bay leaves

1. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat.  Brown turkey pieces a few at a time (removing and reserving when finished).  Saute onion, celery, and carrots for approximately 10 minutes.
2.  Add turkey pieces, and head of garlic.  Add water so that everything is covered by 4 inches of water.  Bring to a simmer for 30 minutes, scraping off foam that rises to the top.  Add peppercorns, parsley, and bay leaves.  Continue to simmer on low for at least two hours (up to 12 hours), adding water as needed.
3. Strain stock in a large colander.  Strain again in a colander lined with cheesecloth.  Refrigerate immediately, or freeze up to four months.