The day after Thanksgiving is for leftovers and if you want to have pie for breakfast and a turkey and stuffing sandwich for dinner, you go for it! If I'm wanting to lean into a little cooking, I thaw puff pastry in the fridge overnight (or just hold onto the half package I already thawed for quick appetizers) and make a really nice turkey pot pie. It's like a hug for everyone who wrestled a turkey over the last few days because you likely already have chopped or shedded turkey packed away in the fridge (and either will do for this recipe) and if you happen to have leftover veggies too, you can mix them into the base along with or instead of the suggested edamame, carrot, and/or corn. Then crown it with squares of puff pastry, which scoop nicely and brown better than a whole sheet, bake it, and eat it. What's not to love?
As mentioned above, you can opt for leftover veggies in this mix. I like keeping the leek because it brings most of the flavor to this pot pie and keeps things very easy. If you have turkey stock, use that instead of chicken stock. Some people wait a day or two to make turkey stock or just opt not to take that step after so much cooking, so I indicate chicken stock here since it's easier to procure outside the home. If you want to brush your puff pastry squares with oil or an egg wash, they will brown up more than not doing so, but it will be delicious either way. I used an extra virgin olive oil brush over my squares.
Serve this with a hard cider or solid beer or any other favored beverage. It's been a hard week or two of kitchen shenanigans and you've earned a stellar comfort food meal that gives your belly a hug. Enjoy!
Turkey and Leek Potpie
- ½ (17.3-ounce) package frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 2-3 cups thinly sliced leek
- 2 ½ cups chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water
- 4 cups shredded cooked turkey
- 1 cup shelled edamame
- 1 cup coarsely shredded carrot
- 1 cup frozen corn, thawed
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Roll the pastry sheet into a 12-inch square on a lightly floured surface. Cut into 16 (3-inch) squares. Set the pastry squares aside.
Preheat the oven to 400°F, placing the rack in lower third of oven. Melt the butter in a 10-inch ovenproof skillet - ideally cast iron - over medium-high heat. Add the leek and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 6 minutes.
Stir in the stock; bring the mixture to a simmer. Add the cornstarch and water slurry and stir gently until thickened.
Stir in the turkey, edamame, carrot, corn, cream, Dijon, salt, and pepper. Remove from the heat.
Arrange the pastry squares on top of the hot turkey mixture in the skillet, slightly overlapping so the entire surface of the turkey mixture is covered. If desired, lightly brush the top of the pastry squares with olive oil or a simple egg and water wash. Place the skillet on a rimmed baking sheet.
Transfer the baking sheet with the skillet on it to the preheated oven. Bake until the top is browned and the filling is bubbly, about 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and let stand 10 minutes before serving.
- Yields: 6 servings
- Preparation Time: 1 hour