Turkey Pot Pie a Great Way to Use Leftover Turkey

Okay, this is my 2nd dish using some of our leftover turkey from Thanksgiving. By now, if you haven't used all your turkey up yet, you might be thinking about freezing some of it for later use. We ate the soup I made for a couple of days and I made this pot pie yesterday, to have some change going on in meals. Pot Pies, when I was growing up, came in little freezer boxes, in their own individual tiny pie tins, with both top and bottom crust. I loved those things. I am a true fan of the soggy bottom crust. I know everyone these days seem to be fixated on how to make the bottom crust of a pie crispy. All I can ask is why? I was out looking at recipes for others' pot pies and even saw one site where someone put the bottom crust in the oven first for 15 minutes, before adding in the filling and fitting with the top crust. If this suits you, then you might try this method. Not me.

If you have some pie dough in the freezer, you have a big part of this dish done already; just get it out and thaw. Preparation of this dish can also be divided up. Once the vegetables are cooked, the whole thing can be chilled to pick up later and continue. If you have to make the pie crust from scratch, which I did, you will want to make it earlier in the day or even the day before and chill it, so it's ready when you need it. I always use my Never Fail Pie Crust, since it makes large amounts. These recipes make enough for 3 (10-inch) pie crusts. Since this pie is made in a 10-inch pie plate, and uses a double crust, you will have enough for this recipe, plus one crust worth left to freeze for another use. 

Turkey Pot Pie

What Flavors?

Getting started, I thought about what vegetables I wanted in my pot pie. Most any vegetables can go in it, but I wanted the regular vegetables I know in pot pies, namely, onion, celery, carrot, potatoes and peas. Though my love for those little individual frozen pot pies was great, at this time in my life I was also looking for ways to heighten flavor. Using homemade turkey stock is wonderful, if it is available. Unfortunately I used all my stock in the soup I made a few days back. On to plan B: I used a bit of "chicken base" in warm water. This provided most of the salt needed in the recipe, also. Another trick to heighten flavor is to use wine of some sort. Adding wine and then completely cooking it out, until the pan is dry, gives a huge boost to flavor, with no residual alcohol. A third thing is the use of Worcestershire. It doesn't take much to really add flavor; just a tablespoon or so is enough. If, perchance, you can find the Lea & Perrins Chicken Worcestershire ("The Rooster-Booster" it says on the label), so much the better. Last but not least, herbs. I used some dry sage and thyme.

Getting Started

The first thing to start off the filling is gently sauteeing, or "sweating" the vegetables. In other words, you are not going for browning the vegetables, but only softening. I started with half the butter I planned to use, 2 tablespoons, and melted it in a large skillet. I added in the vegetables: onion, celery and carrot, and sweated them for about 10 or 12 minutes on medium low heat. The garlic was added after this time period, and only cooked another minute or so. At this point, I added in some Dry Sherry. Another dry white wine will do fine. Make sure if you do use Sherry, that it is one of the dry ones like Fino. There was no Fino Sherry in the store here, but I used one called Dry Sack, which worked perfectly. On absolutely NO account should you ever use anything called "Cooking Sherry!" If you cannot drink it, you should not use it in food. Once the Sherry or other dry white wine is added, allow this liquid to simmer out completely, until all that is left are the little oily beads from the butter in the pan.  Now add in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to melt.

Sweating vegetables, add garlic, add the wine, allow wine to evaporate, add in the remaining butter

Making the Sauce

The next step in this process is making a roux. I expounded at some length on making roux in my post of November 25th, Two Methods to Make Great Turkey Gravy. Basically, flour is added to a melted fat of choice and stirred until the two are totally combined and sandy looking. Then, a cool liquid is added and stirred until the mixture thickens. Once the second bit of butter was added to the vegetables in the pan and thoroughly melted, the flour went in and was mixed until no white was remaining. Now is the time to add the chicken stock, water, or a mixture of water and chicken "base" or bouillon cubes. Stirring until this thickened, now the sage and thyme were added, with the Chicken Worcestershire and the cubed potatoes. The potatoes can be peeled or not, as desired. In my house they MUST be peeled! Cover the pan, reduce the heat to low and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 12 to 15 minutes.

Flour added and stirred in completely, stock added then stir until thickened; add potatoes & cook

Finishing the Filling

Once the potatoes are tender, this is the time to set the dish aside until later, if time does not permit finalizing the dish at once. The mixture can be cooled and refrigerated until next day, or just set aside until later, while preparing other things. If the vegetable mixture was chilled, make sure it is heated through before continuing. If continuing immediately, this is the time to fit the bottom pie crust into your pie plate. Roll out the top crust and leave aside until ready. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Chicken Worcestershire, mixture warms, add peas, parsley & sour cream,
stir thoroughly and add turkey & cheese

When ready to proceed, have the remaining ingredients handy. Add in the peas, parsley and sour cream and mix thoroughly. No need to cook. Add in the cubed turkey and the cheese and combine. 

How to Make the Pot Pie

Once the bottom pastry crust is in the pie plate, make sure that the pastry is eased well into the plate. It should not tug at the sides at all. Once it is well settled in the plate, use a small paring knife to trim flush against the outer edge of the plate. Set the top crust into place, then trim the top crust so it extends at least ½-inch beyond the edge of the plate. Tuck this extra width of pastry underneath the edge of the bottom crust. Crimp the edges as desired. Poke various small vent holes into the top crust and bake the pot pie for 20 minutes at 425 degrees. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue baking for 30 to 35 minutes more, turning the pie to brown evenly. If the crust gets too browned, cover the edges with foil.

filling into pastry      |   top cruse set in place & trimmed  |    fold top crust under       |      crimp and vent      |          baked   

Once the pie is done, allow it to cool for at least 30 minutes before cutting. Here is the recipe:

Turkey Pot Pie

Turkey Pot Pie

Makes one 10-inch pot pie. Serves at least 6.

¼ cup unsalted butter, divided
1 cup onion chopped
1 to 1¼ cup chopped celery
1 to 1¼ cup chopped carrot
2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup dry Sherry or white wine¼ cup all-purpose flour1 teaspoon dry sage leaves (<1/2 teaspoon if powdered)½ teaspoon dry thyme leaves (1/4 teaspoon if powdered)
1½ cup chicken or turkey stock, water, or combination of 1 1/2 cup water and 1 1/2 teaspoons bouillon or base
1½ cups cubed potato
1 tablespoon Worcestershire or Chicken Worcestershire½ teaspoon ground black pepper
salt, if needed
1 cup frozen peas
2½ cups cubed, cooked turkey
¼ cup minced parsley
1 cup sour cream
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
pastry for double-crust 10-inch pie

Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet. Add in the onion, celery and carrot, and sweat them for about 10 or 12 minutes on medium low heat. Add garlic and cook another 1 or so minutes. Add in the dry Sherry or white wine. Allow this liquid to evaporate out completely, until all that is left are the little oily beads from the butter in the pan. Now add in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to melt.

Once butter is melted, add in the flour and mix until there is no white left showing. Pour in the stock or other liquid, stirring until the mixture thickens. Add in the Worcestershire and potatoes, stir and cover the pan. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook for about 12 to 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.

DO AHEAD: If necessary, the dish can be prepared to this point, cooled and refrigerated. Once ready to continue with the recipe, slowly reheat the mixture thoroughly before proceeding.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Roll out the bottom pie pastry and fit it into a 10-inch pie plate, easing it gently into the plate, so there is no pulling from the edges. With a small paring knife, trim the edge flush with the plate. Roll out the top crust and leave it aside.

Finish the filling: To the warm mixture in the pan, first add the peas, parsley and sour cream and stir in until well combined. Add in the cubed turkey and the shredded cheese and stir to combine. Pour this mixture into the prepared crust. The filling is generous!

Top with the second pie crust, easing it over the filling. With a small knife or kitchen shears, trim the top crust so it extends about ½-inch beyond the edge of the pit plate. Tuck the top crust underneath the bottom crust edge all around. Crimp or flute the edge all around. Pierce small holes with a knife all over the top of the pastry. Place it in the oven. Set the timer for 20 minutes. Once this 20 minutes is up, rotate the pie and lower the temperature to 350 degrees. Set the timer for 30 to 35 minutes more. If the crust edges become too browned during this time, cover the edges with foil to finish baking. Allow the pie to cool and set for 30 minutes before cutting.

My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

A Delicious and Gourmet Dessert

I had a great idea yesterday. I love rice pudding. The cooked kind. With tapioca. My Mom would make rice pudding when we had enough rice leftover from a meal, and it was a special treat. There were 7 of us kids in the family, so having enough left over was tricky. We would beg Mom to make lots of rice, so there would be leftovers. She always thickened her rice pudding with tapioca, and with egg. Over the years, I have found the egg not to be necessary, and I like my rice pudding usually just a little less thick. The basic ingredients have always been milk, sugar rice, tapioca and vanilla, with or without eggs and with cinnamon sprinkled over top. 

Gourmet Saffron Rice Pudding with Cardamom

I was writing an article yesterday about coconut milk; what it is, its nutritional value, and some suggestions for using coconut milk, beyond the world of Indian Curries and Thai foods. One of the thoughts was to use it instead of milk to make rice pudding. I have played with my Mom's basic recipe for some years, changing out seasonings. I really love cardamom, so I have been using that either along with cinnamon, or on its own. The other thing was that the rice I had leftover in the fridge was Saffron Rice. 

Saffron is another thing I grew up loving. I know it is not everyone's special cup of tea, and have read commentary in places about the awful taste of saffron. To me, it is one of those smells and flavors that is evocative of great childhood memories. In particular, my paternal Grandma always made her soup with saffron, and the whole house smelled of her saffron flavored chicken soup when we arrived. My husband and I were lucky enough to be in Spain for a day on a cruise long ago, and though the large box of saffron I bought was not the highest quality, it still worked great and smelled heavenly and it goes a long way. My saffron rice is simple, just Basmati rice, a dab of butter or oil, salt and saffron.

So okay, back to the Rice Pudding. I had the leftover rice. I have added a pinch of saffron to my rice pudding at times also, so this saved a step. I had coconut milk. I had tapioca and cardamom. I set to work to make myself some pudding, and this is what came out of it. It is one of the best rice puddings ever, in my book. The saffron can be left out. Cinnamon can be used instead of cardamom. But I did really love the creaminess and flavor when made with the coconut milk. The recipe seems vaguely middle eastern, with the saffron and cardamom and coconut.

Gourmet Saffron Rice Pudding with Cardamom

Gourmet Saffron Rice Pudding with Cardamom

1 can coconut milk (14 - 18 ounces)
3 tablespoons minute tapioca
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 - 3/4 teaspoon cardamom, ground 
2 1/2 cups precooked, cooled saffron rice 

In a 4 cup measuring cup, pour in the coconut milk. Add in water to make a total of 3 cups. Stir, and pour into a medium saucepan. Add in the sugar and tapioca, stir and allow to stand for 3 - 5 minutes. Add in the cardamom and rice, to combine. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Once boiling, lower heat and cook, stirring constantly for 5 minutes. Set aside to cool. Stir occasionally to prevent a skin from forming, or place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pudding until cool. 

This makes enough for 6 to 8 servings, depending on who's eating! I had pomegranate arils in the fridge also, and sprinkled some of those over top. Then I got the idea to layer the arils with the pudding in a wine glass. Pistachios added another pop of color and goodness. The whole thing was just so pretty, I got carried away with the photos. I hope someone finds this idea as enjoyable as I. The recipe is completely gluten-free, also, and if you haven't used butter in the rice (as I did), it is both vegetarian and vegan. Yum.


My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

A New "Old" Recipe: Bubble and Squeak

Searching for ideas yesterday I came up with Bubble and Squeak. You may not be familiar with this uniquely titled meal from Britain. I had no idea what it was. It is a cousin to the Irish Colcannon, which many have heard of, but still doesn't quite cover it.

Bubble and Squeak is usually made from the leftovers of a Sunday roast meat and vegetable dish. Since the British like their "mash" (potatoes) and use quite a lot of the cruciferous vegetables that are so good for us, those are often what are thrown together to make this dish. The name apparently comes from the sounds made when the dish is cooking, i.e. bubbling and squeaking. This easy meal is really a hash of a sort, with left over vegetables thrown together and fried in a pan. Another way it is served is in patties, smashing all the vegetables together and frying the individual Bubble and Squeak patties. Commonly used are potatoes, either mashed, or chunks of cooked potatoes from the roast that are smashed together with an "anything goes" mixture of other vegetables such as cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, peas, carrots, "Swedes" or rutabaga, parsnips or Brussels sprouts. At one time it was common for bits of meats to be mixed in also. Meat is a less common addition these days, though it is often served alongside, like with bacon, ham or sausage.

Bubble & Squeak for dinner

This hash dish can be served as breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner. It can be a side dish or the main event; terribly versatile all around. It appears that it is making a comeback, as some of the more top chefs are making new versions of Bubble and Squeak, and not necessarily from leftovers. Seeing all this, I decided to try my hand and see what I could come up with. On top of all this versatility, it is also Gluten Free.

Bubble and Squeak Patties for breakfast with eggs

I had potatoes, cabbage, onions and bacon, so that's where I started. I also love parsnips mixed in with the potatoes when I make mashed potatoes. That was how I proceeded; first cooking potatoes and parsnips together. I fried bacon, then once the bacon was removed I added in onions to fry, and then a little garlic. I added in sliced cabbage and cooked it all together. I mashed the potatoes and parsnips with butter and cream cheese (which is my norm), and added in the bacon and other vegetables. 

All I can say is "Oh my, that was good." It was my dinner last night all by itself. The flavors together were just perfect. Once it cooled, I formed the rest into patties and this morning I fried them up along with some eggs and it was just as good the second time around.

I urge you to try either my recipe or make one up yourself. There is no hard and fast rule. Use up leftovers or make a new meal. This is so rewarding and delicious, I believe it will be an addition to your repertoire of recipes soon.

Bubble & Squeak

Bubble and Squeak: last night's dinner

Serves 3 or 4 as a main course / 6 - 8 as a side dish, or: 
Makes about 12 patties

1½ pounds potatoes, peeled, cut in chunks
½ pound parsnips, peeled, sliced
½ pound bacon, preferably thick sliced, cut across in ½-inch bits
½ large onion, in thin half moon slices
1 clove garlic, minced
12 ounces cabbage, cut in thin strips
1 tablespoon plus ½ teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 tablespoons cream cheese

Prepare the potatoes and parsnips and place in a pot with water to cover. Add in 1 tablespoon of the salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until cooked through.

Meantime, fry the bacon until crisp. Remove the bacon to paper towels to drain, reserving about 3 tablespoons of the the bacon fat in the pan. Add in the onion and cook for 3 to 5 minutes on medium high heat until beginning to brown. Add in the garlic and toss for about 1 minute. Add in the cabbage and toss to coat well. Sprinkle on the half teaspoon of salt. Place a lid on the pan and let cook, reducing heat to medium. Remove lid frequently to toss the cabbage, for a total of about 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are translucent.

Before draining potatoes, scoop out about 1 cup of the cooking liquid and reserve. Mash, smash or rice the potatoes and parsnips, with the butter and the cream cheese. Add in enough of the potato cooking liquid to make the desired consistency. Mix in the cabbage mixture and the reserved bacon and serve.

Allow the mixture to cool, preferably till next day and form patties. These may be dredged in flour, or cornstarch if going Gluten-Free, and fried.


NOTES: This recipe is completely Gluten-Free, if not using cornstarch instead of flour to make the patties. Wonderfully delicious, Bubble and Squeak is often served for breakfast or brunch with eggs. Any other leftover vegetable may also be added.


My passion is to teach people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and help pass along my love and joy of food, both simple and exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, trying new things weekly. Join me at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook and Pinterest.