Dealing With Leftovers: Turkey Pot Pie

The French know what to do with leftovers--add cream sauce and wrap in puff pastry.

Me, I've been known to leave side dishes in the fridge until they resemble Chia pets. It's the truth. I have the best of intentions but then I get busy writing and before I can say Jack Frost, my ice box has become a bio-hazard.

But this Christmas, Bandwidth and I decided to take leftovers and turn them into a savory pie.

Smoked Turkey Pot Pie

chopped turkey

green peas

glazed carrots

sauteed mushrooms

finely chopped onions & celery

flour, butter, chicken stock

1 chicken bouillon cube

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 package puff pastry, thawed

Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper, gray French sea salt

Saute onions and celery; add mushrooms. Set aside. In a separate saute pan, melt butter (I used 1/2 stick) and a glob of all purpose flour.

[Bandwidth said, "Wait! No! Why don't you measure anything?"

If only I had. The flour looked brassy, so I immediately jerked the pan off the burner. It took a lot of whisking to undo the damage. Bandy informed me that flour has to cook a bit, rather like a roux, but you don't want it to darken. So I put the pan back on the burner. He was right.

Dude needs a food blog.]

Slowly add chicken stock and bouillon. Whisk. Get someone to relieve you for a minute or two.

Sprinkle flour over puff pastry sheets and roll. Place 1 sheet into a baking dish. Trim edges of puff pastry and set aside.

Add turkey/leftover mixture. Pour cream sauce over leftovers and stir. Add a bit more sauce (depending on the consistency you want). Stir.

Top with puff pastry sheet. Trim edges, crimp (or fold), and score with a knife.

Garnish with leftover pastry.

Preheat oven, 400 degrees.

Beat one egg and brush it over the crust.
Place pie in oven and bake 25 minutes or until puffy and brown.

Top with gray French sea salt (we found it at Publix in the spice aisle).

It sounds complicated (and it was for me), but the preparations are so soothing, you will find yourself in a relaxed, Zen-like state.

I thought the cream sauce was the most challenging part; Bandwidth said the pastry was by far the hardest.

The taste is down-home and heart warming; it's true comfort food, the perfect one-pot meal on a cold winter night--and, it's a form of house cleaning.