There is the classic chicken pot pie of course. But with the holidays we thought we might try our hand at a turkey pot pie made with cooked turkey, a perfect dish for holiday leftovers.
How To Make Turkey Pot Pie
This turkey pot pie has a Cajun twist, starting with the trinity of onions, celery, and green bell peppers, and spiced up a bit with Cajun seasoning. It’s topped with a flaky, buttery crust, which is in my opinion, the best reason of all to make a pot pie. You can either make it as a large casserole or in ramekins for individual servings. If you can’t find Cajun seasoning in your local market, you can make your own with 3/4 teaspoon each of salt, pepper, dried oregano, dried thyme, and 1 1/2 teaspoons each of paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder.
1 1/2 cups all purpose-flour 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, diced into 1/2-inch cubes 3 to 4 tablespoons chilled ice water
For the filling
5 tablespoons peanut oil or unsalted butter 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow or white onion 3 celery stalks, chopped 1 large green pepper, chopped 1 to 2 jalapeno peppers, chopped 4 cloves garlic , minced 3 cups diced, cooked turkey meat 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning Kosher salt 2 1/2 cups turkey or chicken stock 1 cup dark beer (brown ale or Guinness) 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup diced tomatoes
For the egg wash
1 egg yolk 1 tablespoon cream
Slowly add the chilled water (make sure there are no small ice cube bits), just a tablespoon at a time, pulsing once after each addition, until the dough just sticks together when you press some between your fingers. Empty the food processor, placing the dough mixture on a clean surface. Use the heel of your palm to shmoosh the dough mixture onto the table surface a few times. This action will help flatten and spread the butter between layers of flour, so that the resulting dough will be flaky. Once you’ve done this a few (5 or 6) times, use your hands to mold the dough into a disk. Sprinkle the disk with a little flour, wrap it in plastic wrap, and let it chill for an hour, or up to 2 days, before rolling out. Slowly pour in the hot stock-beer mixture, stirring. It will seize up at first, then, as you pour in more stock and stir, will form a silky sauce for the turkey. Add the tomatoes and cook until the mixture thickens, about 3-5 minutes. Pour the filling into a 2-quart casserole or, if you wish, into individual ramekins. If you are using ramekins (use 10 ounce ramekins), cut the dough into 6 rounds that are slightly larger than the circumference of the ramekins.
