Turkey Pot Pie using holiday leftovers {recipe}

Thanksgiving and Christmas are the holidays that I most associate with food. My family gathers together to eat big meals and inevitably there are leftovers. My favorites are the turnips my mom makes - an old family recipe using rutabagas and potatoes and stuffing. Oh, I am a lover of stuffing. On Thanksgiving my mother baked a dish just for me. The love goes deep and my entire family knows!  I love stuffing so much that I’ve highlighted various recipes here. This year it was shrimp stuffing and I’ve also done a cranberry macademia nut stuffing, delicious! And of course, there is always turkey left over. What do you do with the leftovers? There are so many options from turkey sliders to turkey salad but my favorite is a winter comfort food - pot pie!

Pot pie of just about any type - turkey, chicken or seafood is one of my favorite things. For years I stayed away from it because I didn’t eat poultry but last year I started eating poultry again and potpie has rejoined my rotation of winter delights. I enjoy a double crusted pot pie so you know it is highly caloric. But the leftover turkey from the holidays is simply perfect for a pot pie. I’ll enjoy this deliciousness with the leftovers and then I’m done.

I’m all about indulgence this holiday season and I’ll be back on the fitness bandwagon in January. In the meantime, turkey pot pie is calling my name. And because it is made from leftovers, I tried to find a quick and easy recipe with minimal cooking. I used pre-made deep dish pie crusts and frozen mixed vegetables. I made the “soup” but it is simply butter, flour and chicken broth.

However, if you really want to make this easy, my mom suggests using cream of mushroom soup, adding the turkey and pouring it all into the pie crust. Whatever your choice, a pot pie is the most delicious way to repurpose leftover turkey. If you want more ideas for your holiday leftovers, be sure to check out Walmart’s Food & Celebrations recipes!

Turkey Pot Pie

Adapted from Pillsbury  

2 pre-made piecrusts

chicken broth

1/3 cup butter

1/3 cup chopped onion

1/3 cup all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 3/4 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup milk

2 1/2 cups cubed/shredded turkey meat

2 cups frozen mixed vegetables

Method

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

In saucepan melt butter over medium heat. Add onions until tender (about 2 minutes)

Add flour, salt and pepper.

Slowly add broth milk, stir until thick and bubbly.

Stir in turkey and mixed vegetables.

Remove from heat.

Pour mixture into pie crust.

Top with 2nd pie crust, crimping the edges.

Bake 30-40 minutes until crust is brown. Cover pie crust with aluminum foil halfway through baking to prevent darkening. Remove from oven, let sit 5 minutes. Enjoy!