Turkey Pot Pie with a Savory Biscuit Crust

We've been down the pot pie road before.  However, there is never a single way to do things (most of the time), especially when it comes to cooking.  We all have our flavor preferences.  We like using certain vegetables over others.  Therefore, I don't feel bad bringing the pot pie train back into the station.  Plus, there is one significant change in this recipe. We are going to rock the biscuit crust!

I couldn't resist the bonus deals on turkeys at the holidays so a ridiculously large 12 pound turkey sat in my freezer until I was ready to go turkey crazy for several weeks.  Now, I do realize that 12 pounds is actually small for a turkey.  It only become ridiculous when you are the only one in the house who is going to eat those 12 pounds...because you are the only one in the house.  After a couple of decades of being on my own, you would assume I would have mastered the art of cooking for one but, it's way more fun to cook as if I were cooking for a tiny army of a tiny country.  And you can't complain because that means you get to read about pot pie and biscuits and probably other turkey leftover concoctions fairly soon.

I hadn't made a pot pie in a while and it is an excellent way to get rid of a lot of poultry in a single shot.  However, I was not keen on the idea of making pie crust...just wasn't feelin' it this time around.  That makes the top choice biscuits, but not just any biscuits would do.  I wanted the biscuits to be a bit savory with the hope that it would enhance the overall flavor of the pot pie.  Mission accomplished I think.  The thyme and rosemary drop biscuits provide a nice boost when combined with the filling's creamy sauce.

Turkey Pot Pie with Savory Biscuit Crust

Ingredients:

Biscuits:

2 c. all purpose flour

1 Tbsp baking powder

3 tsp. sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 c. shortening

1 1/4 c. whole milk

1/2 Tbsp thyme

1/2 Tbsp rosemary

Filling:

2 white potatoes - peeled, diced, boiled and drained

1 medium onion - chopped

1 1/2 c. frozen mixed vegetables

1/2 c. celery -  chopped

1/3 c. butter

1/2 c. flour

1 c. whole milk

3 c. stock

4 c. turkey -  cooked and diced/chopped/shredded

Directions:

Preaheat oven to 425F.  Peel the potatoes and dice them up in to bite sized pieces.  Boil them until they are just soft enough to be pierced with a fork then drain and set aside.

Melt butter in a saute pan over medium heat cook onions until tender, about 5 minutes.  Add celery and cook for an additional 7 minutes.  

Add the flour and mix thoroughly.  This will create a rather gross looking brown paste.  Don't be scared.  It all works out in the end.

Add the stock and milk.  Simmer until thickened, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Once you are happy with the consistency give it a little taste test.  Add salt and pepper as you see fit then add the frozen vegetables, potatoes, and turkey.  Just as a small but important side note...add these new items very carefully.  I was using a 12" saute pan and everything fit but there was a harrowing moment where I was not sure it would.  Go slow to avoid a cream sauce typhoon.

Get this all solidly mixed together then transfer to a 9 x 13 casserole dish.  I went with my stoneware because she hadn't been experiencing the love recently and I decided it was time to rectify this egregious error.

Now to get crackin' on the biscuits.  Sift together flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt.  Then add the thyme and rosemary.  Using a pastry cutter, cut in the shortening.  Continue cutting in until everything gets nice and crumbly.  Mix in the milk until just moistened.  I'm using a bit more milk than would be considered traditional because I am making drop biscuits.  These will not be turned out and kneaded, rolled, and cut.  Instead, once mixed, you will drop them by the spoonful over the pot pie filling.

At no point will I claim I did this last step with any amount of precision.  I took a big spoon and dropped randomly sized dollops of dough as I saw fit.  When you are ready, bake in the oven for approximately 45 minutes,  until the biscuits are golden brown.

These are one of the days where I wish scratch and sniff photography was a thing.  Sooooo good!

The rosemary comes out the most in the biscuits and the creamy pot pie filling is just comfort on a fork.

Chicken Pot Pie

I love roasting a chicken because of all the things you get to do with it afterwards... stock, soup, pot pie, sandwiches, etc.  Today, let's talk pot pie.

Crust:

2 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
2 sticks cold butter
~ 1/2 c. ice water

Filling:

1 white potato - peeled and diced
3 cipolline onions - chopped
1 c. mixed vegetables
1/3 c. butter
1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. milk
2 c. chicken - cooked and shredded
2 c. stock
Salt and pepper to taste

You can begin this a couple days in advance since you can leave the pastry dough in the refrigerator for up to two days.  But you need to at least give yourself an hour for the dough to rest in the refrigerator.

Combine flour and salt, then add butter cut into chunks.  Using a pastry cutter, but the butter into the dry ingredients.

Once the butter is about the size of large peas, begin to add the ice water.  Only do a tablespoon or two at a time.  Continue cutting the ingredients together and adding the water until, once you press it between your fingers, it stays together.

Dump the dough onto a clean surface.  Divide into two equal portions.

 

 

Knead dough just enough to create a firm disc, then wrap in cling wrap and place in fridge for at least 1 hour, up to two days.

 

 

When you are ready to create the crusts, take one disc at a time out of the fridge and roll out to a 10 inch round.  Place the first round into a greased and floured 9 inch pie dish.

 

Now, on to the filling!

 

Boil diced potato until you can pierce them with a fork.  Melt butter in a sauté pan and then add chopped onions.  I use cipolline onions because of their smell after they have been cooked in butter.  It increases the anticipation of the finished product.

 

Cook onion until tender then add flour.  Mix thoroughly then add stock and milk.  Simmer until thickened.  Thickening took me about 7 minutes.  Add vegetables, potatoes, and chicken.  Taste test then add salt and pepper until satisfied.

 

 

Add the filling to the pie dish.  I promise, it will all fit!

 

 

Place the top crust over the filling and crimp edges.  Make four slits to allow steam to vent during cooking.

 

Place pie in oven, preheated to 425F.  Bake for 35 minutes.  Remove when crust is golden brown.  Let cool for about 10 minutes then enjoy!