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Turkey or Chicken Pot Pie

Pot pie is the name used for deep dish savoury pies, having only one crust. Although I enjoy pot pies all year round, I find them comforting in the coldest, darkest part of winter. 

This recipe for turkey or chicken pot pie requires a few minutes of preparation and feeds six. Make two pies if you have a larger family. I have, on occasion, made individual servings in ramekins. My daughter and I enjoy making pot pies together because chopping allows time for visiting.

You can freeze the filling and the pastry separately for assembly at a later date. If you have house guests and plan to be out all day, place the filling and the pastry in the refrigerator to thaw. Upon arriving home, preheat the oven to 400°F, assemble the pie and bake for 45 to 60 minutes. This gives everyone time to freshen up and relax before dinner. 

This recipe contains a medley of six vegetables, so it provides a nutritious meal on its own. Serve it with a pickle tray or coleslaw. My Simply Delicious Coleslaw must be made a couple of days ahead. If you double or triple the recipe, you can serve it with more than one meal. 

Planning Ahead 

You need 3 cups of turkey or chicken for each batch, so I chop and freeze meat every time I roast a bird. Cubed meat from a supermarket barbequed chicken is delicious in this recipe.

There are many options for the pastry topping. Since I always make this pie in the same baking dish, I like to trace the pan onto the pastry, cut it, and freeze it on a cookie sheet wrapped in plastic wrap and foil, to be used at a later date. If the pie is to be assembled the same day, refrigerate the pastry until the pie is ready to bake. Of course, you can purchase delicious premade puff pastry from the freezer section at your local grocery store.

Turkey or Chicken Pot Pie

Preheat oven to 400°F

Ingredients: 

¼ cup butter

¼ cup flour

Salt and pepper to taste (I use ½ teaspoon of each)

2 tablespoons of finely chopped onion

3 cups of turkey or chicken broth

Approximately 1 ¼ cups of carrot, chopped into small pieces

Approximately ¾ of a cup of celery, chopped into small pieces

1 good-sized baking potato, cubed

3 cups sliced mushrooms, chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

½ cup peas

3 cups cooked and diced turkey 

Enough pastry, home-made or purchased, to cover a 3-quart casserole 

Method: 

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Blend in flour, salt, pepper, and onion. Gradually, stir in the turkey broth. Cook the mixture, constantly stirring until smooth and slightly thickened. 

Add carrots, celery, and potatoes. Cook until fork-tender. This could take about 25 minutes. I cover the pan but stir occasionally. 

While the first mixture is cooking, heat a small frying pan, add the olive oil, and fry the chopped mushrooms. 

Add the chopped mushrooms to the vegetable mixture. Add peas and chopped turkey as well. Pour the complete mixture into a large baking dish. Cover with rolled pastry and slash top to allow steam to escape. 

Bake the pie in a preheated 400°F oven for about 45 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown. If the pastry is over-browning, cover with foil. 

Tips: 

A perfect baking dish is at least 2” deep and measures about 8½״ by 11״. I use my rectangular deep baking dish by Emile Henry.  

To reheat a frozen pie, or pieces of a pie, place in the oven at 350°F for 50 minutes or until the center is thoroughly heated. 

Buckle Up - It's Better Than Pumpkin Pie

My mother made her own recipe binder from supplies gathered in my parents’ first printing office. I occasionally steep a pot of tea, curl up with her old binder, and reminisce. Not long ago, as I perused the binder, a little scrap of paper fell to the floor. The recipe for Magic Pumpkin Buckle was scribbled on the note. 

I began researching dessert buckles. Apparently, a buckle is, traditionally, a simple, streusel-topped cake with fruit, often berries, sprinkled throughout. After making this pumpkin buckle, a few times, I believe it is called a buckle because the biscuit portion of the dessert buckles up as it cooks, rising through the pumpkin mixture, creating a topping reminiscent of the way the earth’s surface formed. The first time I made this recipe, I panicked. It looked as if it was going to overflow. This is why the nine by thirteen inch pan needs to be at least two inches deep.

I dared to serve my mom’s Magic Pumpkin Buckle at a little pre-Christmas gathering. Both my brother and my son-in-law proclaimed it to be better than pumpkin pie. This dessert serves 12 people, easily, and leftovers freeze.

The original recipe actually called for more sugar. We like it this way. I encourage you to try this recipe and leave a comment. Once this dish goes in the oven, you will have an hour of excitement! Buckle up.

Magic Pumpkin Buckle

Preheat oven to 350°F

Step One:

Pour ½ cup of melted butter into a 13”x 9”x 2” baking dish.

Step Two:

In a mixing bowl, combine the following ingredients and pour into the prepared pan.

1 cup all-purpose flour

¾ of a cup of sugar

4 teaspoons of baking powder

½ teaspoon of salt

1 cup of milk

1 teaspoon of vanilla

Step Three:

In a kitchen machine, beat the following ingredients and pour the mixture over the base.

3 cups cooked or canned pumpkin

1 cup of evaporated milk

2 eggs

¾ of a cup of sugar

½ cup of brown sugar

1 tablespoon of flour

1 teaspoon of cinnamon

½ a teaspoon of salt

¼ teaspoon each of ground ginger, cloves, and nutmeg

Step Four: 

The plate above contains measured butter and sugar.

Dot the top with 1 tablespoon of butter, cut into pieces

Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of sugar over surface

Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, in a preheated oven.

Bake until a knife inserted near the centre comes out clean and the top is golden brown.

Serves 12