Thanksgiving Pot Pie

Photo by Michael Piazza

The “pie holiday,” Thanksgiving is a festival that embraces tradition and its focus on gratitude, sharing food, memories and family make it my absolute favorite. While it’s not usually a problem getting rid of leftovers after Thanksgiving, this is a delicious way to make a special little reminder of how delicious your meal was. The stuffing topping is my favorite cheat; I love already-prepared stuffing mix and see no reason to try and improve on it. It’s easy and I think it’s delicious, but use whatever leftover stuffing you have on hand. I like to make this in individual portion pans (5-inch pie tins are perfect) but you could also make 1 large 9-inch pie using the same ingredients. 

Makes 6 individual pot pies or 1 large pie

STUFFING TOPPING (or use 2 cups of your own leftover stuffing):
1 cup water
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 box or bag prepared stuffing mix

1 disc of Aunt Rosie’s pie dough
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ medium onion, roughly chopped
2 ribs celery, diced
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups turkey or chicken broth (your own or store bought)
2 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 cups shredded, cooked turkey
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
½ cup frozen peas salt and pepper to taste
½ cup fresh cranberries
2 cups prepared stuffing

If using boxed stuffing mix, bring 1 cup water to boil, add the butter and let it melt. Add the stuffing mix, and stir it all together. Let it cool.

Heat oven to 350º F.

Divide your Aunt Rosie’s Pie disc into 6 pieces, roll out into 5-inch pie pans and trim the edges. Line the pans with foil and fi ll with uncooked rice, dried beans or pie weights and par-bake them at 325º F for 20–25 minutes. Remove the pie weights or beans and set the par-baked shells aside. (Otherwise, use your pastry to line a 9-inch pie plate for a single, large pie.)

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook until soft and translucent, then stir in the carrots and let cook for 5 minutes more while stirring. Add the 4 tablespoons of fl our and stir until the vegetables are coated and beginning to brown. Add the turkey or chicken broth and sweet potatoes and simmer until the potatoes are cooked through, 15–20 minutes. Stir in the shredded turkey, poultry seasoning and peas and add salt and pepper to taste. Let this simmer for about 5 minutes. Take the pan off the heat and add the cranberries. Set this mixture aside to cool.

Fill the par-baked crusts with the cooled turkey mixture and top with the cooled stuffing topping. Place pies on a sheet pan and bake for 16–20 minutes, or until stuffing is browned. Serve hot. 

This recipe appeared in the Fall/Holiday 2020 issue as part of a larger story on Sweet and Savory Pies.