Turkey Pot Pie

A few days go by after Thanksgiving and the leftovers start to lose their appeal. So begins the age old question of what to do with that pesky leftover turkey.
Two ideas popped into my head right away: turkey noodle soup and turkey pot pie. I already have a quickie recipe for chicken noodle soup, now to find an easy recipe for the pot pie. I can't really remember ever making a pot pie from scratch that made me a little nervous. Until I came upon a Sunny Anderson recipe on foodnetwork.com's redo leftovers recipe section. Sunny has never given me a recipe that I couldn't make.

Easy Chicken Pot Pie
by Sunny Anderson

1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders  leftover turkey shredded
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup frozen pearl onions chopped onions
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup diced carrots
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
1 cup heavy cream
1 store bought pie crust crescent rolls, unbaked and thawed if frozen
1 egg, lightly beaten (I skipped this part, because I'm lazy)

Special equipment: 10-inch cast-iron pan

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Sprinkle the chicken tenders turkey with paprika, sage, oregano, salt and pepper. Heat a 10-inch cast-iron pan over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. When the oil begins to swirl, add the seasoned chicken and saute until cooked through, about 4 minutes on the first side and 3 minutes on the second side. Heat turkey through. Remove the chicken turkey to a plate with tongs, leaving the oil in the pan. Rest the chicken turkey for a few minutes, and then chop into 1/2-inch cubes.

To the same pan, add the onions and peas and carrots and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Stir and cook until the onions become tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute longer. Sprinkle in the flour and stir until the flour dissolves into the vegetables and juices. Add the chicken stock and raise to a simmer, stirring until thickened. Once the liquid has thickened, stir in the heavy cream. Season with salt, if needed.

Return the chicken turkey to the pan. Unfold the pie crust and place over the top of the filling, tucking the excess edges inside the pan. Brush the crust evenly with the egg wash. Using a knife, gently cut 3 vents in the top of the crust. Place in the oven and bake until the crust is golden brown, about 20 15 minutes.

I didn't let my sauce thicken enough so it was a bit runny. That was okay though, because it was delicious. I loved the heavy cream. Yes, I know its not healthy but it was worth it. The turkey was perfect in there too. And the crescent roll topping worked out even better than I thought it would. Buttery and crispy on top and a little gooey on bottom where it mingled with the filling.

I was definitely happy with the result. It was a great way to use up some of my leftover turkey. Now I just need to hide the rest of the turkey from Paul so I can make the turkey noodle soup later this week.