Turkey Pancetta Pot Pies

   

   

What to do with leftover Thanksgiving turkey is a problem I like to have - so much so that I bring it on myself.  I am one of those people (are there others like me?) who actually buys a bird a few pounds larger than I need just so that I have extra meat for leftovers.  I’m not talking about making sandwiches later Thanksgiving evening.  I’m talking about multiple meals in following days.  In recent years, I have made a Turkey Tetrazzini the day after Thanksgiving (see Cook to Grow, Nov ‘09).  This casserole with slivered almonds and parmesan provides a salty, nutty, toasted taste to turkey leftovers.  This year I added this Turkey Pancetta Pot Pie recipe for Saturday night.  Pot pie of course is one of the great comfort foods.  The recipe, originally from Giada di Laurentiis, adds the earthy, savory flavor of unsmoked pork to the mix.  This weekend, I used prosciutto instead of pancetta because that is what I had on hand.  I also saved time by using a premade pie crust instead of making a homemade crust.  After all, part of the comfort of the rest of the Thanksgiving weekend is no longer slaving in the kitchen.  Serves 4.  Next up, Turkey Enchiladas with a Chipotle Crema Sauce…

   

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil

4 oz diced pancetta

1 tbsp butter

1 shallot, chopped

2 medium carrots, diced

1 1/2 tbsp dried thyme

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

¼ cup flour

2 ¾ cups low-sodium chicken broth

¼ cup cream

3 cups roasted turkey breast meat, cut into 1/2” pieces

1 cup frozen peas

1 sheet premade pie crust, thawed in refrigerator

   

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 8 minutes.  Remove the pancetta to a plate lined with paper towels and add the butter to the pan.  Add the shallots, carrots and thyme.  Add the salt and pepper and cook until softened, about 6 minutes.  Stir in the flour to make a roux and cook one minute.  Add the chicken broth and whisk to remove the lumps.  Turn up the heat to high and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally until the mixture thickens, about 3 minutes.  Add the cooked pancetta, cream, turkey and peas and simmer a few minutes to heat through.  Ladle the mixture into ramekins.  Roll out the pie crust dough and with a round cutter or knife cut circles a little larger than the dishes.  Lay each on top of the filling in each dish and press down the edges slightly.  Cut a slit in the top of each to allow steam to escape.  Bake in the oven until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbling, about 25 minutes.  Remove, allow to cool slightly and serve.