Turkey Potpie

After Thanksgiving, we do a lot of turkey sandwiches, and as the love for those sandwiches begins to wane, I cut up the remainder of the turkey, saute some veggies, make a quick white sauce from a basic roux, drape a pie crust over the top of my cast iron skillet, throw it in the oven and cook until the sauce is thickened, the veggies are soft and the crust is brown and golden. It never fails to disappear in one fell swoop, and this year was no exception. In fact, I was asked why I didn't make more. There was talk of buying another turkey for the sole purpose of making another turkey potpie. Good grief. Instead, I bought some turkey cutlets (turkey breast would work also), did a simple roast in the oven on them, cut them up and whipped up another potpie this afternoon for lunch after church. Not surprisingly, it's already gone. But it was tasty! And really, quite easy to whip up. Of course, you could make it with chicken, beef or even pork. And use the veggies you have on hand. I had the basics. I do believe that mushrooms are a necessity, but if you don't like mushrooms, you can make it without them. Make this potpie full of things you love.

Also, you could easily make your own pie crust...I often do, but I do like Trader Joe's refrigerated pie crust, and I tend to use one of theirs to make this meal go even faster.

Turkey Potpie
Ingredients:
1/2 large onion, chopped finely (or 1 medium onion)
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
4 sage leaves, chopped finely
8 oz. mushrooms, quartered
1 lb. cooked turkey, chopped into cubes
3 tbs. butter
2 tbs. flour
2 cups non-fat milk
Freshly grated nutmeg
1 pie crust
Salt & pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. In a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, add 1 tbs. butter. When it begins to foam, add the celery, carrots, onions, sage and mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper. Saute until they begin to soften, about 7-8 minutes. Add the turkey and continue cooking for another 3-5 minutes until the turkey is heated through.

3. Meanwhile, in another pot over medium-high heat, add 2 tbs. butter and heat until foaming. Add the 2 tbs. flour and whisk until the flour is dissolved. Cook for 1 minute (stirring constantly). Slowly add the milk, while whisking constantly. Once all the milk has been added, continue cooking while the sauce thickens. Grate in a little fresh nutmeg and season with salt and pepper. When the sauce has thickened slightly, add it to the vegetable and turkey mixture. It will bubble (see pictures). Let it cook down for 1-2 minutes.

4. Roll out the pie crust until it will fit over the top of the skillet. Lay it gently over the top of the skillet. Don't worry if it doesn't look perfect. It doesn't matter. Pinch a bit around the corners so it stays in place.

5. Put the skillet in the oven and cook for 25-30 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.