Day Twelve: Leftovers.

This will make you thankful for leftovers too!

I know it sounds funny to be thankful for leftovers, but I am.  It's not so much about the leftovers per se, as it is about being blessed to have such a plentiful amount of food.  I know that I am guilty of taking for granted the ample supply of edible goodness that we have in America.  From grocery stores to gas stations, and fast food to five star dining - the abundance is everywhere.

And speaking of never-ending nutrition, Thanksgiving is less than two days away.  On Thursday, families and friends around the country will sit down and feast on yummies such as turkey, ham, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, salads, homemade biscuits, pies, cookies...the list goes on.  My taste buds are already chomping at the bit.  If your family is anything like mine, you'll probably have leftover turkey coming out of your ears.  Every year it seems there is enough leftover turkey to last us until Christmas, which in turn means unless you want to spend the entire rest of the weekend eating cold turkey sandwiches, it's probably best to starting thinking up some new turkey recipes.  And that's the inspiration behind this post - well, along with everything I said in paragraph one.  Below you will find my recipe for Chicken Pot Pie, which can easily be turned into Turkey Pot Pie.  It's hearty and easy and absolutely delicious!  Once you've tasted it, you will be thankful for leftovers too!



Homemade Chicken (or Turkey) Pot Pie. 

Ingredients:

• 2 Chicken Breasts, cooked and cut into bite-size pieces. If using turkey, I'd guess about 2 - 2 1/2 cups of meat.
• Chicken Broth, 2 cans or 1 box
• Mixed Vegetables, 28oz frozen
• Onion - large, chopped
• Minced Garlic, approx 2 tbsp
• Pie Crusts, 2
• Butter, 1 stick
• Milk, 1/3 cup
• Olive Oil, a drizzle
• White Cooking Wine, a splash
• Flour, 1/3 cup
• Salt & Pepper
• Garlic Powder
• Crushed Red Pepper
• Drippings from the chicken pan.

This is the fun part - we get to put it together!  Whenever in doubt, reference the pictures...or email me with questions!  I don't measure, I just do it.  The official directions (without the pictures) are at the bottom.

Preheat your oven first.  Then toss your chicken bosoms in a skillet with olive oil, garlic powder, and salt & pepper.

 

 

 

Chop up your onion.

Mmmm, butter! 

Throw about half a stick of butter in a pan along with the chopped onion and a blob of minced garlic.  Mmmm, blob!

Throw in another chunk of butter (about a tablespoon), and season with salt, pepper and garlic powder.  You'll also want to add a splash of cooking wine too.  And at this point,  your kitchen is smelling amazing.  Go ahead, savor the scent!

Add about 3 tablespoons of flour - heaping tablespoons.  Your texture should be gooey and sticky.  Pour in your chicken broth and stir.  You're going to have to play with the texture now.  Add a couple more tablespoons of flour, and a splash of milk.  Bring to a boil, and add your vegetables.  The texture should be enough to coat the veggies nicely - smooth and silky. 

Your chicken should be nice and browned by now.  Remove from pan and add a splash of cooking wine to get all those yummy chicken drippings from the bottom of the skillet.

Chop chicken and add to your mixture.  Sprinkle a few red pepper flakes for an added kick.

I recommend taking the pie crust out of the freezer about 10 minutes prior to wanting to use it.  It's much easier to work with if it's not frozen solid.  Cut into pieces - there is no right or wrong way to do this, but I've found the above pattern works really well. 

Layer the bottom of your casserole dish with crust.  It doesn't have to be covered completely, just get a few pieces down there.  Pour mixture on top and then cover with remaining pieces of crust.  There is no art to it - just slap it on there.

Bake at 350*F for 35-45 minutes.  Let it cool for about 15 minutes before digging in.  

 

Indulge.  You can thank me later. 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350-degrees Fahrenheit.  
2. Cook chicken over medium heat - iron skillets work best if you have one.  Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder and olive oil.  Let it brown nicely on each side.  
3. In large pot, add half stick of butter with a drizzle of olive oil.  Add onion and minced garlic, along with another tablespoon or so of butter.  Shake in some salt, pepper, and garlic powder, and add a splash of cooking wine.
4. Add 2-3 heaping tablespoons of flour.  Let it come to a bubbling buttery mess, absorbing all liquid.  The texture should be thick and somewhat gooey - yes, gooey is a real cooking term. 
5. Add all of the chicken broth, and stir.  It's going to be really loose now, but don't worry, we'll fix it.  Get out a whisk and add two more heaping tablespoons of flour...one at a time.  Whisk until smooth, adding a pour (maybe 1/3 cup) of milk.  Bring to a gentle boil and check the texture.  If it hasn't thickened up by now, you'll want to add some more flour.  It should me smooth, silky and thick - like a pie filling. 
6. Taste - add salt, garlic powder and black pepper to taste. 
7. Add mixed veggies and stir.  Toss in your chicken (or turkey) and put on low heat.  If you still have the meat drippings in the pan, turn the heat up and add a splash of cooking wine.  Bring to a simmer and then scrape the drippings into your mixture.  You'll be amazed what that will do for the flavor!  Sprinkle a few red pepper flakes and give it one last stir.
8. Break out the pie crust.  I advise taking the crusts out of the freezer about 10 minutes before you're going to use them.  They are the perfect texture to work with at this point.  Cut a circle around the base of crust as if you were going to pop the bottom of the crust right out of the pan.  Cut into slice - you'll probably want to reference the pictures about now. 
9. In a large non-greased casserole dish (mine is 2 1/2 quarts), sporadically line the bottom with strips of pie crust.  You don't have to cover it...just a semi-covering will do.  Pour in mixture, and cover with remaining pie crusts.  Because it might spill over, I recommend placing dish on a foil-lined cookie sheet before placing into oven.
10. Bake on 350*F for 35-45 minutes.  Let cool for about 15 minutes before serving. 

Now tell me you're not thankful for leftovers?  Enjoy!