Seeing as you can order a “Thanksgiving sandwich” at local eateries year-round, consider swapping out the usual stack of leftovers between slices of bread for a dish that’s nearly as simple and far more indulgent: a creamy pot pie that uses leftover veggies and turkey alike. We first heard about this dish from chef Matthew Miller while previewing the newly opened Trademark in Alexandria, and couldn’t resist asking for the recipe.
“It’s as easy as taking yesterday’s dinner, putting it in a pan, and putting pastry on top,” says Miller of the pot pie. The British-born toque suggests using leftover sweet potato and green beans in addition to shredded turkey and gravy, though you can substitute any Thanksgiving vegetables you see fit. And if you’ve managed to sop up all your giblet sauce the day before, don’t worry; just stir in ⅓ cup of flour after you’ve sautéed the leeks, garlic, and celery, and then slowly stir in 1¾ cups turkey broth.
Thanksgiving Leftover Pot Pie
Serves four
Ingredients
Filling
⅓ cup butter
⅓ cup leeks, chopped
⅓ cup celery, ¼-inch dice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1¾ cup gravy
⅔ cup milk (if you’re using a cream-based gravy, you can skip or reduce the amount of milk)
1 pound turkey meat, pulled
1 cup cooked sweet potato, ⅓-inch dice
1 cup green beans, cooked or raw
¼ teaspoon black pepper
Kosher salt to taste
Crust
¼ cup yellow onions, ¼-inch dice
1 tablespoon fresh sage, finely chopped
2 teaspoons butter
1 sheet of store-bought puff pastry
Egg wash
1 egg
¼ cup milk
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Make the filling: In a saucepan over medium heat, cook leeks, garlic, and celery in butter until soft and translucent. Slowly stir in gravy and milk. Simmer over medium-low heat until it thickens slightly. Remove from heat and set aside. Mix the turkey and vegetables into the saucepan with the gravy, and adjust seasoning to taste. Pour mixture into a 9-inch square or circular baking dish.
Make the crust: Sauté onions and sage in butter, until soft and translucent. Set aside to cool. Gently lay puff pastry sheet on a floured surface, and sprinkle the onion mixture over one half. Fold up the other half of the pastry to cover the half coated in onion, and seal the edges by pushing down firmly. Gently roll pastry out until it is about the size of the baking dish.
Pick up pastry and gently place over the baking dish and brush the edges with egg wash to seal them. Cut a 2-inch cross in the middle of the pastry to allow steam to escape. Brush egg wash over the pastry. Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Anna Spiegel covers the dining and drinking scene in her native DC. Prior to joining Washingtonian in 2010, she attended the French Culinary Institute and Columbia University’s MFA program in New York, and held various cooking and writing positions in NYC and in St. John, US Virgin Islands.
