Pot pie recipes using holiday leftovers
The holidays are a time of amazing meals - and amazing leftovers. Sometimes I think I like leftovers just as much as the original meal. They can be so much more than something to reheat at lunch for the next several days. One of my favorite ways to use up leftover holiday meat is to make pot pie. While chicken pot pie may be the best known, you can certainly make pot pie from just about any meat left over from your holiday feast. Lamb and beef make excellent pot pies.
Get creative with your pot pies
You may also think about a pot pie as containing, in addition to the meat, only carrots, peas and corn, but pot pies offer so much more versatility than that! Just about any vegetable can go in a pot pie.
Pot pie filling ideas
- Sauteed kale or spinach
- Artichoke hearts
- Leeks
- Carrots and parsnips (steamed to al dente in the microwave)
- Celery
- Mushrooms
- Peppers
- Potatoes
- Corn
- Peas
- Chunks of winter or summer squash
Basically, whatever you have on hand can go into your pot pie. You can make them meat-rich or vegetarian.
Holiday Leftover Pot Pie
It's a seriously delicious reason to create leftovers!
Ingredients
- 2 to 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 to 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- About 1 cup milk
- Low-sodium stock compatible with your filling and/or wine
- Meat or poultry, chopped or shredded into bite-sized pieces (optional)
- Herbs of choice
- Chopped, cooked vegetables
- Prepared puff pastry dough, thawed
Directions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 to 3 tablespoons butter. Sprinkle in an equal amount of flour and, whisking constantly, let cook until it gives off a nutty aroma (essentially, you are making a roux).
- Slowly whisk in a cup or so of milk. Let it come to a simmer and thicken. You can, at this point, add some stock and/or wine if you want more liquid volume for your pot pie. Add conservatively or you will end up with soup.
- Add herbs of your choice, let simmer for just a few moments, then check the seasoning. Add salt and pepper, if necessary.
- Add all the filling ingredients into this sauce, and give it several good stirs to make sure everything is evenly moistened. Pour filling into an appropriately-sized casserole dish.
- Carefully roll the puff pastry dough a few times so that any creases that are the result of freezing are repaired. Place the dough over the casserole (or mostly over the casserole, depending on the shape), and seal the edges. Create a few steam vents with a sharp knife and prick the surface of the dough all over with a fork.
- Bake about 30 minutes or until the pastry is golden and liquid bubbles up through the steam vents a bit. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
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