Flaky Creamy Leftover Pot Pie

There’s always leftovers. When most people say leftovers, you may think a holiday feast. That isn’t always the case. There can be leftovers any night of the week. It’s why Tupperware was invented. But, for whatever reason, and for whenever it was, you’ve got some bird left in the fridge the next day. So we’re going to make flaky creamy leftover pot pie

You can do a lot with leftovers. I used to take whatever was left and mix it with rice, always works, right. But, with a little bit more work, a golden flaky outside containing a creamy hearty inside can be put on the plate. The answer seems pretty simple. Now, this particular recipe is for bird. I say bird, as in turkey, chicken or any bird, could be pheasant, partridge or duck, just has to be a bird. Although the recipe isn’t that far removed for red meat. But that’s a different post

I just want to add at this point, if you have leftover bird, there’s probably bones. Don’t throw them out. Save them, you can put them in the freezer. When you have enough, put them in the slow cooker for a few hours and you’ll have a delicious stock.

The key to a pot pie is the creamy filling.

Some of you may argue a golden crust, but I say a creamy filling, and, it’s my post. Actually, the golden flaky crust is important, it’s the first thing you see, but I’m using store bought crust. I’m making the filling. If you’re good at making pastry, well, have at it, but still use a decent pie dish. You have my respect, I’m not very good at it.

So, getting back to the creamy filling. It’s the combination of fat, flour and milk. You may know it as a Roux. It’s correct name is a Béchamel Sauce. It’s actually French. One of the five French sauces taught in French cuisine. And speaking of French cuisine, were also going to have aromatics in the pie, that are called Mirepoix. There’s a lot of stuff going on here. But, with a little organization, the most delicious, golden, flaky, creamy leftover pot pie will be created

Lets talk aromatics.

We have a Mirepoix of carrots, celery and potato. We’ll cook them separately and add them to the filling. We’re also going to have fennel and garlic that will be part of the Béchamel sauce. I’m using fennel instead of onion. You may ask why. Well a member of my family is somewhat averse to onions, she likes the flavor but not the texture, and they don’t like her. I did a little internet searching and found fennel as a replacement, it works well. So, it’s not unusual for some family members or guests to have an issue with an ingredient, it could be an allergy. There are always options with a little research. If you want, feel free to use onions instead. There’s always options.

So, I had mentioned that a little organization is the key here. If you prep everything before you start the cooking process, it’ll be a breeze. You’ll be able to concentrate on the process, not the prep.

There’s no frozen in this recipe, so we’re going to par cook the veggies. Cut the carrot, celery and potato small and put in a bowl and set aside. Now, cut the fennel and the garlic, set them aside. Pour out the milk and broth, set them aside in a single container. Measure 1/3 cup flour (don’t press it into the measuring spoon, just gently scoop, and slide off excess with a knife) Set your out your crust in the pie tin with the top crust ready. Set aside 2 1/2 cups of leftovers cut small. Put the pie crust in a pie dish. There, that’s all our ingredients, prepped and ready to go.

Starting the process

In a 2qt saucepan melt the butter over a medium heat, when melted, add the fennel and the garlic, cover, stirring occasionally. Cook till soft, about 15 mins, keep an eye on it so it doesn’t burn. At the same time, heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a pan over medium heat, add the vegetables, stirring to coat in oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, cover and let cook. You’ll need to stir occasionally, potatoes tend to stick, you can turn them to low.

When the fennel is cooked, add the flour, and stir constantly. The secret to a roux is to constantly stirring to prevent clumping. The butter flour mixture will start to bubble a bit, keep the heat on low, and just keep stirring. Cook while stirring for 5 mins to make sure the flour is cooked. Then add the milk, stock mixture, a little at a time, while stirring to prevent clumping, when all the liquid is added, keep stirring, raise the heat to medium high, till it starts to bubble, transfer to a bowl big enough to hold all the ingredients. Now add the vegetables from the pan and the cut up leftovers, mix well.

Building the pie

Ok, now the filling is done, pour the contents of the bowl into the pie crust. Brush a little beaten egg on the edges of the pie crust and put the top crust on. Gently press the top crust onto the pie crust where you brushed the egg. It’s the glue that will help seal the pie crust to the top. Brush the top with more of the beaten egg, this will make it golden, cut a few slits in the top crust to vent, put in a preheated 400 degree oven for about 45-50 mins, well, till the crust is golden brown. If the edges start to burn a bit before the crust is ready, wrap a little foil on the edges

When done, remove from the oven too cool for a few minutes before serving. It will have a beautiful golden flaky creamy leftover pot pie. Now, this is the way to enjoy leftovers. Bon Appetit, and thank you for trying the recipe