We’re about done eating our Thanksgiving leftovers.

It’s actually kind of surprising to me that we have any leftovers at all. We had 25 people at our Thanksgiving dinner. I wasn’t planning on making turkey; someone else had signed up for that job. As I watched the guest list grow and grow, I worried that our original idea of 19 pounds of turkey would not be enough. So, last week I thawed, brined and slathered a turkey in herby butter.

The smell of roasting poultry filled the apartment.

And then we didn’t eat it.

It wasn’t needed. We had enough. Suddenly I found myself left with 13 pounds of roast turkey. What to do? I didn’t want to eat turkey sandwiches for the rest of my life. How could I utilize this meat in a way that didn’t feel like leftovers.

I happened to have some extra pie crust in my fridge, and that’s when I thought of it…turkey pot pie!

And, oooh mama! What came out of my oven that night was the most mantagical concoction ever! A culinary masterpiece.

Poultry pastry perfection.

I’ve decided it needs to be shared with you. Who knows, you might have some turkey pining away in your refrigerator, waiting to be used in a new way. Or, you could be searching out that perfect winter meal for guests. Either way, you want to make this dish! I promise.

Mantagical Turkey Pot Pie

{Ingredients}

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter (yes, a whole stick, it’s worth it, trust me)
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
1 rib celery, sliced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup flour
4 cups chicken stock
1 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup heavy cream
3 cups cooked turkey, chopped (or a 2-lb rotisserie chicken, shredded)
1 can corn, drained
2 pkgs store-bought pie crust rolled out (or if you have the time, make from scratch)

{Directions}

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, celery, and bell peppers, and saute until tender, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the flour and stir together until it becomes pasty and lump-free, about 2 minutes.

Stir in the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Simmer broth for 5 minutes to reduce. Add the wine, and reduce again another 5 minutes.

Add the heavy cream, turkey (chicken) and corn. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer.

On a well floured surface, lay out the dough. Cut out dough to fit inside oven-proof bowls or individual casseroles. Poke holes in the bottom crust with a fork.

Ladle the filling into the pie crust. Place on baking sheet. (Important! Because it tends to run over the sides and you don’t want to clean that off your oven floor)

Cut out dough to fit over the top of the bowl/casserole, with about 1/2-inches overhanging the sides. Crimp the dough over the edge to create a seal with the bottom crust. Brush with an egg wash and make slits on the top.

Bake for 35 minutes, or until golden brown and filling is bubbly. Remove from the oven and wait to eat for at least 5 minutes because the filling will be the temperature of the sun or molten lava.