Recipe: Yankee turkey pot pie

Old-fashioned pot pies called for a deep baking dish lined with a baked pastry crust. The meat was added with herbs from the garden and cooked vegetables were blended in. Topped with more pastry, soda biscuits, or dumplings, the pie was baked to bubbly goodness. Here we update the recipe and make it quicker, using frozen puff pastry as a crisp topper to a luscious pot pie baked in a deep dish without the need for a pastry liner.

1 sheet frozen puff pastry dough (from a 17.3-ounce package)
1 1/2 cups After-Thanksgiving Turkey Stock (recipe on next page) or canned low-sodium chicken broth
1 large carrot, peeled, halved lengthwise, and thinly sliced
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, wiped or brushed clean and quartered
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup heavy (whipping) cream
3 cups diced roast turkey (1/2-inch dice)
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Kosher or sea salt
Freshly ground pepper

Remove 1 of the pastry sheets from the package and let thaw at room temperature for 30 minutes. Tightly seal the remaining pastry and freeze for another use.

Meanwhile, make the filling: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Have ready an 8-cup round baking dish about 2 inches deep, or use a 10-inch cast-iron skillet with 2-inch sides, and make the filling right in the skillet.

In a saucepan over medium heat, bring the stock to a boil. Add the carrot and cook until crisp-tender, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the carrot to a plate and set aside. Remove the stock from the heat and set aside.

In a 10-inch skillet, melt the butter with the oil over medium heat until the butter foams. Add the onion and sauté until it begins to soften, about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and sauté until they just begin to brown, about 3 minutes longer. Sprinkle the flour over the onion-mushroom mixture and stir to blend in. Slowly stir in the stock, bring to a simmer, and cook, stirring, until smooth and thickened, about 2 minutes. Add the cream, stir to blend, and bring to a simmer. Add the carrots, turkey, and parsley. Stir to combine. Return the mixture to a simmer, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from the heat. Spoon the filling into the baking dish, or leave it in the cast-iron skillet you cooked the filling in.

Unfold the sheet of puff pastry and lay it flat on a lightly floured work surface. Roll out the puff pastry to an 11-inch square, trimming the edges with a paring knife to form a circle. Cut three 2-inch-long slits in the center of the dough. Carefully place the dough over the filling, centering it. Firmly press the edges of the dough against the sides of the baking dish or cast-iron skillet. Bake until the dough is nicely browned and puffed, about 25 minutes. Serve immediately.

Serves 6