Matzo Topped Turkey Pot Pie

Our first night Passover dinner always includes turkey. My grandmother served turkey on Passover, my Mom did too and so I follow our family tradition.

Also, because we are a family where some of us eat dark meat and some eat white, I roast a whole turkey (instructions here).

I change the seasonings and basting fluids from time to time. Sometimes I flavor the bird with Balsamic vinegar-ginger-pineapple and sometimes with sweet white wine and thyme, sometimes a simple sprinkle of salt, pepper, garlic and parika and a cup or two of orange juice.

My daughter Gillian is our family carver. She is so adept at carving turkey that in another century she would have had a job at some royal household or other.

There is always leftover turkey.

That means we have turkey pot pie at some point during the holiday.

Here’s my recipe for Passover Turkey Pie. Matzo crust of course!

Matzo Topped Turkey Pot Pie

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 medium onion, sliced

• 4 carrots, peeled and sliced 1/2-inch thick

• 2 medium all-purpose potatoes, peeled and cut into bite size chunks

• 4 cups chopped cooked turkey

• 1-1/2 to 2 cups leftover chopped cooked vegetables

• 2-1/2 tablespoons potato starch

• 3 cups stock

• matzo

• 1 large egg

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes. Add the carrots and potatoes and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add the turkey and vegetables and stir to distribute the ingredients evenly. Sprinkle the potato starch on top and mix it into the ingredients. Pour in the stock and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened slightly. Spoon the ingredients into a casserole dish. Depending on the size of the casserole, soak one or two sheets of matzo in cool water briefly to soften the pieces. Press out extra liquid with paper towels. Place the matzo on top of the ingredients. Brush with beaten egg. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until crispy on top.

Makes 4-6 servings

Pot Pie

Is it too early to think about Thanksgiving?

Not for me. For the first time in a few years — Covid!!!! — I am finally having my old, usual crew for dinner. My family plus my brother and sister-in-law, their kids and one grand.

HURRAH!!!

So, I am already planning the menu and doing what I can ahead.

With all those people at the feast there may not be any leftover turkey this year. But just in case — I’ll use the meat for pot pie.

I make pot pie a lot because with only Ed and me for dinner most nights, there are leftovers all the time and pot pie is one of Ed’s favorites.

The recipe below is more or less the one I use. I change the herb, depending on what I have (I’ve used dill, basil, marjoram) and of course the veggies change depending on what’s also leftover or what’s in the fridge produce bin. You need about 3-4 cups of veggies plus the potato and onion.

Sometimes I make this without the meat — just add some more vegetables.

Thanksgiving leftovers? For sure. But why wait? This versatile recipe is an all-year handy one. Bonus: you can freeze pot pie to serve when you want to just pop something in the oven for dinner. Place the dough on top and freeze. Then, thaw and bake.

Pot Pie

• 2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil

• 1 medium onion, chopped

• 1 medium Yukon Gold or other Eastern potato

• 2 carrots, sliced 1/4-inch thick

• 2 stalks celery, sliced 1/4-inch thick

• 1 cup bite-size zucchini chunks

• 1 cup corn kernels or peas

• 3 cups bite-size chopped cooked chicken, turkey, beef or veal

• 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 3 cups chicken stock

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

• 2 teaspoons chopped thyme leaves

• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

• pie dough or thawed frozen puff pastry sheets

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Heat the vegetable oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, for 2-3 minutes or until softened. Add the potato, carrots and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes. Add the zucchini, corn and chicken and stir to distribute the ingredients evenly. Sprinkle the flour over the ingredients and stir to mix it in completely. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently to let the flour absorb into the other ingredients. Pour in the stock gradually, stirring constantly. Raise the heat and bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer the ingredients, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes or until the sauce has thickened. Stir in the parsley and thyme and sprinkle to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon the filling into a baking dish. Cover with the pie dough or puff pastry. Seal the edges to the dish. Cut 2-3 slits in the crust to allow steam to escape. Bake for about 35 minutes or until the crust is crispy and golden brown.

Makes 4 servings

Turkey Pot Pie

Our Thanksgiving celebration this year won’t be like any other. No kids or grandkids. No extended family. Just my brother and sister-in-law, who have committed to stay more or less quarantined so the four of us can have as safe a Thanksgiving dinner as possible, distanced even in my house.

Nevertheless, I am still thankful. So far everyone is okay. And although we are sad we won’t all get together, we are all in accord that we remain dug in until it’s safe to do otherwise. We look forward to — maybe Passover?

Still — I will make a more or less classic Thanksgiving dinner. Including roasted turkey, sweet potatoes, baked cranberries, stuffing, Brussels sprouts and pumpkin pie.

And of course there will be more leftovers than usual this year.

So: turkey pot pie is likely to be in the menu soon after the holiday.

Turkey Pot Pie

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 1 medium onion, chopped

• 2 carrots, sliced 1/4-inch thick

• 2 stalks celery, sliced 1/4-inch thick

• 1 cup cut up broccoli (bite-size)

• 1 cup zucchini chunks (bite-size)

• 4 cups chopped cooked turkey

• 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 3 cups chicken stock

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

• pie dough or thawed frozen puff pastry sheets

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat the vegetable oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, for 2-3 minutes or until softened. Add the carrots, celery and broccoli and cook for 2 minutes. Add the zucchini and turkey and stir to distribute the ingredients evenly. Sprinkle the flour over the ingredients and stir to mix it in completely. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently. Pour in the stock gradually, stirring constantly. Raise the heat and bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer the ingredients, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes or until the sauce has thickened. Stir in the dill. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon the filling into a baking dish. Cover with the pie dough or puff pastry. Seal the edges to the dish. Cut 2-3 slits in the crust to allow steam to escape. Bake for about 35 minutes or until crispy and golden brown.

Makes 4 servings