chicken hand pies.

here is a recipe to make from another recipe: if you’ve roasted a chicken and served some mashed potatoes and gravy, this is a cute and deeelicious way to show off your leftovers. don’t let the leftovers sit in the fridge and be like “cold mashed potatoes aren’t tasty”! put them into an individually-sized, delightful flakey-crust pie. and then eat three.

(these are so good that no one will ever know this is the ingredients’ second life. the gravy gets triple-duty here, also serving as a dipping sauce!)

makes about 20 mini pies

• leftover cooked chicken, about 2 cups, chopped
• 1 medium carrot, diced small*
• 1 cup leftover mashed potatoes*
• fresh herbs (i had parsley, rosemary and thyme leftover from roasting the chicken), about two teaspoons finely chopped
• 2 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 4 ounces frozen peas
• 2 cups leftover gravy, divided
• 2 pie crusts (4 14-inch rounds, thawed, or 2 double-crust batches of homemade)

In a large bowl, combine first 6 ingredients and one cup of the gravy (it’s ok if it’s cold and thickened). Set aside. Roll out a large round of pie dough and cut 4-inch circles from it. Continue to gather scraps and cut as many circles as you can. In the center of each circle of dough, place about 1/3 cup of filling. Fold dough over into a half-circle, gently pressing to remove any air pockets. Seal edges with the tines of a fork. Repeat with remaining dough and filling. Place in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

To bake, slide into a preheated 425-degree oven for about 20 minutes, or until crusts are golden brown and crisp. Serve with remaining chicken gravy, warmed, on the side.

To freeze, slide pan into freezer for about 6 hours, or until unbaked pies are frozen solid. Gather into a freezer bag or air-tight container and freeze for up to 2 months. Bake from frozen as directed above.

*i was skeptical of putting raw carrots in with other already-cooked ingredients. but don’t fret, the 20 minutes in the oven is all they needed to become super tender, but not mush. perfect.

**if you want to make this recipe without the prerequisite roasted chicken dinner: cube two small Yukon Gold potatoes and steam or boil them until tender. mash in the large bowl and allow to cool slightly before adding other ingredients. a purchased rotisserie chicken or cooked and cooled chicken breasts would also suffice.

turkey pot pie

am i the only one who might have still had some shredded turkey in my freezer leftover from the holidays?

or just the only one who would admit it?

i don’t care. i love discovering it and realizing it’s potential to become my most favorite, favorite thing to eat in the winter….. turkey. pot. pie.

my love for turkey pot pie began when i was small, when my mom would use up leftover turkey meat in her frugal, awesome way. some of the common reincarnations would be turkey curry over rice, turkey enchiladas, turkey noodle soup, of course — but oh the pot pie nights were really sent from heaven above. i loved the built-in gravy, the pie crust that tasted like i was eating dessert for dinner, and the tender turkey, herbed and fragrant with carrots and onions. (when i grew up, i tried those frozen Banquet pot pies, because they were 42 cents and i was hungry and broke. they are not terrible… but are always followed by a powerful thirst.)

pot pie is wonderful and pot pie becomes what you want it to become. if you like a fluffier, biscuit-like topping, you should do that. if you want it under a pie crust, buttery and flaky, you should do that. if you’re like me, you’ll only have crust on top — but you might want it on the top and the bottom of your pie. you might put mushrooms in the filling. you might make a gravy filling, or maybe a creamy filling. my version here is the best of all these things!…. if you’re wondering how that is possible, the secret is an ancient recipe called English Meat Pie Pastry… both flaky/buttery and soft/biscuity. it’s difficult to explain but it’s gorgeous and delicious. i am totally behind the English on this. and my Grandma, who forbade me to make meat pies with any other crust.

can’t argue that.

adapted from America’s Test Kitchen

this recipe makes one giant 9 x 13 pot pie with a hearty crust on top to feed a crowd — or a smaller 2-quart baking dish pie and four small individual pies.

adding the small amount of cream gives this pie a wonderful richness, but omitting the cream and swapping the butter for olive oil makes this dish dairy-free.

• 3 tablespoons butter or olive oil
• 3 medium carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise and sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 2 celery stalks, washed and sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 1/2 pound mushrooms (any variety), washed of loose dirt and sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• minced fresh thyme (about 2 teaspoons) or a sprinkle of dried thyme
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1/4 cup heavy cream (optional)
• 2 dried or fresh bay leaves
• 3 cups leftover shredded or chopped turkey meat
• 1 cup frozen peas (not thawed)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• english meat pie pastry (recipe below)

heat the butter or olive oil in a big heavy pot over medium heat. add carrots, celery, onion, mushrooms and a sprinkling of salt; cook 6 – 7 minutes, until softened. add the garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. add the flour and stir.

slowly whisk in the wine, scraping the bottom of the pot; then add broth, cream (if desired) and bay leaves. simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. add the chicken and cook until heated through, 6 – 7 minutes more. remove from heat, discard bay leaves and stir in frozen peas and parsley.

pour into your baking vessel(s) of choice.

to bake, roll out the pastry to fit the top(s), and press gently to seal edges against baking dish. slice a few vents in the pastry to allow steam to escape. bake in a 425-degree oven for 20 – 30 minutes, until bubbling and the crust is golden brown.

to freeze, allow filling to cool, then top with pastry, slicing a few steam vents. cover tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. bake un-thawed at 425 for 45-60 minutes, or until crust is golden brown.

english meat pie pastry

i always find mixing hot water with shortening a little odd and awkward… but this works better than it sounds like it will!

sift together 2 cups flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder and 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. in a medium bowl, add 1/2 cup hot water to 2/3 cup shortening; stir. add 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 1 egg yolk. mix these together the best you can, then add to the flour mixture. when dough has come together, pat into a disc and chill, about 2 hours until cold.