Saturday, November 29, 2008

Individual Potpies - Chicken or Turkey?

So Thanksgiving is over, and now we have plenty of leftover turkey, stock, herbs and other goodies that we could make into something yummy.
I found this recipe in Sunset Magazine, and I made it with chicken before. I am not a big fan of potpies but this one was actually very good. And I think I liked it because it has mushrooms and thyme, those add a hint of earthiness to the potpie. So today, I was trying to figure out something for dinner to incorporate the leftovers, and I decided to make the potpies, but I will use the leftover turkey. Also instead of making those biscuits I will use the Pillsbury biscuits, that I have in the fridge. And if you don't have individual dishes, you can just put in a 9x9 square pan, and top with biscuits. This recipe makes 6-7 individual servings.

Ingredients
  • 2 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken stock
  • 3 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
  • 2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and finely chopped (I will skip the potatoes)
  • 1 stalk celery, finely chopped
  • 4 tablespoons salted butter
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 12 small cremini or button mushrooms, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
  • 5 tablespoons
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • 2 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken, preferably a mixture of white and dark meat (see Notes)
  • 1/4 cup frozen sweet peas
Biscuits
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 cups four
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed
  • 1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
  • 2 teaspoons minced fresh sage
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp. well-shaken buttermilk
  • Egg wash (1 egg yolk whisked with 1 tbsp. milk)

1. In a medium saucepan over high heat, bring chicken stock to a boil. Add carrots, potatoes, and celery. Lower heat to medium and cook until vegetables are tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain vegetables, reserving stock; set both aside separately.

2. In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt salted butter over medium heat. Add onion and cook until golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook 5 minutes. Add fresh thyme and 5 tbsp. flour and cook 2 minutes. Slowly add milk, whisking constantly, until combined, then add stock and cook, stirring often, until mixture thickens, 8 to 10 minutes. Season with nutmeg, 1 tsp. salt, and pepper to taste. Add parsley, chicken, cooked vegetables, and peas and divide filling evenly among 6 or 7 ovenproof containers (8 to 10 oz. each), leaving the top 1/4 in. unfilled.

3. Preheat oven to 425°. To make biscuit topping, sift remaining 2 cups flour with baking powder, baking soda, and remaining 1 tsp. salt. Using your fingers or a pastry cutter, work in unsalted butter to form a coarse meal, working quickly to keep the butter from warming up and melting into the dough. Stir in cheese and sage. In a separate bowl, whisk together egg and buttermilk and add to the flour mixture, stirring gently until a shaggy dough forms.

4. Lightly flour a counter, a rolling pin, and your hands. Divide dough into 2 balls. Roll out first ball to a 1/4-in. thickness, then use a 2 1/2-in. biscuit cutter to cut into rounds, scraping and rerolling dough as needed. Repeat with second ball.

5. Place 3 rounds of dough on each potpie, overlapping as necessary (any unused rounds can be baked on their own as biscuits). Brush dough with egg wash, put potpies on a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil, and bake until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbling, 17 to 22 minutes.

{Recipe from Sunset Magazine}

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