Farmers Market Turkey Pot Pie

Turkey tetrazzini. Turkey chili. Turkey sandwiches. Straight-up turkey. A few days after Christmas and you're still wondering what to do with the leftover turkey? Not quite ready for soup? I don't know about you, but I need to get it out of my refrigerator to make room for New Year's ham. 

Here’s a pot pie recipe inspired by Martha Stewart that doesn’t use pastry or mashed potatoes. The topping is thinly sliced potatoes brushed with evoo. It is easier to get uniform thin slices using a mandoline, but patience and a sharp knife will do the trick. I used fingerling and baby potatoes because I used mini-ramekins. I love mini-ramekins, mini anythings. I have a cabinet full of tasting vessels. Use red potatoes if using a casserole.

The recipe title has "Farmers Market" in it. Did you know that Salem has its own? I bought the squash, onion and carrots there. I actually buy lots of produce and goods there. It's amazing how long freshly-pulled-from-the-ground greens and root vegetables last. I have kale in my frig that is a month old and is as crisp as the day I bought it. I try lots of recipes using fresh ingredients from the market.

I used pancetta in this recipe - it adds a nice smoky, salty flavor. You can find it in your local grocer, but you can also buy it sliced fresh from Tuscan Market. You can substitute with bacon.

Need a vegetarian/vegan option? Easy. Just eliminate the turkey and pancetta, and add some more veggies.

Depending on how you fill each ramekin, this makes 10-12 4-oz ramekiins, 20-24 2-oz ramekins or a 2 qt casserole.

What you need:

• 1 lb butternut squash, cut into 1/2″ pieces
• 2 c vegetable stock
• 2 tbs unsalted butter, divided
• 4 tbs EVOO, divided
• 1 lb mushrooms, washed, destemmed and chopped (try a mix of different mushrooms to increase the flavor: Portobello, shitake mushrooms, etc)
• 1 lg Vidalia onion,chopped
• 4 oz pancetta, chopped
• 1/3 c flour
• 1/3 c water
• 2 c cooked turkey, shredded or chopped into 1/2″ chunks
• 1 lb carrots, peeled and thinly sliced into coins
• 15 fingerling potatoes, peeled and sliced thin (or 6 red potatoes, if using casserole dish)
• 5 sage leaves, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• Freshly ground sea salt and black pepper, to taste

What you do:

• Heat oven to 375°.
• Prepare individual ramekins (either with butter or spray).
• In lg saucepan add butternut squash and stock.
• Bring to boil and cook until squash is just tender.
• Drain, reserving liquid, and set aside.
• In lg sauté pan melt 1 tbs butter and 1 tbs EVOO.
• Add mushrooms, and salt and pepper to taste.
• Sauté over high heat until golden, about 5 minutes.
• Transfer to bowl.
• Add remaining butter and 1 tbs EVOO to sauté pan.
• Add onion, pancetta, garlic and sage.
• Cook until caramelizing begins, about 5 minutes.
• Remove from heat.
• Add mushrooms to onion mixture.
• Add 1/2 c reserved stock to sauté pan.
• In sm bowl, whisk flour and water to form roux.
• Add roux to mushroom mixture and bring to boil over med heat, stirring constantly.
• Add turkey, squash and carrots.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Spoon mixture into ramekins (or casserole).
• Arrange potatoes over mixture to form spiral circle, starting at edges and working towards center of dish, overlapping each slice by 3/4.
• Brush with remaining EVOO and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Bake until potatoes are golden (about 40-45 min for ramekins;1 hour for casserole).