Turkey Pot Pies

This was such a nice Mother's Day weekend. Nothing ever feels lovlier than having one's children and their families in the house. And what a fun surprise from my husband!! He brought home a new pup tonight. Will post new puppy pictures tomorrow.

For now I will share this recipe for Turkey Pot Pie. I adapted the recipe from a cookbook that was the 1975 edition of the Dubois County Extension Homemakers, "Here's What's Cookin' of which my Grandma Elsie Neukam was a member. She gave my sisters and I all copies that year. It is great and has all sorts of unusual household hints and recipes you just don't come across often.

Here is what you'll need:

6 T. butter
1/2 C. flour
4 C. turkey broth
1 C. cream
1 1/2 -2 t. salt (you need to taste as it will depend on how salty the broth is)
1/4 t. pepper
3-4 C. cubed cooked turkey
2 C. peas
1 1/2 C. diced carrots
1/2 C. diced celery
1 turkey carcass

After you have carved most of the meat from the turkey, break the carcass into pieces. Place the bones, skin, and scraps from the turkey into a stock pot and cover with water. Boil for at least an hour to make the broth. Remove the meat from the bones, strain the broth and measure. If you have too much liquid boil to reduce to 4 cups. If you are short broth add water and enrich the broth with chicken stock soup base. Set aside.

Melt the butter for the filling in a large saucepan. Add the celery and carrots and stir fry for about 5 minutes until the carrots are tender crisp. Blend in the flour and add the broth, cream, and seasoning. Cook until thickened. Stir constantly. Add the peas and turkey and heat thoroughly.

Put in a casserole, deep dish pie pan, or individual dishes. Top with your favorite pastry top crust or place biscuits side by side on top of filling.

Top crust or biscuits:

2 C. flour
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
2/3 C. shortening
2/3 C. milk

Mix flour, salt, and baking powder, cut in shortening. Add milk and mix lightly. Put on floured board and roll out for top crust or cut out for biscuits. Place on top of filling. Bake at 400 degree F preheated oven for about 10 minutes until brown.

Note: I used pastry instead of the biscuits. Pastry for three crusts, 10/29/10. I baked them 45 minutes at 350 degrees F preheated oven. Yield 6 pot pies.

We baked 2 and froze 4 for another day. We got 4 meals, one meal for 9 people and 3 meals for 2 from one turkey breast. That is a lot of meals for not a lot of money!!!