Description
This Garlic Bread Leftover Turkey Pot Pie is a comforting and delicious way to repurpose leftover turkey, combining tender turkey and vegetables in a creamy sauce topped with buttery garlic bread and melted cheese. Perfect for a cozy dinner, it features browned mushrooms, a rich roux-based sauce, and a crunchy herb-garlic bread topping baked until golden and bubbly.
Ingredients
Scale
Filling
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 150g / 5 oz mushrooms, sliced 1/2cm / 1/5″ thick
- 50g / 4 tbsp butter
- 1 onion, finely chopped (brown, white, yellow)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 carrot, peeled, chopped into 1cm / 1/3″ pieces
- 4 tbsp plain/all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 cups milk (any fat % fine)
- 4 cups (600g) cooked chopped turkey or chicken
- 1 1/2 cups frozen peas
- 1 tsp chicken or vegetable stock powder (or 1 cube, preferably Vegeta powder)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Garlic Bread Topping
- 50g / 4 tbsp salted butter
- 2 garlic cloves, minced using garlic press
- 5 packed cups bread chunks ~2.5cm / 1″ cubes (preferably soft bread like sandwich bread or rolls)
- 2 tbsp parmesan cheese, grated (optional)
- 1 cup mozzarella or other melting cheese, shredded or sliced (enough to cover most of the top)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Set your oven to 180°C / 350°F (all oven types) to preheat while you prepare the pie.
- Prepare Topping: Stir together melted salted butter and minced garlic in a small bowl. Place the bread chunks in a separate bowl, drizzle the garlic butter over them, and toss to coat evenly. Set aside.
- Brown Mushrooms: Heat olive oil in an oven-proof skillet over high heat. Add sliced mushrooms and cook for about 4 minutes or until they turn golden brown. Remove mushrooms from the skillet and set aside.
- Sauté Aromatics: Reduce heat to medium-high and melt butter in the same skillet. Add finely chopped onion and minced garlic, cooking for 2 minutes until softened and fragrant. Add the chopped carrot and cook for an additional 1 minute.
- Add Flour: Sprinkle flour over the vegetables and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently to create a roux. The mixture will look pasty and possibly dry; this is normal.
- Make Roux and Add Milk: Gradually pour in half of the milk while stirring quickly to dissolve the flour paste into a smooth mixture. Add the remaining milk and continue stirring. Sprinkle in the stock powder, salt, and black pepper, stirring to combine.
- Thicken Sauce: Cook the sauce for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring regularly. The sauce should steam and bubble slightly and thicken to coat the back of a wooden spoon; you can draw a line through the sauce as a test.
- Add Turkey, Peas, and Mushrooms: Stir in the cooked chopped turkey, frozen peas, and browned mushrooms until everything is evenly mixed into the sauce.
- Assemble Topping: Spread the garlic buttered bread chunks evenly over the surface of the turkey filling in the skillet. If using, sprinkle grated parmesan cheese on top, followed by a layer of shredded or sliced mozzarella or other melting cheese to cover most of the top.
- Bake: Place the skillet in the preheated oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the cheese develops golden brown spots. To prevent the cheese from sticking to foil, tent lightly with foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes if desired for thorough heating and melting.
- Serve: Optionally sprinkle with extra parmesan cheese before serving warm. Enjoy this comforting pot pie straight from the skillet.
Notes
- Use soft breads like sandwich bread, rolls, or hamburger buns for topping; avoid dense artisan sourdough with a thick crust for best texture.
- An oven-proof 26cm (10.25 inch) cast iron skillet works perfectly; alternatively, use a 2.5 liter (2.5 quart) casserole dish.
- If sauce is too runny after combining filling ingredients, reheat gently on stovetop to thicken to your preference. Adding cheese can also help thicken the sauce.
- Refrigerate leftovers for up to 5 days. Reheat covered in the oven for best texture or use a microwave.
- Nutritional values are approximate per serving, assuming 6 servings.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 of recipe
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 22 g
- Cholesterol: 65 mg
