Chicken or Turkey Pot pie

Prep time: 30 minutes

Yield: 6-8 portions

Cook time: 30 minutes
Can be frozen
Bake time: 15 minutes
INGREDIENTS

Filling

  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 medium onion, minced
  • 3 celery stalks, diced
  • 4 medium carrots, diced
  • 3 garlic glove, minced
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 1 cup of frozen green peas
  • 4 cups of diced cooked chicken or turkey
  • 1 tablespoon green or pickled chili (optional) 
  • 2 tablespoons flour

Béchamel (sauce)

  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 tablespoon flour
  • 1 cup heavy cream (whipping cream)
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Assembly

  • Half a pack of phyllo pastry
  • 2 tablespoons butter
TIPS
  • Perfect dish for leftover Thanksgiving or Christmas dinners.
    • Use your leftovers chicken or turkey.
    • Use already cooked carrots and/or peas add them to your filling. This will reduce your cooking time.
    • Use your leftover gravy by adding it to the béchamel. make sure you taste your food so it does not get too salty.
  • Don’t feel intimidated by phyllo dough. This dish requires minimum skills. You simply need to bunch the dough.
STEPS

Filling

  1. Take your phyllo pastry out of the freezer to thaw. Keep it wrapped until ready to use.
  2. Place a medium pot over medium heat and melt butter.
  3. Mince onion and add to pot to brown. 
  4. Dice celery and carrots and minced garlic and add to onion.
  5. Add flour and stir to combine.
  6. Add chicken stock and let cook until carrots tender, but still have a bit of crunch. Takes about 15 minutes. Liquid should reduce by about half.
  7. Add peas and cook for another minute or so. 
  8. Cut cooked chicken or turkey into cubes and place in a large bowl.
  9. Mince green chili and add to chicken.
  10. Stir in flour.
  11. Add the vegetable and stock to the chicken mix and set aside.
 Béchamel (sauce)
  1. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. 
  2. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until the paste cooks and bubbles a bit. 
    • Takes about 2 minutes.
    • Don’t let it brown.
  3. Add cream, and nutmeg continuing to stir as the sauce thickens. 
    •  Should take about 5 to 8 minutes.
    • Sauce is ready when you dip a spoon in sauce and immediately trace a line across the back of the spoon with your fingertip. If the line stays clean, the sauce is ready.
Assembly and cooking
  1. Preheat oven to 375° F.
  2. Melt butter in a small bowl.
  3. Place filling into a large baking dish or multiple individual ones.
  4. Taste your filling, you may need to add salt.
  5. Take phyllo out of the packaging and open the sheets flat. 
  6. Cut sheets in half and bunch on top of the filling.
  7. Repeat until top is covered with phyllo.
  8. Brush butter over phyllo.
  9. Bake for 15 about minutes until top is golden.