Turkey Pot Pie - Easy, Easier and Easiest

Last Monday was Pi Day.
Pi as in 3.14 etc. etc. etc.

I am afraid of pi because I'm not mathy.
Unlike my husband and one of my children (you know who you are), who think it's fun to do math problems as a way to pass time. I'd rather read every book in the library (twice) than face an algebraic equation.

The worst grade I ever got in high school was a D in algebra. It was devastating and alarming to my parents. I'm not sure why it was so alarming - it's not like there hadn't been signs all along.
Tears over dividing fractions, a panic attack about the Pythagorean theorem, a complete meltdown trying to master that base ten thing that I knew was going to be completely pointless for getting along in life.
So a math tutor was called in. He was a creepy junior high teacher who probably did this on the side for extra cash. Now I was forced to do extra math. And I barely remember a thing about it except this: he later made obscene phone calls in the middle of the night to our home.

No wonder I'm a mathophobe.

Now pie...that's something I totally get.
So in order to make both the family math nerds and myself happy on Pi Day (which is on 3/14 - get it?) I made turkey pot pie.
I've avoided pot pies before because my memories of them are not particularly good. I recall gluey gravy, minimal vegetables and very little meat. (Swanson's, I'm talking to you.)
I was determined to make a pot pie that was better than that and would be a snap to put together.

Before the biscuit crust went on

Look at all that filling! The meat is from a rotisserie turkey breast I got at the grocery store. If your store doesn't have them, use a rotisserie-cooked chicken which I'm sure you can find. (Of course it will then be chicken pot pie.)
And vegetables! Lots of good ones. No sticky gravy either, just a quick sauce made from two ingredients. The biscuit topping comes together in about a minute. No rolling or cutting.

As Ina Garten would say "How easy is that?". Pretty easy.
But if you want to make it even easier, don't bother with the biscuit crust. Use a sheet of puff pastry over the filling. Prick it with a fork a couple of times and bake.
Easiest of all? Refrigerated biscuit dough.

You may think it's late in the season for something as homey and filling as this. Keep in mind a couple of things:
Cold rainy evenings.
Late lacrosse and baseball practices.
Hungry kids.
More cold rain.

Pot pie = perfect dinner. Even I can do that math.

Turkey Pot Pie
adapted from Gourmet and Epicurious


For filling:

4 cups shredded roasted turkey, breast meat or breast and dark meat

2 medium leeks, cut vertically down the center then sliced

2 large carrots, cut into 1/2" pieces

2 celery ribs, cut into 1/2" pieces

1/2 lb. mushrooms (preferably cremini), trimmed and quartered

1 10 oz. bag frozen baby peas, thawed

1 tsp. chopped thyme (fresh or dried - if using fresh, increase to 1 Tbsp.)

3 Tbsps. unsalted butter

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups evaporated 2% milk

1 1/2 cups lower sodium chicken or turkey stock


Preheat oven to 400F.
Cook leeks, carrots and celery in butter, with thyme and a sprinkling of salt and pepper, in a covered 12" wide shallow pan, over medium heat. Stir occasionally until vegetables are almost tender, 10-12 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook uncovered,  stirring occasionally until tender, 5-7 minutes.
Sprinkle with flour and cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes. Stir in evaporated milk and stock, scraping up any brown bits at the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil, then turn down heat and simmer until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes.
Stir in shredded turkey, peas and salt and pepper to taste.
Transfer to 3-4 quart baking pan.

For biscuit crust:

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsps. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1 cup coarsely grated extra-sharp Cheddar cheese

1/4 cup grated Parmesan

6 Tbsps. cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2" pieces

1 1/4 cups buttermilk, well-shaken

Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pepper into a medium bowl. Add both kinds of cheese and toss to coat. Blend in butter with a pastry cutter or your fingers until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add buttermilk and stir just until stiff dough forms. Drop dough onto filling in a 8 large mounds, leaving space between biscuits.

Bake until biscuit topping is puffed and golden brown, and filling is bubbling, 35-40 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.