Recipes

Turkey Pesto Pot Pie

This comforting pot pie transforms turkey into a meal worth celebrating, whether you’re reinventing holiday leftovers or starting with a whole cooked turkey. Our basil pesto adds distinctive Italian flair to the creamy filling, while golden-brown biscuits provide the perfect crowning touch. The recipe’s flexibility allows you to incorporate whatever vegetables you have on hand, making it as practical as it is delectable.

Ingredients

½ medium yellow onion, ½-inch dice (about ¾ cup)
2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced ⅛-inch thick (about ¾ cup)
2 medium stalks celery, sliced ⅛-inch thick (about ¾ cup)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1½ cups low-sodium turkey or chicken broth
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons whole milk
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, plus more as needed
pinch of dried thyme
3 cups boneless, skinless leftover cooked turkey, shredded into bite size pieces (about 12 ounces)
2 tablespoons Armanino Basil Pesto
½ cup frozen peas
1 tube refrigerated biscuits (8 biscuits)
1 tablespoon melted butter
½ teaspoon Armanino Basil Pesto

Directions

Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 375ºF.
Over medium-high heat, melt the butter in a 10-inch cast iron skillet.
Add the onions, carrots and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is tender, 10 minutes.
Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and cook, stirring constantly, for 1-2 minutes to cook off the floury taste.
Stir in the broth, milk, thyme, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture comes to a low boil and starts to thicken.
Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes until nice and thick.
Remove the pan from the heat and gently stir in the turkey, peas and basil pesto. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper, if needed.
In a small bowl, combine the melted butter and ½ teaspoon basil pesto.
Open the biscuits and place on top of the filling, just touching.
Lightly brush the biscuit tops with the pesto butter and bake until bubbling and golden brown, 15 minutes.
Check the bottom of the biscuits and if still a little underdone, cover with foil to prevent overbrowning and return to the oven for an additional 5-10 minutes.
Let cool 5 minutes before serving.

Chef’s Tips

Leftover turkey is perfect for this recipe but if you don’t have any on hand, roast a turkey breast, use chicken or even a purchased rotisserie chicken.
Leftover vegetables from Thanksgiving dinner? Stir them into the finished sauce.
Leftover mashed potatoes? Use as a topping instead of biscuits.
Feeling really motivated? Make turkey stock from your leftover holiday turkey carcass. Pick the carcass free of any meat (save for the filling) and place the carcass in a large stockpot with cold water to cover. Add a chopped onion, two chopped carrots, a chopped celery stalk, a few peppercorns, a teaspoon of salt and a few sprigs of parsley. Bring to a boil then reduce to low, simmer for several hours then strain.