Thanksgiving Turkey Pot Pie
Serves 4 to 6
Cooking Time 4 to 5 hours on Low
Slow Cooker Size 5½ to 7 Quarts
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: This Thanksgiving-inspired meal makes it easy to enjoy the flavors of the holidays
year-round. To cut down on prep and save time, we reached for convenient boneless,
skinless turkey thighs; once they were tender, we shredded them into bite-size pieces.
Thinly sliced carrots added a vegetal element and some sweetness. Stirring a splash
of heavy cream into the braising liquid gave us an instant “gravy” that coated the
turkey and carrots nicely. For the topping, we thought stuffing seemed perfect. Instead
of making our own from scratch, we went with a store-bought mix, which included a
number of herbs and spices and allowed us to cut back on our ingredient list. In a
nod to the traditional Thanksgiving dinner, we added dried cranberries; their sweet,
tart notes contrasted nicely with the savory stuffing. After moistening the mix with
water, we crumbled it on top of the filling, covered the slow cooker, and let it heat
through. If you cannot find boneless turkey thighs, you can substitute boneless chicken
thighs. Be sure to use a boxed stuffing mix, such as Stove Top Stuffing Mix, rather
than any of the bags of loose crumbs that are sold as stuffing mix; you can use any
flavor here. See the sidebar that follows the recipe.
|
2 |
carrots, peeled and sliced ½ inch thick |
|
1 |
tablespoon vegetable oil |
|
1 |
teaspoon dried sage |
|
¼ |
cup chicken broth |
|
2 |
tablespoons instant tapioca |
|
2 |
pounds boneless, skinless turkey thighs, trimmed |
|
Salt and pepper |
|
|
1 |
(6-ounce) box stuffing mix |
|
1½ |
cups boiling water |
|
½ |
cup dried cranberries |
|
¼ |
cup heavy cream |
1. Microwave carrots, oil, and sage in bowl, stirring occasionally, until carrots are softened, about 5 minutes; transfer to slow cooker. Stir in broth and tapioca. Season turkey with salt and pepper and nestle into slow cooker. Cover and cook until turkey is tender, 4 to 5 hours on low.
2. Transfer turkey to cutting board, let cool slightly, then shred into bite-size pieces. Combine stuffing mix, boiling water, and cranberries in bowl and let sit, stirring occasionally, until stuffing is completely softened, about 5 minutes.
3. Gently stir shredded turkey and cream into slow cooker and season with salt and pepper to taste. (Adjust filling consistency with extra hot broth as needed.) Spoon stuffing mixture over turkey filling and smooth into even layer. Cover and cook on high until stuffing is heated through, 20 to 30 minutes. Serve.