The Day after Pot Pie

Turkey pot pie with a salad and glass of Chianti

Hello there! I found a recipe for a pot pie you can use for a home cooked meal or to serve with friends. It's that good! Oooo baby!

I found this recipe on Pinterest and was intrigued by the fact it has Pancetta in it. So I said to myself, what is Pancetta?, better look it up. It is Italian bacon that is salt cured, unlike our bacon which is smoke cured.
So with a very good Italian market on "The Hill" here in St. Louie I was set . My wife was good enough, as always to pick up my supplies from the grocery store and I'll get some of the specialty items. The filling is easy and goes by in a snap. To my taste, though I prefer a little more of the thyme flavor so I would add another 1/2 tablespoon to the filling. I would not try substituting bacon for Pancetta because of the smoky flavor.
The crust was delicious as well! The cornmeal and the Parmesan cheese in the mixture made for a thick crust  that was deliciously tender. My wife had a 3 inch pastry cutter that fit perfectly the 3 inch casserole our daughter Toni had just bought and very kindly let me use. They made for some nice pictures too! I served my pot pies with a nice little Chianti and were quite satisfied. Thanks again Giada! They were great

Recipe kindness of Giada De Laurentiis - www.giadadelaurentiis.com

Enjoy and be safe this holiday season!

Mom preparing for her solo, with Sophie's help.

Oh yeah! This part.

Turkey and Pancetta pot pies

Ingredients

6 servings

Filling 4 ounces finely diced Pancetta 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature 1 large or 2 small shallots, chopped 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced into ½-inch pieces 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves ½ teaspoon kosher salt ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper ¼ cup flour 2 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth ¼ cup heavy cream 3 cups (about 14 ounces) roasted turkey breast meat, cut into ½-inch pieces 1 cup frozen peas, thawed ½ cup frozen corn, thawed

Crust ¾ cup flour, plus extra for dusting ¼ cup cornmeal ¼ teaspoon kosher salt 1 teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon baking soda 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes 1 cup grated Parmesan ⅓ cup buttermilk, plus extra, as needed 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil Special equipment: 6 (10-ounce) ramekins, each 2 ½ inches tall and 3 ½ inches in diameter. A 3-inch round cookie cutter

Instructions

Filling Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the Pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until brown and crispy, about 8 minutes. Pour the Pancetta and any cooking juices onto a paper towel-lined pate. Add the butter, shallots, carrots and thyme to the saucepan. Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook until the carrots are tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Increase the heat to high. Add the chicken broth and scrape up the brown bits that cling to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Cook until the mixture thickens, about 3 minutes. Add the cooked pancetta, heavy cream, turkey, peas, corn, and the remaining salt and pepper. Simmer for 3 minutes until heated through. Using a ladle, fill the ramekins with the mixture.

Crust In a food processor, pulse together the flour, cornmeal, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Add the butter and cheese and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal. With the machine running, add 1/3 cup buttermilk and the oil. Process until the mixture begins to form a ball, adding extra buttermilk, 1 teaspoon at a time, if needed. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough into a 10-inch diameter circle, about 1/4-inch thick. Using a 3-inch round cookie cutter, cut the dough into 6 circles and place on top of the filling. Bake until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes before serving.