Savory Turkey Cobbler

I know some people who really prefer turkey leftovers to what we serve up on Thanksgiving. There are ecstatic tales of sandwiches packed with turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy and cranberry sauce, sandwiches like my own that have the simplicity of bread, margarine, pepper and sliced turkey, grilled until the turkey is hot and the bread golden brown and crisp.

Another great thing to do with leftover turkey is to make a savory turkey cobbler or potpie. The difference between the two is really that cobbler has biscuit dough baked on top and potpie has pie pastry baked on top. It's the filling below those two that really makes this dish special. I make up my own recipe as I go along, but usually it begins with veggies. I start with chopped onion, diced celery, sliced carrot and diced red pepper. These veggies get sauteed in some olive oil, then I add sliced mushrooms and cook the mixture for a few minutes more, covered.

I make a gravy seasoned with pepper, salt, and sage, plus a little thyme. I cook red potatoes in slices until tender. I cube leftover turkey into bite sized pieces and mix up some biscuit dough.

While all of that was going on, the oven was pre-heating to 425 degrees F. The turkey goes into the gravy and gets heated through while I microwave some green beans and green peas. The drained potatoes and cooked veggies get mixed into the turkey mixture and the whole thing gets put into an ovenproof skillet (I use my trusty cast iron skillet). The biscuit dough gets distributed over the filling and the whole thing goes into the hot oven to bake until the biscuit topping is browned and the filling is bubbly.

This is true comfort food and perfect for a chilly night like the one we are having. Dig in and enjoy!

Savory Turkey Cobbler
Serves 4-6

2-3 red potatoes, scrubbed, halved and sliced (peel if you prefer)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped (more if you really like celery)
1 cup sliced carrots
1/2 cup diced red pepper
4 oz. sliced fresh mushrooms
1 1/2-2 cups cubed (bite-sized) cooked turkey or chicken
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) margarine (or butter)
4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) flour
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon rubbed/dried sage
1 cup turkey or chicken stock
3/4 cup soy creamer (or milk or half and half)
1 cup fresh thin green beans, steamed
1 cup frozen peas, cooked
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons Bisquick
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon soy creamer (or milk or half and half)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Heat olive oil in a large heavy pan and saute the onion, celery, carrots, and red pepper, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the sliced mushrooms and continue cooking and stirring another 5 minutes.

While vegetables are cooking, in another saucepan, melt the margarine. When melted add the flour and stir to combine. Add the herbs and stir for 2 minutes over medium heat to cook the flour. Combine the stock and creamer in a measuring cup. Whisking constantly, add the stock mixture quickly and keep whisking to blend the flour mixture and stock mixture. Raise the heat to medium-high and keep whisking until mixture thickens slightly. Remove from the heat and add the turkey, cooked onion mixture, cooked beans and cooked peas. Stir well to combine.

Put turkey filling into a heatproof skillet. In a medium bowl combine the Bisquick and the soy creamer (or make your favorite drop biscuit dough). Place tablespoons of dough over the top of the filling until used up. Filling will show through.

Bake in preheated oven for 12-15 minutes or until topping is lightly browned and filling mixture is bubbly.

Serve at once.