Hot and hearty, this updated pot pie recipe makes the ultimate comfort food.

Old-fashioned pot pies called for a deep baking dish lined with a baked pastry crust. The meat was added with herbs from the garden and cooked vegetables were blended in. Topped with more pastry, soda biscuits, or dumplings, the pie was baked to bubbly goodness. Here we update the recipe and make it quicker, using frozen puff pastry as a crisp topper to a luscious pot pie baked in a deep dish without the need for a pastry liner.

Ingredients

• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry dough (from a 17.3-ounce package)
• 1 1/2 cups After-Thanksgiving Turkey Stock (recipe on next page) or canned low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 large carrot, peeled, halved lengthwise, and thinly sliced
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, wiped or brushed clean and quartered
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup heavy (whipping) cream
• 3 cups diced roast turkey (1/2-inch dice)
• 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• Kosher or sea salt
• Freshly ground pepper

Directions

1 Remove 1 of the pastry sheets from the package and let thaw at room temperature for 30 minutes. Tightly seal the remaining pastry and freeze for another use.

2 Meanwhile, make the filling: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Have ready an 8-cup round baking dish about 2 inches deep, or use a 10-inch cast-iron skillet with 2-inch sides, and make the filling right in the skillet.

3 In a saucepan over medium heat, bring the stock to a boil. Add the carrot and cook until crisp-tender, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the carrot to a plate and set aside. Remove the stock from the heat and set aside.

4 In a 10-inch skillet, melt the butter with the oil over medium heat until the butter foams. Add the onion and sauté until it begins to soften, about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and sauté until they just begin to brown, about 3 minutes longer. Sprinkle the flour over the onion-mushroom mixture and stir to blend in. Slowly stir in the stock, bring to a simmer, and cook, stirring, until smooth and thickened, about 2 minutes. Add the cream, stir to blend, and bring to a simmer. Add the carrots, turkey, and parsley. Stir to combine. Return the mixture to a simmer, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from the heat. Spoon the filling into the baking dish, or leave it in the cast-iron skillet you cooked the filling in.

5 Unfold the sheet of puff pastry and lay it flat on a lightly floured work surface. Roll out the puff pastry to an 11-inch square, trimming the edges with a paring knife to form a circle. Cut three 2-inch-long slits in the centre of the dough. Carefully place the dough over the filling, centring it. Firmly press the edges of the dough against the sides of the baking dish or cast-iron skillet. Bake until the dough is nicely browned and puffed, about 25 minutes. Serve immediately.

Serves 6

When it is time to clean up and put leftovers away after Thanksgiving dinner, my husband assigns himself the task of "dealing with the turkey." He carefully carves whatever meat is still left on the carcass and arranges it in a container. While doing this, he sips wine and picks at the carcass, nibbling on those delectable morsels of meat that cling to the bone, which is precisely why he likes this chore. He also offers to chop the carcass into large chunks and store it in a separate container—this delights me! Come Friday morning, while I’m shuffling around in slippers and workout clothes, drinking my coffee, I open the refrigerator and pull out the chopped carcass, ready for the stockpot. While some may head for the mall, ready to tackle their Christmas list, honestly, I’m happier lounging with the newspaper, watching the stock simmer.

Ingredients

• 1 meaty turkey carcass, chopped into large pieces
• 2 medium carrots (do not peel), cut into 2-inch chunks
• 1 large yellow onion (do not peel), cut in half
• 2 large ribs celery, with leaves, cut into 2-inch chunks
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 1 bay leaf
• 6 sprigs fresh parsley
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme

Directions

1 Put the chopped turkey carcass in an 8-quart stockpot and add cold water to cover, leaving 2 inches of space at the top of the pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to maintain a steady simmer. Using a large spoon or soup skimmer, skim off the brown foam that rises to the top. After 5 minutes or so, the foam will become white, and no more skimming will be necessary.

2 Add the carrots, onion, celery, peppercorns, bay leaf, parsley, and thyme. Partially cover the pot and adjust the heat so the stock barely simmers. Simmer the stock for at least 2 but preferably 4 hours, adding water, if necessary, to keep the bones covered.

3 Using a large slotted spoon, transfer the bones, meat, and vegetables to a large, fine-mesh sieve set over a large bowl to catch all the juices. Discard the solids. Pour the stock through the sieve into the large bowl. Let cool. (To cool the stock quickly, set the bowl in a larger one filled with ice water, or fill a sink with about 2 inches of ice water.) Stir the stock, occasionally, to help cool it down. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

4 The next day, lift and scrape the congealed fat from the surface using a large spoon. Discard the fat. Store the stock, covered, in the refrigerator and reheat when ready to use.

Makes 4 to 5 quarts

Do ahead
The stock can be covered and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To keep longer, transfer to a freezer container or several small containers, allowing 1 inch of headspace, and freeze for up to 6 months.

Excerpted from New Thanksgiving Table: An American Celebration of Family, Friends, and Food by Diane Morgan. Copyright 2009 by Chronicle Books. Excerpted with permission by Chronicle Books. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.