Fall flavors abound in this delightful dish.
Want to stuff all the terrific tastes of Thanksgiving into a single dish? We’ve got the perfect warm and cozy meal.
It comes from content creator Kristin Johns‘s new book Growing Seasons, which is packed with recipes, design inspiration, and advice about celebrating every occasion to its fullest — and it’s available everywhere on Nov. 28, just in time for one of our most delicious holidays.
“This season is all about keeping gratitude at the forefront of our minds, and if there’s one thing I’m always thankful for, it’s traditional Thanksgiving foods,” Johns writes. “For several years, I’ve been on a mission to discover, adapt, innovate, and create Turkey Day–adjacent variants that uphold the spirit of traditional Thanksgiving gatherings but also keep things interesting.”
Her experiments have led to some delicious discoveries (like baked cranberry bread with apple pie milkshakes) and a few not-to-be-repeated failures (“grilled turkey burgers with cornbread buns — yikes!”), but the festive pot pie recipe she shares with us below is definitely in the winner category. Johns describes the savory dish as a “refreshing” take on the Thanksgiving spirit, and it’s especially suited to a family holiday, considering the pie freezes and travels with ease. Ready to dig in?
Kristin Johns’s festive fall pot pie recipe
Ingredients for the crust
2½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup (2 sticks) very cold unsalted butter, cut into ½ inch cubes
8 to 12 tablespoons ice water
Ingredients for the filling
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup finely diced yellow onion
1 cup finely diced celery
1 cup finely diced carrots
Salt and pepper to taste
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary leaves
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken broth
½ cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder
2 cups cooked shredded turkey breast or boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 cup peeled and diced cooked yellow potatoes
½ cup frozen peas
1 cup frozen corn
1 large egg, beaten
Fresh sprigs of thyme and rosemary for garnish
Directions for the crust
Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl and mix well.
Using a pastry cutter or your fingers, mix in the butter until the mixture forms pea-size clumps.
Add the ice water, a few tablespoons at a time, stirring gently with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together but is still crumbly. The dough is ready when it holds its shape if you squeeze some of it in your hands.
Gather the dough together and separate it into two equal-size balls. These will be your bottom and top crusts.
Gently wrap the dough balls in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Remove one dough ball from the fridge and allow it to sit at room temperature for a few minutes to soften.
Roll out the softened dough ball into a circle that is slightly larger than a pie plate. Gently press the dough into the pie plate.
Set the pie plate in the fridge.
Directions for the filling
Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl and mix well.
Melt the butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Sauté the onions, celery, and carrots until tender, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper. Add the garlic, onion powder, thyme, and rosemary. Toss to coat and cook for 1 to 2 more minutes.
Add the flour and stir. Cook for about 2 minutes.
Gradually stir in the chicken broth, stirring until fully combined. Adding the liquid too quickly will break the roux and interfere with the thickness of the gravy.
Gradually stir in the heavy cream.
Add the bouillon then the shredded meat, and stir to combine.
Add the potatoes, peas, and corn. Stir until heated through.
Remove from the heat and allow to partially cool for 1 to 2 minutes.
Directions for the pie
Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Remove the remaining dough ball from the fridge and allow it to sit at room temperature for a few minutes to soften.
Remove the pie plate from the fridge and pour the filling into the crust.
Roll out the remaining dough ball into a circle that is slightly larger than the pie plate, then drape it over the top of the filled crust and pinch the edges shut. Using a sharp knife, cut ½ inch slits in the top crust (this will keep the filling from overheating and “exploding”).
Brush the top crust with the beaten egg.
Bake for 30 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown.
Add fresh sprigs of thyme and rosemary for garnish.
Excerpted from Growing Seasons by Kristin Johns and reprinted with permission from HarperOne, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. Copyright 2023.
