Description
This Leftover Turkey Pot Pie Gratin is a comforting and flavorful way to reinvent leftover turkey with creamy leeks, tender potatoes, and melted Gruyere cheese baked to perfection in a savory herb-infused sauce.
Ingredients
Scale
Liquid and Broth
- 1 cup 1% milk
- 1 ¾ teaspoons kosher salt (or 1 large chicken bouillon cube)
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken bone broth (divided)
Herbs and Aromatics
- 3 sprigs thyme (plus ½ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves)
- 2 sprigs sage
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 3 tablespoons parsley (chopped)
- ¼ teaspoon fresh black pepper
Dairy and Fats
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 4 ounces shredded Gruyere cheese
Vegetables
- 1 ½ cups from 3 large halved and sliced leeks (white part only, cleaned well)
- 2 cups frozen peas and carrots
- 1 pound 4 to 5 medium Gold or Red potatoes (peeled and sliced ⅛-inch thick, about 12 ounces peeled weight)
Protein
- 1 ½ pounds leftover turkey breast (about 4 ¾ cups)
Thickening Agent
- ¼ cup cornstarch
Instructions
- Preheat and Infuse Milk: Preheat your oven to 375°F. In a large oven-safe enamel deep skillet with a fitted lid, combine the milk, ¼ teaspoon salt (or bouillon cube), thyme sprigs, and sage sprigs. Gently bring to a simmer over low heat for about 5 minutes until aromatic. Remove from heat and pour the infused milk into a bowl. Wipe the skillet clean.
- Cook Leeks and Aromatics: Melt the unsalted butter in the same skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced leeks and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until they soften. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add Turkey and Vegetables: Add the leftover turkey breast pieces, 1 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt, fresh black pepper, 1 cup of the chicken broth, frozen peas and carrots, 2 tablespoons chopped parsley, and ½ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves to the skillet. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, allowing flavors to meld.
- Thicken the Sauce: In a separate bowl, whisk the cornstarch into the remaining 1 cup chicken broth until smooth. Pour this mixture into the skillet with the turkey and vegetables. Cook while stirring continuously for 3 to 4 minutes until the sauce thickens.
- Assemble the Gratin: Smooth the turkey mixture evenly in the skillet. Remove the thyme and sage sprigs from the infused milk and pour the milk evenly over the turkey mixture. Starting from the outside edge, arrange the sliced potatoes in overlapping spirals on top to cover all the turkey filling. Sprinkle the shredded Gruyere cheese over the top. Cover the skillet tightly with foil or its lid.
- Bake: Place the skillet on the second rack from the top in the oven. Bake for about 1 hour, or until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife.
- Broil and Garnish: Remove the lid or foil and broil the gratin for approximately 3 minutes until the cheese is melted, browned, and golden. Garnish with the remaining chopped parsley before serving.
Notes
- Milk: Substitute 2% milk if preferred for a richer flavor.
- Protein: Leftover chicken or store-bought rotisserie chicken can be used instead of turkey.
- Potatoes: Sweet potatoes can be used as a flavorful alternative for the topping.
- Herbs: Replace thyme with rosemary and parsley with chives for a different herbal profile.
- Broth: Vegetable broth, chicken stock, or homemade turkey stock are good alternatives for the chicken bone broth.
- Cheese: Gruyere can be swapped with Swiss or mozzarella cheese as substitutes.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 ¼ cups
- Calories: 383 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 775 mg
- Fat: 11 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4.5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 46 g
- Cholesterol: 107.5 mg
