Herbed Turkey & Mushroom Pot Pie

Why This Herbed Turkey & Mushroom Pot Pie Works

In the pan, the onions, celery, carrots, and garlic soften first. As they sit in the hot oil, they lose their crunch and their sharp bite, so they blend better into the filling. When the mushrooms go in, they let out their liquid and shrink a bit, so they don’t water down the pie later. Sprinkling flour over these vegetables coats everything. After a couple of minutes, the flour starts to cook and stick to the vegetables instead of staying raw and powdery.

Once the chicken broth and milk are whisked in, that cooked flour swells up and thickens the liquid. It slowly changes from a thin, soupy mix into a smooth, creamy sauce that clings to the turkey and peas. Because the filling is thick before it goes into the crust, it stays put and doesn’t soak the bottom crust. In the oven, the hot, steamy filling finishes thickening while the top and bottom crusts firm up and turn crisp, so the pie slices hold together instead of spilling out.

Mistakes To Avoid

Letting the vegetable mix stay too wet before adding the flour keeps the flour from coating everything evenly. The liquid turns the flour into little lumps instead of a smooth paste, so the filling never really thickens and bakes into a runny, soupy center that spills out when sliced.

Adding the broth and milk too fast makes the sauce fight back in the pan. The hot flour grabs the liquid in clumps, leaving a mix of thick blobs and thin liquid, and that uneven texture stays all the way through baking.

Putting the filling into the crust while it is still very hot can melt the fat in the pie dough before it hits the oven. The bottom crust then turns soft and greasy instead of holding its shape, and slices sag when served.

Skipping the slits in the top crust traps steam inside the pie. As it bakes, the steam pushes against the crust, causing it to puff in odd spots, crack, or even leak filling out the sides.