A failure to make a suitable pie

 I have been making a beef/hamburger shepherd's pie for a couple of years and follow the recipe as close as humanly possible. It always ends up too liquidy. This is what happened with the turkey pie I just made and it's delicious but frustrating.

It calls for 2 cups of stock which I did with 1 cup of bullion, another cup of water and then tossed in a chicken gravy packet. 

So I now have two versions of turkey soup. I think in the future I will use half the liquid necessary or just one packet of gravy to the veggies and turkey. Here's what I did:

1 12 oz package of frozen veggies

2 cups cut up turkey

2 celery ribs finely diced

1/2 yellow onion finely chopped

2 cloves garlic minced

1 cup shredded colby/jack cheese

2-3 cups mashed potatoes (if making them, I use 2 or 3 good size russets that gives me plenty of potatoes otherwise equivalent leftover mashed potatoes)

2 tbl butter (unsalted)

1 tbl canola oil (plus canola spray)

1 cup chicken bullion + 1 cup of water (or 2 cups chicken stock)

2-3 tsp flour

1 packet chicken gravy mix

Salt&pepper

1tsp thyme

1/2 sage

1 tsp Italian seasoning

In a good solid pot (or oven safe pan/pot) heat up two tbl butter and the canola oil, when that is just starting to turn brown add in the celery and onion. Cook until just short of softened, add in the minced garlic, cook until fragrant then add in the bag of veggies and continue to cook until heated through. Toss in the chopped turkey and stir, getting everything warmed through, add in the salt, pepper and herbs stirring thoroughly. Turn heat down low to keep warm and barely simmering. Preheat oven to 350 and spray 8x10 casserole/baking dish with oil.

While that is cooking if using the bullion cube/granules dissolve in hot water, add the extra cup of water and the packet of gravy. (This is where I should have just used the one cup instead of two). Whisk thoroughly and pour gradually into turkey/veggies. Stir thoroughly and bring back to a simmer. If it's too thin, add in a tsp of flour at a time, stirring after each until desired consistency, (again, this is what I did not what would work well). 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pour/spoon turkey and veggies into dish spreading if necessary to all edges. Using a large spoon, heap mashed potatoes on and smooth almost to the edges. Sprinkle with cheese and slide into the oven to bake for approx 30 minutes. Cheese should be melted and browned a bit and liquid from pie should be bubbling. Let cool for about ten minutes then enjoy!

So like I said, it's delicious for sure and it is a structural failure not an ingredient failure. I added as much flour as I dared without making it taste like flour. I always make gravy too thick like that so now I underestimate to thicken soups and pies.

Now, for a different way of boiling potatoes for mashed potatoes, sliced! I saw this on a cooking show and only saw it briefly at the end but it does work much better than cubes.

Because I use large russets I cut them lengthwise twice to make quarters then slice roughly in 1/4 wedges. I've been doing it this way for months since I discovered it and the potatoes cook faster and more even. I still end up with lumps due to lack of sufficient utensils but they are still delicious. I only overcooked them once because I forgot they were on the stove. They ended more watery than burned so have learned my lesson.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is my dutch oven that I found at goodwill for like ten dollars or something. I found that, the oval 9x12 Ikea baking dish (used for the turkey pie) and another 9x9 glass baking dish and I think I paid maybe $20 for all of them. Once again illustrating how frustrating preparing a meal efficiently can be when you can only use one burner at a time (small frying pans left over from breakfast yesterday but are clean).

Between the soup and nibbling and this pie, we have whittled the turkey down. That large piece is one of the breasts I kept intact for sandwiches. I might be able to downsize this container by Christmas!

Sous chef getting a bit too close to where the turkey bits were. I gave him his tithe for being a good boy then had to push him off the counter as he was over the line of acceptable distance. Sometimes he uses the 'excuse' of wanting to get in the window to watch but that is also out of bounds when I'm cooking.