I couldn’t wait to make these pot pies because I would finally get to use my beautiful ramekins but even after buying all the ingredients, I kept putting it off because it seemed really difficult to make. But I finally gave it a try and it was surprisingly not as hard as I thought it was going to be. I was most worried about the crust but the food processor did all the work for me!

Both the crust and the filling tasted amazing. I just loved the addition of the pancetta and even though the crust wasn’t as crisp as I wanted it to be, the boyfriend said that it was his favorite part of the dish. I’ll be sure to make this again, especially with Thanksgiving leftovers.

Turkey and Pancetta Pot Pies (adapted from Giade De Laurentiis):

Yields 3 servings

  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 ounces finely diced pancetta
  • 1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 shallot, chopped
  • 1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
  • 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, chopped
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream
  • 1 cup roasted turkey breast meat, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 1/2 cup potatoes, parboiled and cut into 1/2-cubes
  • 1/4 cup frozen peas, thawed
  • 1/4 cup frozen corn, thawed

For the crust:

  • 1/3 cup flour, plus extra for dusting
  • 2 tablespoons cornmeal
  • Pinch of kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 1/2 cup finely grated pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese
  • 2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons buttermilk, plus extra, as needed
  • 1 tablespoon and 1 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until brown and crispy, about 8 minutes.

Pour pancetta and any cooking juices onto a paper towel-lined plate.

Add butter, shallots, carrots and thyme to saucepan. Season with salt and pepper.

Cook until carrots are tender, 6-8 minutes.

Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute.

Increase heat to high. Add the chicken broth and scrape up the brown bits that cling to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.

Cook until the mixture thickens, about 3 minutes.

Add the cooked pancetta, heavy cream, turkey, peas and corn.

Simmer for 3 minutes until heated through.

Using a ladle, fill 10-ounce ramekins with mixture.

In a food processor, pulse together flour, cornmeal, salt, baking powder and baking soda.

Add butter and cheese and process until mixture resembles coarse meal.

With machine running, add buttermilk and oil. Process until mixture begins to form a ball, adding extra buttermilk, 1 teaspoon at a time, if needed.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll out dough, about 1/4-inch thick.

Using a 3-inch round cookie cutter, cut the dough into circles and place on top of filling.

Bake until crust is golden and filling is bubbling, 20-25 minutes.

Cool for 5 minutes before serving.