For old-fashioned goodness, this colorful turkey stew with tender baking powder biscuits on top has few peers. It is a wonderful way to celebrate after Thanksgiving with the leftovers from the holiday bird. Although it can serve six, four happy eaters with hearty appetites and good conversation could easily finish it. Change the vegetables to suit your taste and substitute leftover chicken for the turkey, if you prefer.

Turkey and Biscuits Casserole
Joanna Pruess, Griswold and Wagner Cast Iron Cookbook

Turkey Filling
Biscuits (recipe follows)

Filling:
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
2 Tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
1 large stalk celery, trimmed and diced
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and diced
4 ounces white mushrooms, wiped, trimmed and sliced
1 cup frozen pearl onions, defrosted
⅓ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
3 cups+ chicken stock
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 Tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 Tablespoon fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 pound cooked turkey, cut into bite-size pieces (about 4 cups)
1 cup frozen petite peas, defrosted

Prepare biscuit dough and refrigerate

Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 450ºF. Position the rack in the middle of the oven.

Heat the butter and oil in a deep 10-inch cast-iron skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until hot. Add the carrots, celery, and yellow onion and cook until lightly browned, 5-6 minutes. Add the mushrooms and pearl onions and cook, stirring until the pearl onions are lightly browned, 5-6 minutes more.

Stir in the flour and cook until pale golden color, 1 to 2 minutes. Pour in the stock, stir until blended, and bring to a boil, stirring constantly; then reduce the heat and simmer until the sauce thickens about, 3 minutes. Add the turkey and return the liquid to a boil. Stir in the peas, parsley, and the thyme, season to taste with sale and pepper, and keep warm over low heat.

Finish biscuits:  Lightly dust a work surface with flour. Roll out or pat out the dough into a ½-inch-thick disc. With a 2½ inch cookie cutter, cut the dough into circles, gathering any extra dough together and re-rolling it. Lay the biscuits over the turkey mixture, carefully brush the tops with milk, and transfer the pot to the oven to bake until the biscuits are golden brown on top, about 23 minutes. Remove and let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Biscuits:
1½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt
5 Tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
½ cup + 2 Tablespoons whole milk + milk to brush on the biscuits

Combine the flour, baking powder sugar, and salt in a food processor fitted with a steel chopping blade and process briefly to blend. Add the butter and pulse until the butter is the size of small peas; then pour in the milk and process just until the dough pulls together. Do not over-process. Remove the dough from the bowl. Pat into a ball, flatten into ¾-inch-thick disc, and dust with flour; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.

Serves 4-6.

MF&L Staff at Maine Food & Lifestyle magazine.