Turkey and Cranberry Pot Pie

If your idea of a slow-cooker recipe starts and ends with a hunk of meat and an envelope of dried soup or seasonings, Art of the Slow Cooker: 80 Exciting New Recipes, by Andrew Schloss (Chronicle Books, $24.95) will be a revelation. You’ll find everything from Barbecue Pork and Beans to Tunisian Lamb Tangine With Toasted Almonds and Couscous, and from Chocolate Pudding Cake to Chocolate-Covered Coconut Torte.

Each chapter offers simple everyday recipes and recipes for spectaular entertaining. In chapter 1, “The Art of Homemade Soup,” for example, the simple recipes are for Chocolate Chili Soup, Bean Soup Ad Infinitum, Manhattan Clam Chowder, Creamy Onion Soup, Corn Chowder With Jalapeno and Herby Minestrone, while the entertaining entries are Moroccan Red Lentil Soup, Wild Mushroom and Wild Rice Bisque, Curried Coconut Chicken Soup, Winter Fruit Soup, Parmigiano Pumpkin Soup With Frizzled Prosciutto and Roasted Vegetable Soup.

In inventive recipe that appears here, Schloss starts a turkey pot pie by browning the ingredients in a skillet, which adds loads of flavor. Then all the filling ingredients move to the slow cooker, where they cook for up to 8 hours. Next, he removes the crockery liner from the cooker and replaces the lid with a sheet of pie pastry. The crock goes into a hot oven, where the the pastry bakes to perfection.

Your favorite biscuit dough (homemade or from a mix) can substitute for the pastry. Roll and cut a sheet to fit the top of the crock or cut the dough into individual biscuits, then bake as you would pie dough. Or substitute puff pastry, baking it according to the package directions.

TURKEY AND CRANBERRY POT PIE

Yield: 6 servings

1/3 cup flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

2 teaspoons poultry seasoning

2 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless turkey thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 to 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided

2 onions, chopped

2 carrots, peeled and cut into thin slices

2 ribs celery, cut into thin slices

8 medium mushrooms, sliced

2 red-skin or golden potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

1/3 cup dried cranberries

Pastry for a 9-inch pie crust (purchased refrigerated dough or homemade)

Mix flour, salt, pepper and poultry seasoning in a medium-large mixing bowl. Add turkey; toss until pieces are thoroughly coated. Pat off excess flour. Reserve seasoned flour mixture.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Brown turkey pieces in batches, about 2 minutes per side. Do not crowd the pan, and add more oil if the pan becomes dry. As turkey browns, transfer pieces to a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker.

Add more oil to the skillet, if needed; heat over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, celery, mushrooms and potatoes; saute until the vegetables lose their raw look, stirring often, about 4 minutes.

Add reserved seasoned flour mixture to skillet; stir until vegetables are well coated. Add broth and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Still stirring, cook until sauce is slightly thickened. Transfer to slow cooker. Add dried cranberries; stir to mix well. Cover the cooker and cook for 3 to 4 hours on high, or 6 to 8 hours on low.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Roll dough out on a lightly floured work surface. Remove lid from cooker and dry it with a paper towel. Lay the lid on the dough and use it as a template to cut the dough in the shape of the lid. Roll up the edges of the dough all around so the dough will fit neatly over the turkey stew. Remove the crock from the slow cooker and lay the dough on top of the stew. Cut several slits in the middle of the dough. Transfer to the oven; bake until browned, about 25 minutes. Serve immediately.

Recipe and photo from Art of the Slow Cooker.