A simple way to turn New Year’s leftovers into real comfort food
I don’t mind leftovers. They’re part of everyday cooking, and most of the time, reheating a good meal is perfectly fine. But every now and then, it’s nice to step away from that and challenge yourself to see what else a dish could become.
That shift in thinking is where a lot of my favorite meals start. Leftovers don’t have to stay locked into their original form. When you pull a dish apart and look at its main components, you can often turn it into something that feels completely new—without adding much time or effort.
New Year’s Day pork and sauerkraut is a great example. It’s a dish with a very clear purpose, but once the day has passed, the leftover pork still has plenty of life left in it. Separating it from the sauerkraut and rebuilding it into a different meal allows it to take on a whole new role in the kitchen.
This pork pot pie is a simple, comforting way to do that. The pork becomes part of a creamy filling with broth, frozen vegetables, and a splash of milk. Instead of a traditional pie crust, I use homemade drop biscuits—seasoned lightly with Herbes de Provence—spooned right on top and baked until golden. It’s familiar, but it doesn’t feel repetitive.
Before you start, take a moment to check the pork and make sure there isn’t any sauerkraut clinging to it. You want the flavors to stay balanced here. Once it’s shredded, the rest of the dish comes together easily using ingredients most kitchens already have.
Pork Pot “Pie”
Ingredients
Filling
- Leftover cooked pork, shredded
- 1–2 cups chicken broth
- 1 bag frozen mixed vegetables
- ½ cup milk (or a splash more, if needed)
- 1–2 tablespoons cornstarch
- Salt & black pepper, to taste
Drop Biscuit Topping
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup cold butter, cubed
- ¾–1 cup milk
- Herbes de Provence, to taste
Instructions
1. Make the Filling
Preheat your oven to 400°F.
Add the shredded pork to a Dutch oven over medium heat, then pour in the chicken broth and add the frozen vegetables. Stir everything together and let it warm through for a few minutes, just until the vegetables begin to soften and the pork is evenly distributed.
In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch with a bit of the milk until smooth. Pour it into the pot, followed by the remaining milk. Stir and let the mixture simmer gently until it thickens into a creamy, stew-like filling. Season with salt and black pepper to taste, then remove from heat once thickened.
2. Make the Drop Biscuits
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and a light sprinkle of Herbes de Provence. Cut in the cold butter until the mixture looks crumbly. Stir in the milk just until a soft dough forms—stop as soon as it comes together.
3. Assemble & Bake
Spoon the biscuit dough directly onto the hot filling, leaving a little space between each scoop so the biscuits can puff and brown.
Transfer the Dutch oven to the oven and bake for 20–25 minutes, or until the biscuits are golden and the filling is bubbling around the edges. For a deeper color, brush the tops lightly with melted butter during the last few minutes of baking.
Serve & Store
Let the pot pie rest for about 10 minutes before serving. The filling thickens slightly as it settles, making it easier to spoon and even better the next day.
This is the kind of meal that feels right for winter—built from what you already have, simple to make, and deeply satisfying without trying too hard.
This is the kind of cooking I come back to again and again. Not reinventing the wheel, not overcomplicating things—just looking at what’s already there and asking how it can become something new. It’s a small creative challenge, a way to stretch a meal a little further, and a reminder that leftovers don’t have to feel like an afterthought. Sometimes, they turn into something even better than the original.
Thanks for being here.
Till next time ~
— Angie
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