Introducing the BEST way to use up the rest of that big bird in your freezer… Turkey Pot Pie!!
This easy savory pie is a total hit. Creamy sauce loaded with turkey, veggies and herbs, all loaded inside a delectable flaky crust. It’s too good!
Whether you’re a baker or not, you can make this cozy, comforting pie perfect every time. You just need a few simple tips…
Raise your hands, who has some leftover turkey hiding in your freezer? Are you kind of wishing you hadn’t gotten such a big one? This recipe will change your mind!
Every year we try to find some new use for our leftovers, like White Turkey Chili, Leftover Turkey Nachos, and even an Indian inspired Turkey Tikka Masala.
This year, we tried a leftover turkey pot pie, and it is amazing. It’s total comfort food. Plus, you can take a shortcut and use a refrigerated pie crust, though we’ll give you instructions for homemade as well.
Why We Love this Easy Turkey Pot Pie Recipe
- It’s a family friendly meal that even your pickiest eaters will enjoy with gusto.
- As the name suggests, it’s a great use for leftover turkey. Even that dried out breast meat if your husband overcooked it. 😉
- You can make it ahead of time, and even freeze it before cooking.
- If you use store bought pie crust, or make the crust dough ahead of time, it’s a super easy meal.
Tips for the BEST Leftover Turkey Pot Pie
This turkey pot pie is pretty hard to screw up. Here are a few tips to make it perfect every time:
- Allow the filling to thicken. If it’s too runny, you can end up with a messy pie.
- Don’t skimp on seasonings. Those herbs really add to this dish.
- Allow the filling to cool slightly. This prevents the butter or shortening in the crust from melting too early.
- Use an egg wash. It makes your pie prettier and more guest worthy.
- Don’t forget the slits in the crust. These allow steam to escape. Otherwise you can end up with a big air pocket under the crust.
- Watch the crust. If it’s getting too brown, cover it with a pie shield. If you don’t have one, make one by cutting a 3-4 inch hole in the middle of a piece of aluminum foil large enough to cover the pie.
Turkey Pot Pie Ingredients
We’ll give you a bunch of ingredient variations later, but here’s what we used today:
- Butter – For sautéing.
- Veggies – Onion, carrots, celery, mushrooms, frozen peas.
- Flour – To thicken the gravy.
- Chicken stock – The base of the gravy.
- Heavy cream – To make it extra yummy.
- Flavor enhancers – Garlic, dried thyme, fresh parsley, salt and pepper.
- Leftover turkey – Cubed.
- Double pie crust – Refrigerated store bought, or homemade (see further down in the post for instructions).
- Egg wash – Egg and water.
Leftover Turkey Pot Pie Recipe
This comes together pretty easy, your oven does most of the work.
1. Make the filling: Sauté the onion, carrots, celery, mushrooms and garlic in butter for 8-10 minutes, till they are getting soft. Then stir in the flour and cook for a minute or two. Add the stock, herbs, salt and pepper. Cook for a few minutes till the gravy thickens. Stir in the chicken, peas and cream. Give it a good stir, taste and adjust for seasonings, then remove from heat.
2. Assemble the pie: Place one pie crust in a 9 inch pie pan, then fill the crust with the turkey mixture.
Lie the top crust atop the pie. Pinch the edges of the two crusts together, then fold them downward, as pictured below.
Pinch the edges of the pie crust into a pretty pattern. Cut five to six slits, about 1/2-1 inch long, into the top of the crust. Brush the entire top with the egg wash.
3. Bake: Place the pie in an oven preheated to 375 degrees for 35-45 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the internal temperature measures 165 degrees.
4. Rest: Allow the turkey pot pie to rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing.
How to Make a Homemade Pie Crust
We love the easiness of store bought pie crust, but if you want to go all out, there’s nothing like homemade! You will need:
- 2.5 cups all purpose flour
- 8 tablespoons butter or shortening (chilled)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 8 Tbsp ice water
In a large bowl, combine the salt and flour. Add in butter or shortening, then use a pastry cutter to cut it into pea sized chunks.
Add the ice water one tablespoon at a time, mixing as you go. Test the dough by pinching a piece between your fingers. If it sticks, you have added enough water (you may not need all 8 tablespoons).
Roll the dough on a floured surface into a ball. Cut it in half, then form each half into disk.
Wrap each in cling wrap, then refrigerate at least one hour before use. When ready to use, roll it into a 12 inch circle on a floured surface with a rolling pin.
Turkey Pot Pie Variations
- No turkey? No problem! Rotisserie chicken is a great substitution if it’s well past the holiday season.
- Try different veggies. How about green beans, corn, bell peppers, spinach, potatoes or asparagus. Of make it super easy and just use mixed frozen vegetables.
- Play with the seasoning. Other herbs like rosemary or Italian seasoning will give different flavors. Add in a little Creole Seasoning to give it a new twist. Or, if you still have some of that yummy turkey gravy left, use that in place of the flour, chicken stock and cream.
- Make a “shepherd’s pie pot pie”. Replace the top crust with a layer of Mashed Potatoes. Great use for multiple leftovers!
Make Ahead Instructions
Leftover turkey pot pie is a great make ahead meal. You can freeze it for up to two months, covered with foil, then cling wrap. Allow to thaw overnight before baking.
If making ahead, then refrigerating, it is important to base storage time off of the age of the turkey, not the pie.
For food safety purposes, the turkey should be used within 5 days of cooking. So, for example, if you froze the turkey two days after you cooked it, it has three days of unfrozen time left. If you make the pie the day you thaw it, it should be consumed within three days.
Put your Thanksgiving or Christmas leftovers to the best use, and make this easy and delicious leftover turkey pot pie. It’ll be a hit with the whole family!
Leftover Turkey Pot Pie, on our Gypsy Plate… enjoy!
What to serve with turkey pot pie:
Mashed Potatoes
Green Beans Almondine
No Knead Bread
Creamed Spinach
Creamed Peas
Cucumber Tomato Salad
Pipirrana Salad
Turkey Pot Pie
This easy Turkey Pot Pie recipe is a sure crowd pleaser, and is a great way to use up those holiday leftovers!
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp butter
- 1/2 cup onion, diced
- 1 cup carrots, diced
- 1 cups celery, diced
- 8oz mushrooms, chopped
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- 1.5 tsp dried thyme
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 3 cups cooked turkey, diced
- 1 egg
- 1 Tbsp water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°.
- Melt butter in a skillet over medium high heat. Add onion, carrots, celery, mushrooms and garlic Sauté for 8-10 minutes, till they are getting soft.
- Stir in the flour and cook for a minute or two. Add the stock, herbs, salt and pepper. Cook for a few minutes till the gravy thickens.
- Stir in the chicken, peas and cream. Give it a good stir, taste and adjust for seasonings, then remove from heat.
- Place one pie crust in a 9 inch pie pan, then fill the crust with the turkey mixture.
- Lie the top crust atop the pie. Pinch the edges of the two crusts together, then fold them downward.
- Pinch the edges of the pie crust into a pattern. Cut five to six slits, about 1/2-1 inch long, into the top of the crust. Brush the entire top with the egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water).
- Place the pie in preheated oven and bake for 35-45 minutes, until the crust in golden brown and the internal temperature measures 165°F.
- Allow the turkey pot pie to rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing.
Welcome to GypsyPlate! I'm Alpana, former wordwide tour manager and professional caterer, now full time blogger. I love exploring cuisines from around the world, and my recipes have been featured on sites such as MSN, Parade, Brit + Co, CNET and AOL. You can explore my entire collection of sortable recipes in my Recipe Index or learn more about me here.
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