Easy Homemade Leftover Turkey Pot Pie Recipe (2024)

This Easy Turkey Pot Pie made from scratch in a cast iron skillet with a comforting creamy center and an extra flaky crust. Made with leftover turkey and veggies you have on hand, this pot pie is comforting and totally no-fuss. The most perfect recipe to use up some of that leftover turkey!

This pie may seem complicated or fussy, but it's truly not! This turkey pot pie is made entirely from scratch. I didn't use any cream soup. It's made with a simple sauce and the whole thing could be cooked in the cast iron pan.

Every year after Thanksgiving I think of different ways to use up all the leftover turkey. I always dream of saving some of the turkey and making something completely different and delightful with it. This Turkey Pot Pie is one of my favorite ways to use up leftover Thanksgiving turkey and it is what you need to make this year!!

This year was the year I managed to have enough turkey leftover to finally make this turkey pot pie. Unless you made these Slow Roasted Turkey Wings, you should have a little bit of turkey leftover! This turkey pot pie would go great with our Italian Cranberry Sauce.

This turkey pot pie recipe is not only approachable but also flexible. You can make some tweaks here and there to fit your personal preferences or to accommodate what you have in your pantry. If you're a fan of puff pastry, you can certainly use it to add an extra layer of buttery and flaky texture to the pot pie. The turkey puff pastry pot pie is a delightful twist to the traditional recipe that you'll surely love.

You can also turn this into a homemade turkey pot pie by integrating your choice of fresh and organic ingredients. The fun part about this recipe is the freedom to add a variety of fillings according to your liking. Interested in making this?

Why you'll love this Turkey Pot Pie

• It is the perfect dish to make with any Thanksgiving leftovers!!
• It is made with a flaky and buttery crust
• It's a comforting and delicious meal for the whole family to enjoy!
• You can use any veggies you have on hand, making this recipe versatile and budget-friendly.
• The creamy sauce adds a comforting touch to the dish, perfect for cold winter nights.

**Recipe Note

There is only a single crust on top, nothing on the bottom. Please make your own crust if you have a little bit of time. The flavor surpasses store bought.

I have even seen recipes where you can make this with puff pastry and that is a nice option if you don't have the time and energy to make a pie crust. But maybe you have one pie crust leftover somewhere from Thanksgiving pie making...use it for this pot pie!!

Ingredients for this leftover turkey pot pie

Crust

• All-purpose flour - The base of the pie crust, providing structure.
• Salt - Enhances the flavor of the crust.
• Unsalted butter - Gives the crust its flaky texture.
• Vegetable shortening - Helps create a tender crust.
• Ice water - Binds the dough without activating too much gluten.

Pot Pie

• Butter - Used to sauté the vegetables and form the base of the roux.
• Onion, carrot, celery - These vegetables add flavor and texture to the pot pie.
• Cooked turkey - The main protein of the dish, which can also be chicken.
• Flour - Helps to thicken the sauce in the pot pie.
• Chicken broth - Adds depth of flavor to the sauce.
• White wine - Optional ingredient that can add acidity and depth to the sauce.
• Salt and pepper - Basic seasoning to enhance the taste.
• Fresh thyme - Adds a touch of aromatic flavor.
• Heavy cream - Makes the sauce creamy and rich (use coconut milk if dairy-free).
• Unbaked pie crust - Forms the top layer of the pot pie.
• Egg - Used for egg wash to give the crust a golden finish.
• Water - Used with the egg for the egg wash.

How to make leftover turkey pot pie

It's really so easy to put together with ingredients you have on hand!

• I used fresh carrots, celery, and onions. If you want, you could totally use frozen vegetables to save time.
• You start by sauteeing the vegetables in olive oil.
• Add the diced turkey pieces and flour.
• Season with salt, pepper and the fresh thyme.
• Add the broth, wine, cream and more flour if needed to thicken the sauce more.
• Roll out your pie dough and place it in your baking dish.
• Brush on the egg wash and bake for about 30 minutes, or until golden brown.

It's truly no-fuss!! I'm telling you it is absolutely delicious, easy to make and everyone loves it!!

Once your filling is made, roll out the crust and place over the filling. Brush on the egg wash. Bake for 30 minutes. This may be my favorite part of Thanksgiving!!

This savory pie is really easy to put together. You could spice it up as much as you want. I left mine more mild, as my kids aren't that crazy about thyme. But a little bit goes a long way in this filling.

Here is the only photo of my neighbor's turkey that I managed to get! It was 22 lbs (yes, 22 pounds!). It was plenty enough to feed the 21 people that all gathered together at their house.

It has become a tradition. I'm in charge of the baking!! I wanted to have turkey leftovers and ended up roasting a much smaller bird that weekend so we could make this fun turkey pot pie!

Variations/ Substitutions

• Use different vegetables. Instead of using traditional carrots and peas, try adding diced sweet potatoes, spinach, or mushrooms. You could even use a combination of different vegetables for more flavor and texture.

• Switch up the protein. Instead of using turkey, you can use leftover chicken, beef, or pork. Or, if you’re looking for a vegetarian option, try substituting beans or tofu for the meat.

• Use flavored cream soups. Add some extra flavor to your pot pie by using cream of mushroom, celery, broccoli or asparagus soup instead of plain cream of chicken soup.

• Switch up the crusts. Instead of using a traditional top and bottom pie crust, try making a phyllo dough crust, puff pastry crust, biscuit crust, or mashed potato crust.

• Add a flavor twist. To add an extra layer of flavor to your pot pie, try adding roasted garlic, fresh herbs, diced bell peppers or crumbled bacon. You could also add some heat by sprinkling red pepper flakes on top before baking it

• Instead of butter , you can use dairy-free butter or olive oil or coconut oil.

•To add a touch of sweetness, try adding a tablespoon of honey or maple syrup to the filling mixture

Expert Tips for this easy turkey pot pie

• You can add turmeric and a splash of white wine to the filling (I came across leftover turkey pot pie on The Pioneer Woman's site and it is something she did)
• It does cook away and leaves a lovely flavor to the sauce. You could use 1/2 and 1/2 or heavy cream. I used heavy cream. I may even try it with coconut milk the next time and see how it turns out.

• If you don't feel the urge to put together your own pie dough, go ahead and use your favorite refrigerator brand. If you use your favorite refrigerator ready made pie crust, the prep time will be just about 15 minutes.
• If you use a homemade pie crust, you have to chill the dough, so that adds about one hour to prep time.

How to reheat turkey pot pie

• To Make Ahead: Prep filling following the directions. You could refrigerate for up to 48 hours ahead of baking
• To Reheat:You could easily reheat any leftovers in the microwave. I prefer to reheat it on a baking sheet covered with foil on 325F for about 15-20 minutes (until the filling is nice and warm).
• To Freeze: Freeze filling before baking. Be sure to let it cool down and put in a plastic container. The whole pot pie could be frozen, but place the pie in a regular pie plate instead of cast iron skillet. Simply defrost overnight in the fridge then bake according to the directions.

This is the pie crust recipe I used. Leave out the sugar since this is a savory recipe. It's a double crust recipe. You could save the 2nd part to make another pumpkin pie or even one more pot pie!! Fill it with chicken if you're out of turkey.

It was a huge hit over here!! I have some leftover turkey calling my name right now, so it's time to make another one!!

My pie crust recipe and Pioneer Women's Turkey pot pie filling recipe slightly adapted.

Recipe FAQ's

Updated from 12/2014 and updated on November 21, 2022.

Some other recipes to try:

• Cranberry Glazed Turkey Tenderloin
• Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie
• Italian Cranberry Sauce
• Instant Pot Italian Pork Roast

Did you make this? Please RATE THE RECIPE below:)

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