The best way to use Thanksgiving leftovers is in this Turkey Pot Pie recipe! Homemade pie crust is filled with shredded turkey, vegetables, and a creamy sauce for a healthy and comforting meal. It is also easy to make this dish gluten-free and dairy-free, perfect for after the holidays!
Thanks to this Turkey Pot Pie recipe, you’ll no longer have to settle for days of leftovers or lame turkey sandwiches.
Not only will you get to use up a TON of the extra holiday meat, but you also get to continue to eat some classic comfort-food… made a bit healthier!
The recipe you’ll find here is not too much different from this Chicken Pot Pie…
With a buttery and flaky homemade pie crust (you can also easily use a storebought one to save on time!)…
A creamy, veggie-loaded filling that can easily be made dairy-free…
And an absolutely GORGEOUS presentation that I’ll be sure to show you each step of the process. (Including a tip to really make that crust shine!)
So what are we waiting for?! Let’s start using up that leftover shredded turkey meat!
If you also need to use up leftover mashed potatoes, try these Mashed Potato Pancakes! This Turkey Casserole Recipe is great if you have even more shredded turkey left!
Ingredients
The simple ingredients you need to make this turkey pot pie recipe include:
- Turkey. Cooked and shredded turkey is needed. Make sure it is broken up into small 2-inch pieces.
- Vegetables. Chopped onion, celery, corn, carrots, and peas add in tons of flavor and nutrition. Fresh tastes great but frozen is easier since the carrots are already prepared.
- Broth. Either chicken broth or vegetable broth work equally well in this recipe.
- Milk. Dairy-free almond or cashew milk is what was tested. However feel free to use regular milk.
- Flour. This is the key ingredient that helps to thicken up the creamy sauce. A gluten-free 1-to-1 flour blend was used, but regular all purpose flour can be substituted.
- Dried Herbs. A combination of rosemary, thyme, and tarragon complement the rest of the dish beautifully. If you want to save a little time you can just sprinkle in a dried herbs blend instead.
- Pie Crust. Making a homemade gluten-free pie crust is the way this recipe was originally written. To save a little time you can swap it out for two store-bought crusts or puff pastry instead.
How to Make Turkey Pot Pie
The basic steps for making turkey pot pie are simple to follow:
Make the Pie Crust
If you’re making homemade pie crust have it prepared before proceeding with the rest of the recipe.
Roll the dough out into 2 circles 11-inches across for a 9-inch pie plate.
Sauté the Veggies
Sauté the butter, celery, carrots, and onion in a large pan or Dutch oven for 7-8 minutes.
Add in the crushed garlic and continue cooking for 1 minute.
Reduce the heat down to low and then sift in the flour. Mix the flour into the vegetables until everything is well combined.
Finish the Filling
Pour in small amounts of chicken broth and milk and stir well after each addition. Wait until the sauce thickens slightly before adding in more. Once all liquid has been used cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 2-3 minutes.
Turn off the heat and sprinkle in the salt, pepper, herbs, peas, and corn.
Assemble the Pot Pie
Place one of the 11-inch pie crusts on the bottom of a 9-inch pie plate coated with non-stick cooking spray.
Arrange the shredded turkey along the bottom of the pie crust then pour in the vegetable sauce.
If you prefer you can also mix the turkey into the sauce before adding to the pie crust.
Top the Pie
Cover the turkey and vegetables with the second pie crust.
Trim off the excess dough with a sharp knife. Then tuck in the edges, pressing together the bottom and top pie crust so that the entire pot pie is sealed.
Crimp and Vent
Use both thumbs to push in 1-inch segments around the edge to create a fluted effect.
Cut a few holes in the top of the pie dough so the steam can vent while baking.
Egg Wash and Bake
Use a whisk to combine 1 egg and 1 tablespoon of milk. Brush the egg wash all over the pie crust to make it golden and flaky.
Cook the turkey pot pie in an oven preheated to 425°F for 45-50 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Place an extra pan underneath the pot pie to catch any drippings.
Let it Sit
Carefully take the pot pie out of the oven and allow it to rest for at least 10-15 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Meal Prep and Storage
- To Prep-Ahead: Follow all of the steps up until the egg wash then cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. On the day of serving, let it sit at room temperature for 1 hour before brushing with the egg wash and baking.
- To Store: Leftovers can be placed in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
- To Freeze: Pot pie can be frozen for up to 3 months either baked or unbaked. Freezing before cooking is ideal for the best crust texture.
- To Reheat: Cover with foil and return to a 350°F oven for 20-25 minutes or until heated through.
Dietary Modifications
Here are some adjustments and substitutions you can make to ensure the recipe fits your dietary requirements:
- Gluten-free: Use a gluten-free 1-to-1 blend in place of the flour and a gluten-free pie crust.
- Dairy-free: Make the pie crust with a vegan butter substitute and use a plant-based milk.
FAQs
Yes, pot pie can be made with biscuit dough instead of pie dough. However, it will change the texture a bit.
You can definitely use a store-bought or homemade puff pastry for the crust. Just know that the fluffy texture is quite different than a traditional crust.
If you’d like to ensure the bottom of your pie crust does not get soggy you can pre-bake the bottom crust.
The actual history of the name is unclear, but similar recipes seem to date back all the way back to the Greek and Roman empires. Pot pies became popular in England and the dish came with settlers to the United States. More recently in the 1950’s a frozen version was introduced, and the rest, they say, is history.
Most pot pie recipes are not very healthy since they are made with heavy cream and a gluten-filled crust.
This homemade version is healthier because it uses both dairy-free and gluten-free ingredients.
Expert Tips and Tricks
- Do it yourself. Making homemade pie crust really pays off in flavor and texture.
- Vent it. Cut holes in the top of the upper pie crust so the steam can escape.
- Save for later. Freeze unbaked turkey pot pie for an easy future meal.
- Go for the gold. Brush the dough with an egg wash before baking for golden flaky perfection.
- Give it a rest. Allow the pie to sit at room temperature about 10-15 minutes before serving to allow the sauce to thicken.
More Ways to Use Leftover Turkey
Put your cooked turkey to use in these tasty meals! You can also swap out the chicken for turkey in any of these recipes:
- Turkey Verde Enchiladas
- Turkey Salad with Grapes
- Turkey Soup
- Turkey Tinga Tostadas
- Shredded Turkey Tacos
- Homemade Turkey Enchiladas
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Leftover Turkey Pot Pie Recipe
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Ingredients
- 2 homemade pie crusts or store-bought
- 1 lb. turkey cooked and shredded, about 3 ½ cups
- 2 Tbsp. oil olive or avocado
- ½ cup celery finely chopped
- 1 cup carrots finely chopped
- 1 small sweet onion finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- ½ cup flour or a gluten-free 1-to-1 blend
- ¾ cup milk or a plant-based milk
- 1 ¼ cups broth chicken or vegetable, regular sodium
- ½ tsp. salt to taste
- ¼ tsp. black pepper to taste
- ¼ tsp. each of thyme rosemary, and tarragon, dried
- ¾ cup frozen peas
- ¾ cup frozen corn
- 1 egg optional
- 1 Tbsp. milk optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Prepare homemade pie crusts if making from scratch. Roll each one out to 11-inches across for a 9-inch pie plate.2 homemade pie crusts
- In a large skillet or Dutch oven add oil, celery, carrots, and onion. Sauté over medium heat for 7-8 minutes.2 Tbsp. oil, ½ cup celery, 1 cup carrots, 1 small sweet onion
- Add crushed garlic and continue sautéing for 1 minute.2 cloves garlic
- Reduce heat to low and sift in flour. Stir flour into vegetables until it is well combined.½ cup flour
- Incrementally add in chicken broth and milk. Stir well after each addition and wait until the sauce thickens slightly to add the next amount. Once all liquid has been added cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 2-3 minutes.1 ¼ cups broth, ¾ cup milk
- Turn off heat and stir in salt, pepper, herbs, peas, and corn.½ tsp. salt, ¼ tsp. black pepper, ¾ cup frozen peas, ¾ cup frozen corn, ¼ tsp. each of thyme
- Place one 11-inch pie crust on the bottom of a 9-inch pie plate that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.
- Add shredded turkey along the bottom of the pie crust and pour in the vegetable sauce.1 lb. turkey
- Cover the turkey and vegetables with the second pie crust. Trim the excess with a sharp knife. Tuck in the edges, squeezing the bottom pie crust to the top pie crust so the entire pot pie is sealed. Using both thumbs, push in 1-inch segments along the edge to create a fluted effect.
- Cut a few vent holes in the top of the pie dough so steam can be released while baking.
- Optional: Whisk together one egg and a tablespoon of milk. Brush egg wash over the pie crust to make it golden and flaky.1 Tbsp. milk
- Bake turkey pot pie in the preheated oven for 45-50 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Make sure you place an extra pan underneath the pot pie to catch any drippings.
- Once the pot pie is cooked, let it rest for 10-15 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
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Video
Notes
Meal Prep and Storage
- To Prep-Ahead: Follow all of the steps up until the egg wash then cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. On the day of serving, let it sit at room temperature for 1 hour before brushing with the egg wash and baking.
- To Store: Leftovers can be placed in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
- To Freeze: Pot pie can be frozen for up to 3 months either baked or unbaked. Freezing before cooking is ideal for the best crust texture.
- To Reheat: Cover with foil and return to a 350°F oven for 20-25 minutes or until heated through.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Delicioys!!!
I cooked this in a 9×11 baking dish. Instead of using pie crust for top and bottom, I used one package of Crescent rolls for the top crust… no bottom crust.
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe! That sounds awesome. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and rating!