Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey Pot Pie
An easy, no-fuss comforting pot pie using leftovers and ingredients that you already have on hand!
I am so incredibly stoked that Thanksgiving is less than a week away. Jason and I plan on going back to LA to spend a couple days with his family along with a traditional Thanksgiving feast, and I’m in charge of the stuffing and sweet potatoes this year, my two favorite Thanksgiving side dishes!
But what I’m even more excited about are the leftovers – “moistmakers”, tacos, quesadillas – you name it! But I found a new favorite way to use up all that leftover turkey with these individual turkey pot pies. The best part about this is that you probably have all the ingredients on hand from your thanksgiving prep so you don’t even have to make that emergency grocery run!
And seriously, how can anyone resist pot pie? It’s comfort food at its best! And with that flaky puff pastry crust right on top with the creamy turkey mixture that just melts in your mouth, you’ll want to just skip over Thanksgiving and head right to the leftovers!
Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey Pot Pie
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small onion, diced
- ⅔ cup frozen corn kernels
- ½ cup frozen diced carrots
- ½ cup frozen peas
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup chicken broth
- ¾ cup milk
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 cups chopped leftover Thanksgiving turkey
- 1 puff pastry sheet, cut into four
- 4 1/4- inch squares
- 1 large egg, beaten
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly oil four 10-ounce ramekins or coat with nonstick spray.
- To make the filling, melt butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic, onion, corn, carrots and peas and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions become translucent, about 2 minutes. Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in chicken broth, milk and thyme, and cook, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in turkey; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Divide the filling evenly into the ramekins. Top with puff pastry and gently cut 4 vents in the top of the crust. Brush each crust with the beaten egg.
- Place into oven and bake until the crust is golden brown, about 20 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @damn_delicious on Instagram and hashtag it #damndelicious!
Looking forward to trying the turkey pot pie recipe.
Excellent use of leftover turkey! For sure better than Swanson’s! We had to use a flaky pastry here in Spain which was really good.
Muchase gracias.
To the review that said it tasted bland:
I’ve been using this recipe for years (thank you Damndelicious!)
But I’ve changed it slightly- I use fresh celery, onion, carrot, and garlic. Peas is the only frozen item in the mix. I also add two bay leaves when sautéing the veggies, salt, pepper and the Better Than Bullion Chicken paste for flavor. I use rotisserie chicken, and I brown it (since turkey is a once a year occasion in my house). Add chicken to veggies. After I add the milk/heavy cream and broth, I taste it, and if it’s still a little bland, I add a bit more bullion (usually doesn’t need it since the veggies and chicken are browned a bit).
Oh, and be generous with the veggies. 3 celery sticks, 1 med onion, 3 carrots, 4-5 cloves garlic (all small diced). Hope this helps!
I didn’t have big ramekins, so I made pot pie puff pastries and the whole thing came out delicious, though something in the pot pie mixture was missing. It tasted a little bland to me. Maybe I need to add vegetable stock instead of chicken stock, more garlic, and fresh veggies instead? Not sure, but I’ll be doing this again!
OMG!! This was so good and easy to make. I have out of town family here for the holidays and I wanted to make something different using the leftover turkey. I started looking up some recipes for soups but I really didn’t want to make another boring soup that everyone had already had. So, I continued to look and whoa I came across this pot pie and I let’s give it a try…man oh man, Damm Good Delicious!
This was an excellent use of our leftover Christmas turkey. We didn’t have any Ramekins so I used a Corning Ware casserole dish and it worked out perfectly. I’m already thinking about when I can make another turkey just so I can make this again.
Love this recipe I made it with turkey breast used fresh peas fresh carrots mushrooms and pearl onions added a little poultry seasoning had it for a football covered dish.this weekend everyone loved it.❤️
I just made this with leftover chicken and homemade pie crust in a regular pie dish and y’all – it was wonderful. There may be tears in my eyes as I eat these peas.
This recipe was so easy, used all my extra turkey, and tasted Ah-amazing! So glad to have found it!
Very good recipe for leftovers. It was delicious
Delish! I made this with pilsbury pie crusts so I could make three large pies to freeze. So good!!!
This is seriously one of my FAVORITE pot pie recipes. It is silky, flavorful, and totally delicious. The entire family loves it. The only modifications I make in my kitchen are:
1. I use a full can of chicken broth because I like the sauce a bit, well, saucier.
2. I don’t often have puff pastry on hand, and don’t always want to make my own pie crust on busy weeknights, so I find the Trader Joe’s pie crusts work REALLY WELL.
Thank you for sharing your talents. You know your way around the kitchen!!
I made this for my family after Thanksgiving and what a hit it was!!! My husband enjoyed it so much that he kept commenting on how good it was. Definitely a keeper. I’m going to try with chicken also.
I’ll be making this tonight, but curious if puff pastry can be used if frozen or should it be thawed?
The instructions on the puff pastry packages say thaw the pastry first. But the sheets thaw within 30 minutes so it is ok.
This looks delicious and I can’t wait to try it! I just want to know if I can use fresh instead of frozen veggies and if that changes anything about the recipe.
This is delicious. I added in some leftover turkey gravy. I don’t have individual ramekins, so I used a 9×13 pan. It turned out excellent. Everybody raved about it.
Did you double recipe for 9 x 13 pan?
Easy, great flavor, just right amount and consistency gravy. Made as a dingle pan casserole Using a 12oz bag of frozen mixed veg, and added a can of mushrooms just because I could. Will definitely make again.
We love hearing that! Thanks for sharing, Kit! 🙂
This is so delicious. Making it today for the 4th time!
I have always loved pot pies since I was a little girl. I loved when my mum and I had a lunch date at Simpsons and we always had the pot pie for lunch. This pie was super good. I exchanged the peas for green beans and all the veggies I used were fresh when I started. I will certainly add this to recipe collection. I especially enjoyed the puff pastry. I may even try making my own puff pastry the next time.
That’s great!
Thank you so much for the memories Kim. I’d forgotten about Simpsons. 🙂
Back on topic…I’ve used this recipe as a base to start from for 5 years now. It works really well with everything leftover I’ve thrown in. Broccoli was great. I think Butternut squash is my favourite. I’ve switched the flour to almond flour a few times (lower any other fat content if you do). Fiddleheads can be bitter. I used the butternut squash mixed with maple syrup to balance it.
I love how easy and versatile this recipe is. Thank you so much Chungah
Excellent and easy! I made in one pan and added a few more veggies and it was a big hit with the family!
This is AMAZING. I don’t have ramekins, so I did it in a pie pan. The only thing I would do next time is double the filling recipe to fill it more. But this is definitely a keeper in my house. 🙂
Turned out great- I used left over gravy and made the recipe even easier and faster!
I used turkey broth from cooking the leftover turkey bones and added 1/8 tsp of poultry seasoning…..
Sooooo good! Thank you for all your great recipes!
this recipe sounds delicious. Wondering if this would work in a much larger casserole for a crowd.
What a great idea! But unfortunately, without having tried this myself, I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment when making substitutions and modifications.
My husband and I were looking for an easy leftover Thanksgiving potpie and we decided to give this one a try. We switched it up just a bit, adding a little better than bouillon roasted chicken base and using a frozen mixed bag of veggies that came with green beans. We also made one big pie instead of four smaller pies, and passed on the egg simply because we needed to save it for breakfast the next morning. We were thoroughly pleased though with the final results. A flaky crust and thick yummy filling. Definitely a recipe worth keeping! Thank you for sharing.
I have a lot of leftover gravy. Could I use it somehow in this pot pie? I have made so many of the delicious recipes from your cookbook, Chung-ah, thank you for all of your hard work!
What a great idea! But unfortunately, without having tried this myself, I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment when making substitutions and modifications.
I have made this a few times and always a hit ! Thank you !
want to make this. Love your recipes! Wonder if leftover stuffing could be used instead of pastry for the crust?
That actually sounds fantastic!!
Thank you! Perfect recipe for me to use up my left over turkey. I didn’t have puff pastry but had a left over premade pie crust that worked. And I put it all in a 8×8 glass dish. Yummy!
Thank you for this recipe! I use it all the time!
I add a little more liquid for extra sauce and I use leftover stuffing/dressing as a topper instead of the pie crust. It’s so yummy!
I found 9 month old frozen turkey from last thanksgiving so hopped on google to find a leftover recipe and am so happy to have found this one! Simple and delicious <3
How awesome! Glad it turned out!
I threw in the turkey dressing also and used my homemade turkey broth kicked it right up i could eat this every 3rd day yum yum
Yes, the BEST! I’d post a photo but didn’t have time to get my camera, we ate them too fast!
I would just like to say this is the best Turkey Pot Pie!! It is our families favourite receipe and the kids beg me at least once a month to make it where we have had turkey or not! (We have to substitute with chicken then). I do make it as one big pie as this works best for us. I am making it again tonight at the request of my daughters friend who is coming for tea and had it here once before (when I say requested I think demand is more the word as she loved it so much!)
Oh I forgot – french onion soup bowls were my choice for serving. Larger than a ramekin but, then again, I like good food… The pastry was cut to just inside the inner rim so as to “float” on the turkey pot pie. Beautiful and super delicious recipe. Thank you for posting! 🙂 FRF
A pot pie is so very forgiving, it is one of my favorite go-tos for leftovers of all kinds. For this dish I used the menu basics but added cream and a beurre manie to thicken. The fresh thyme is so welcome here I added more! I highly recommend a homemade puff pastry – super simple if not time consuming but it is so worth the pain to taste the buttery flakiness on top of a rich sauce! I used a bowl to cut my tops – a ravioli cutter around the perimeter was the perfect tool. You may want to pre-bake the puff pastry too depending on the moisture content of the turkey mix, this ensured a uniformly flaky top and eliminated the soggy center that I have had in the past. Hope these simple thoughts help 🙂 FRF
I made this tonight and my husband agreed it was one of the best pot pies ever! I dont have ramekins big enough so I used a 9 X 13 baking dish. Cooked it for 35 minutes. Perfect. Also added chopped celery and a TB of marscapone cheese.
Can it be prepared in individual tin foil pans with lids for sharing?
Yes!
Can it just be prepared in a casserole pan – like 9×13 or 7×11 – and baked till crust browns.?
Yes!
This was indeed “damndelicious.” We made it last night and the best part was how incredibly UN-labor intensive it was–a blessing after all the work hosting a Thanksgiving for 20! I subbed asparagus for the peas because that is what I had in the feezer. Also–added some Worcestshire and prepared horseradish (an idea from inpatskitchen’s Pot Pie Soup with a Little Warmth at Food 52). Otherwise, we followed the recipe exactly and it was a hit. Thank you!
I can’t wait to make this today! It’ll be our third year in a row. We love this recipe! Thank you!
Chicken pot pie is hands down my favorite dish everrrr! Definitely going to try this remix. Also, I’m a huge fan of your recipes. They’re easy to follow and delicious every time. The last 10 meals I made were from you! As a very busy and exhausted teacher, I really appreciate simple recipes and comforting meals. Thanks!!!
Thanks for the inspiration! I will attempt this tomorrow.
Can these be frozen and if so how would you go about it?
Unfortunately, I cannot answer this with certainty as I have never tried freezing this myself – there were no leftovers left to freeze! Please use your best judgment for freezing and reheating.
I always freeze my chicken/turkey pot pies…even when I use puff pastry. Wrap them individually in plastic wrap. Thaw them before you reheat them…uncovered. Heat for about 20-30 minutes @ 300F
Love this dish and all the others I have made from your website. Everyone in he family loved it and I have a picky group.
Let us know when you have a cookbook coming out 😉
I cooked a turkey today, first time! I want to make these pot pies but want to freeze a bunch for the fall. Anyone know if this is a good idea? If so how? thanks for any advice….
Looks amazing. I am in love with the small baking dish you used. Can you point me to it, please?
Thanks!
I purchased the baking dish from Pier 1 Imports.
thanks for this recipe! just made it tonight and omg, my husband and I finished the whole thing! (didn’t use individual ramekins). I did add chopped celery and more broth and milk. Hooray for holiday season weight gain!
What type of pan did you use to cook it in? I dont have ramekin bowls. Also did you adjust the cooking time?
@Stacey: I’m back because I’m making this a Gian! Think I’ll make it smaller though because I was so full last time! I just user a glass baking dish and I think I had to cook it for several more minutes. Keep just took it out when the crust was nice and golden brown.
What is a ramekins? I don’t cook (at all) my husband does. He makes thanksgiving dinner and I would like to surprise him with this meal. I have no idea what a ramekin is and where would I find that puff pastry thing
You can easily find puff pastry at the grocery store in the freezer aisle. Ramekins can be found pretty much anywhere that sells cooking supplies (ex. Amazon, Sur la Table, Crate&Barrel, etc.). And feel free to use Google as a resource. It is very helpful!
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Made this the other day. Making for the second time today. Was DELISH! Added a bit more liquid (broth and milk) than recommended. Fantastic. Made with chicken. Will make again and again!
I am making this tonight. It looks amazing!
Thanks so much for the recipe. It’s going in my iPad!!
I just put this in the oven!! I don’t have ramekins so I used a store bought pie crust. Fingers crossed. I’ve never made a pot pie from scratch before. Thanks for the recipe. 🙂
Store-bought pie crust should work just as well. Let me know how it turns out!
It was delicious!!!!! I used two crusts. I poured it in one and flipped the other one on top. We ate it with leftover crock pot mashed potatoes. My husband loved it and he’s a picky one. I do want to try it with puff pastry because I LOVE puff pastry. I’ve been known to baked puff pastry cups and eat them with nothing inside.
I could eat puff pastry on their own too!
Just took ours out of the oven and it is delicious!!! And it was so easy to put together! Definitely a recipe I will use again!
I’m so happy to hear that. I could seriously have this all year long!
This is the prettiest pie I ever saw:) such a great recipe !
I am definitely making this with my leftover turkey but I plan to use homemade cheddar thyme crust!
That crust sounds absolutely amazing!
Made this! It was very simple and good! Thank you.
This is the prettiest pot pie ever! I would love to plant my face in it. Have a great time in LA and enjoy the Holiday!! xo
You already know that I think this is a fabulous idea! I think I have shared it on all my social media channels today. I am definitely filing this one in my “make soon” folder too! 🙂
Pot pie is easily my favourite way to use turkey leftovers. Wishing I was having another Thanksgiving! (Canadian Thanksgiving was back in October) Beautiful photos!
This is making me so hungry! That filling looks perfect and love the flaky puff pastry on top!
My little boy loves pot pie, so I’m sure this one would be a big hit! Thanks for sharing, Chung-Ah!
Yes yes yes! Oh how I want some of this!
That looks amazing! And that’s great that you’ll be back in LA, if you need a place to eat pie and play cards Thursday night, you know where I live!
I don’t even celebrate thanksgiving but I want turkey just to make this pie!
Haha! I mean TURKEY pot pie!
I could totally skip the feast and go straight to the leftovers! That chicken pot pie looks delish!
So exited about this and Thanksgiving leftovers! It looks so good Chung-Ah!
the photos are stunning…girl…I dont even eat turkey but maybe I should start!
Thanks, friend! I got lucky with the lighting on this one. And thanks for the pin to the BHG board – you’re the best 🙂
Bring on the leftovers if they come with a topping of golden puff pastry!
This is almost perfect. I added some of the leftover stuffing to the mix and adjust the liquid if necessary. Delicious. Also, you can put a little cheddar cheese on top before you put on the pastry puff top.