Cajun Turkey Pot Pie

A turkey pot pie made with turkey leftovers and flavored with Cajun spices, onions, celery and green pepper.

Individual cajun turkey pot pies.

Simply Recipes / Sally Vargas

Turkey Pot Pie—Perfect for Holiday Leftovers

Winter took its sweet time coming to Northern California this year, but it did finally arrive, and here we are with long, chilly nights and frost-kissed mornings. Perfect weather for a warming bowl of pot pie!

There is the classic chicken pot pie of course. But with the holidays we thought we might try our hand at a turkey pot pie made with cooked turkey, a perfect dish for holiday leftovers.

How To Make Turkey Pot Pie

This turkey pot pie has a Cajun twist, starting with the trinity of onions, celery, and green bell peppers, and spiced up a bit with Cajun seasoning.

It's topped with a flaky, buttery crust, which is in my opinion, the best reason of all to make a pot pie.

You can either make it as a large casserole or in ramekins for individual servings.

Cajun turkey pot pie in a ramekin.

Simply Recipes / Sally Vargas

Cajun Turkey Pot Pie

Prep Time 75 mins
Cook Time 40 mins
Total Time 115 mins
Servings 6 to 8 servings

You can make the turkey pot pie either in individual ramekins or in one large casserole dish.

If you can't find Cajun seasoning in your local market, you can make your own with 3/4 teaspoon each of salt, pepper, dried oregano, dried thyme, and 1 1/2 teaspoons each of paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder.

Ingredients

For the pie crust

  • 1 1/2 cups all purpose-flour

  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, diced into 1/2-inch cubes

  • 3 to 4 tablespoons chilled ice water

For the filling

  • 5 tablespoons peanut oil or unsalted butter

  • 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow or white onion

  • 3 celery stalks, chopped

  • 1 large green pepper, chopped

  • 1 to 2 jalapeno peppers, chopped

  • 4 cloves garlic , minced

  • 3 cups diced, cooked turkey meat

  • 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning

  • Kosher salt

  • 2 1/2 cups turkey or chicken stock

  • 1 cup dark beer (brown ale or Guinness)

  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour

  • 1 cup diced tomatoes

For the egg wash

  • 1 egg yolk

  • 1 tablespoon cream

Special Equipment

  • Food processor

Method

  1. Make the pie crust dough:

    Pulse the flour and salt together in a food processor. Add the chilled butter cubes to the food processor and pulse 5 times. The dough should resemble a coarse cornmeal, with some pea-sized pieces of butter.

    Slowly add the chilled water (make sure there are no small ice cube bits), just a tablespoon at a time, pulsing once after each addition, until the dough just sticks together when you press some between your fingers.

    Empty the food processor, placing the dough mixture on a clean surface. Use the heel of your palm to shmoosh the dough mixture onto the table surface a few times. This action will help flatten and spread the butter between layers of flour, so that the resulting dough will be flaky.

    Once you've done this a few (5 or 6) times, use your hands to mold the dough into a disk. Sprinkle the disk with a little flour, wrap it in plastic wrap, and let it chill for an hour, or up to 2 days, before rolling out.

    Making turkey pot pie dough.

    Simply Recipes / Sally Vargas

    Making turkey pot pie dough.

    Simply Recipes / Sally Vargas

    Making turkey pot pie dough.

    Simply Recipes / Sally Vargas

  2. Sauté onions, celery, green pepper, jalapeño:

    Heat the oil over medium-high heat and sauté the onion, celery, green pepper and jalapeño, stirring often, until they are soft, about 6-8 minutes.

  3. Add the garlic, turkey meat, Cajun seasoning, and salt:

    Mix well and cook another 1 minute, stirring once or twice.

  4. Finish making the filling:

    Bring the stock and beer to a boil in a small pot. Sprinkle the flour over the turkey and veggies and mix well. Cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring often and making sure no flour burns on the bottom of the pan.

    Slowly pour in the hot stock-beer mixture, stirring. It will seize up at first, then, as you pour in more stock and stir, will form a silky sauce for the turkey.

    Add the tomatoes and cook until the mixture thickens, about 3-5 minutes.

    Pour the filling into a 2-quart casserole or, if you wish, into individual ramekins.

    Filling for turkey pot pie.

    Simply Recipes / Sally Vargas

    Filled ramekins with turkey pot pie.

    Simply Recipes / Sally Vargas

  5. Prepare the crust:

    Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface to a little less than a quarter-inch thick. If you are using a casserole, roll into a sheet a little larger than the dish.

    If you are using ramekins (use 10 ounce ramekins), cut the dough into 6 rounds that are slightly larger than the circumference of the ramekins.

    Using lids to cut dough to top turkey pot pie

    Simply Recipes / Sally Vargas

  6. Top the filling with the crust dough:

    Lay the dough onto the filling. Fold the excess dough under itself and use the tines of a fork to press the dough against the edge of the ramekins. Cut a 1-inch vent into each individual pie, or several if you are making a casserole.

    Individual cajun turkey pies topped with a crust.

    Simply Recipes / Sally Vargas

  7. Brush with egg wash:

    Whisk together in a small bowl the egg yolk and cream for an egg wash. Use a pastry brush to paint the egg wash over the crust. This will help the crust brown nicely.

    Individual turkey pot pies brushed with egg wash.

    Simply Recipes / Sally Vargas

  8. Bake:

    Bake at 400°F for 25 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and the filling is bubbling. Let cool for at least 5 minutes before serving.

    Cajun turkey pies cooling on a wire rack.

    Simply Recipes / Sally Vargas

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
514 Calories
31g Fat
34g Carbs
22g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6 to 8
Amount per serving
Calories 514
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 31g 40%
Saturated Fat 14g 69%
Cholesterol 147mg 49%
Sodium 1206mg 52%
Total Carbohydrate 34g 12%
Dietary Fiber 3g 10%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 22g
Vitamin C 20mg 100%
Calcium 63mg 5%
Iron 3mg 15%
Potassium 480mg 10%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.