Leftover Turkey Pot Pies Recipe

Name: Leftover Turkey Pot Pies
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 4 tablespoons unsalted butter; 1/2 cup diced sweet onion; 1/2 cup diced carrots; 1/2 cup diced celery; 2 cups chopped cooked turkey; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon black pepper; 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour; 1 1/2 - 2 cups chicken or turkey stock; 1/2 cup frozen sweet peas; 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme (optional); 2 9-inch pie crusts, store-bought or homemade; 1 egg + 1 tablespoon water, whisked, for brushing

I’m known as “the leftovers guy” because I’m always thinking of new ways to use leftovers. Thanksgiving always has an abundance of leftovers, so you’d better believe I get excited about it!

This year I’m all about Turkey Pot Pies.

The great thing about these Turkey Pot Pies is that they use many of the ingredients you likely already have on hand from making other Thanksgiving dishes – ingredients like onions, celery, carrots, stock, and pie crust. Plus, the individual serving size works perfectly for little kids.

Small ramekin of leftover turkey pot pie with rosemary garnish — Nick Evans

What Turkey to Use for Pot Pies?

No need to be picky; just use what you have! I prefer dark meat in my pot pies so I opt for the thighs and legs, but anything will work. Just make sure to chop it well so there are no huge pieces in the final pot pie.

If it’s not turkey season, you can make these with any leftover chicken meat you have on hand. Shred it up and it’ll work great in a quick chicken pot pie!

Can I Use Leftover Gravy?

What is leftover gravy?! I’m not sure I’ve ever seen leftover gravy. Just kidding! (Sort of.)

Yes, you can use the leftover gravy in lieu of the gravy in this recipe, but you probably won’t have enough to make all the filling. I recommend making the gravy as it’s shown in the recipe, then adding whatever leftover Thanksgiving gravy you have to it for extra turkey flavor!

Can I Use Leftover Pie Crust?

If you’ve already made pie crust for, well, pies, and you have some leftover, you can use it here. But I’m also all about store-bought pie crust in this case. You’ve been cooking a lot and it’s fine to take a shortcut on this one!

Four leftover turkey pot pies with flaky crust — Nick Evans

What Kind of Bakeware Do I Need for These Pies?

I make these turkey pot pies in ramekins. Round 8-ounce ramekins will give you a good kid-sized pot pie and an 18-ounce ramekin is good for adult portions.

Can I Make These Pot Pies in Advance?

You can absolutely make these in advance if that works better for your schedule. I would prep them completely up to the final baking step. They will keep great in the fridge, ready to go, for a few days.

Leftover pot pie will also keep well in the fridge for up to five days. Reheat them in a 350°F oven until warmed through and piping hot.

The Kid Report Card

My kids were incredibly skeptical about what was going on here. I tried to explain to them that the delicious dinner was under the pie crust. My older kid (who is almost five) dove in straight away and basically turned his pot pie into a crust/turkey/gravy soup. (Turns out that is not the most appealing way to eat a pot pie.) My younger kid (almost three) delicately picked the smallest pieces of crust off the edges and nibbled them.

I was a bit concerned that my kids wouldn’t be into these pot pies, but it turns out there’s a surefire way to get kids to eat what lies beneath the crispy golden browned crust: deconstruction.

I took the pies apart somewhat and separated the ingredients, and while it was super-annoying to have to do that, it also worked great – pot pie victory even if the victory ended up not being in pot pie form!

More Recipes to Make With Leftover Turkey!

Leftover Turkey Pot Pies

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 35 mins

Total Time 45 mins

Servings 3 to 6 pot pies, depending on size of ramekins

You can use any size or shape of ramekin. Round works best, but oblong is okay as well and you get more crust with that shape.

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup diced sweet onion
1/2 cup diced carrots
1/2 cup diced celery
2 cups chopped cooked turkey
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 to 2 cups chicken or turkey stock
1/2 cup frozen sweet peas
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme (optional)
2 (9-inch) pie crusts, store-bought or homemade

Egg Wash

1 large egg
1 tablespoon water

Preheat oven to 350˚F
Cook the pot pie base:

Add the butter to a large skillet over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add onions, carrots, and celery. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the vegetables start to soften. Stir in chopped turkey and season with the salt and pepper.

Nick Evans

Nick Evans
Make the gravy:

Add flour to the filling and stir until the mixture is smooth. Cook for a minute or two to cook out the flour taste. Then slowly whisk in the stock to form a light gravy. If the gravy seems too thick, add more stock or water by the 1/4 cup.

Nick Evans
Add peas and thyme:

When gravy is done, add peas and fresh thyme and remove from heat.

Nick Evans
Fill the ramekins:

Divide the pot pie filling between ramekins. Fill ramekins up about 3/4 of the way full to prevent overflowing. (You can use any size or shape of ramekin. Round works best, but oblong is okay as well and you get more crust with that shape.)

Nick Evans
Cover with pie crust and brush with egg wash:

Cover ramekins with a top piece of pie crust, either store-bought or homemade. Crimp the edges well and poke a few holes in the center of the pie crust to let steam escape. Whisk egg and water to make an egg wash. Brush on pie crust.

Nick Evans

Nick Evans
Bake the pot pies:

Bake the turkey pot pies at 350 ̊F for 20-25 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown around the edges and in the center. Let the pot pies cool for a few minutes before serving.

Leftover pot pie will keep well in the fridge for up to five days. Reheat them in a 350°F oven until warmed through and piping hot.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
616	Calories
35g	Fat
53g	Carbs
22g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 3 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories	616
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 35g	45%
Saturated Fat 13g	67%
Cholesterol 103mg	34%
Sodium 637mg	28%
Total Carbohydrate 53g	19%
Dietary Fiber 4g	14%
Total Sugars 7g
Protein 22g
Vitamin C 3mg	17%
Calcium 46mg	4%
Iron 3mg	19%
Potassium 401mg	9%
*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.