Got leftover turkey? Make this Turkey Pot Pie! With a creamy turkey, veggie, and cranberry filling baked underneath puff pastry or pie crust, this cozy dish is a must-make after a holiday meal.
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Some of my favorite holiday meals I look back on fondly aren't the ones served the day of the holiday, but the ones I created with leftovers. Personally, I love leftovers because there are endless ways to create something brand new and unique with ingredients that are already prepped! This Turkey Pot Pie is a perfect an example of this.
Like my Leftover Turkey Hand Pie recipe, I developed this pot pie recipe to use turkey leftover from a holiday meal. The filling very much has a vibe of Thanksgiving. It has a touch of white wine to add some dimension, a savory turkey filling with fresh rosemary, and my favorite part: a hint of sweetness thanks to added dried cranberries. It's like a Thanksgiving dinner reinvented in a savory pie. There is plenty of flexibility to swap in whatever veggies you have on hand leftover from the meal or even to use chicken if you need to!
The recipe calls for just a top crust (as opposed to a double crust pot pie) that uses leftover puff pastry or pie dough scraps, which we all might have lying around on the big day, too.
So, let's get to making it, shall we? The article below is jam packed full of useful information. You can jump around using the menu below, or skip to the end of the article for the full recipe.
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Ingredients Needed and Substitutions
Here is a brief overview of the ingredients needed for this recipe. The full recipe with quantities is listed below this text in the recipe card.
- leftover cooked turkey (or chicken can be substituted)
- onion + carrots (at the very least use a fresh onion, but other leftover veggies from the holiday meal can replace the carrots)
- dry white wine (use any kind you like the taste of)
- fresh rosemary (don't skip this, it really lends the perfect flavor to this filling)
- salt and black pepper
- butter + flour (to make a roux)
- turkey or chicken stock
- dried sweetened cranberries (if you have leftover cranberry sauce, that could be used instead)
- frozen peas (or other veggies you have leftover--see more on this below)
- fresh lemon juice
What Baking Dish Works
Any 9-inch or larger pie dish will work, or you can use a 2-3 quart baking dish. You could even make this in individual ramekins (like this Beef Pot Pie recipe)! It really comes down to your preference. The baking time is largely the same for both, with a slightly shorter bake for individual pot pies.
Pastry Options
The recipe calls for about 10 ounces of leftover pastry (either puff pastry or pie crust will work). You'll need the equivalent of one pie dough / one box of store-bought puff pastry.
Don't have leftover pie crust? There are a few options here on the site you could use.
- Butter Pie Crust (classic and so delicious)
- Sour Cream Pie Crust (so tender!)
- Cream Cheese Pie Crust (just like a butter pie crust, but with a slightly improved flavor, because cream cheese makes everything taste better!)
- Whole Wheat Pie Crust (you'll need to make a double batch, as this recipe only yields 1 pie crust)
Kelli's Best Tips
- The turkey filling must be at room temperature (or colder) before adding the pastry on top, or else the pastry will melt. One tip for quickly chilling the pie filling is to transfer it to a shallow container so it has more surface area to cool down quicker.
- It's easy to make the filling (and the dough if you need to) ahead of time, either by a day or a few hours. Then, assemble and bake it when needed.
- Got lots of leftover turkey? Make a double batch, one for now and one for later! You can freeze it unbaked or baked. It will last up to 3 months in the freezer either way.
Freezer Instructions
Pot pies are a great candidate for making ahead and freezing (like this Chicken Bacon Ranch Pot Pie)! They can be frozen with the pastry unbaked, or with the pot pie fully baked.
To Reheat: Defrost in the refrigerator overnight. Then, bake the pie at 400ºF until the filling is bubbling. If possible, place an instant-read thermometer in the middle of the pie. The inside of the middle of the pie needs to be a minimum of 170ºF. If you don’t have a thermometer, you can stick a knife in the middle of the pie, and then feel the metal to see if the filling is hot or not. It should be piping hot, not lukewarm.
You can also check out this post on How to Bake a Frozen Pie for more tips.
More Savory Dinner Pies
I am so honored when you make a recipe from my site! If you make this Turkey Pot Pie, please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating with your experience! If you have any questions about this recipe, feel free to comment here, and tag me on Instagram!
Full Recipe
Turkey Pot Pie
Got leftover turkey? Make this Turkey Pot Pie! With a creamy turkey, veggie and cranberry filling, baked underneath puff pastry or pie crust, this cozy dish is a must-make after a holiday meal.
- Prep Time: 00:10
- Cook Time: 00:65
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4-6
- Category: Savory Pie
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
For Pastry:
- 10 ounces Leftover Pie Crust or Puff Pastry
Turkey Pot Pie Filling:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, diced fine (½ cup)
- 1 medium carrot, diced fine (⅓ cup)
- 1-½ teaspoons (5 grams) coarse kosher salt, more to taste
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, more to taste
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary, divided
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 4 tablespoons (55 grams) unsalted butter, diced
- ¼ cup (30 grams) all-purpose flour
- 3 cups (680 grams) turkey or chicken stock, more as needed
- 3 cups diced leftover turkey
- ⅓ cup dried sweetened cranberries (see note)
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, more to taste
- Eggwash
Instructions
Make the Filling:
- In a Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion and carrot and cook for 5-7 minutes, or until they are beginning to soften. Add in the salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon of rosemary, and cook for 30 seconds. Add the wine and continue to cook until it is mostly evaporated, about 3 minutes.
- Add in the butter and flour and cook, stirring, until butter is melted.
- Slowly stir in the stock, half a cup at a time, scraping up the bottom of the pot and stirring as you go to ensure no lumps.
- Once all the liquid is added, add in the turkey and cranberries. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the sauce is thickened and the veggies are cooked through.
- Shut off the heat, and stir in the peas, lemon juice, and remaining 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more salt, pepper, and/or lemon juice as needed.
- Transfer the filling to a shallow container and let cool completely at room temperature, or overnight in the refrigerator.
Assemble and Bake:
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400ºF and place an oven rack in the lower part of the oven.
- Transfer the filling to a 9-inch pie plate or a similar-sized baking dish.
- If needed, roll out the leftover pie crust or puff pastry, and cut into pieces. Place the pieces, slightly overlapping, on top of the turkey filling. Brush the top with an egg wash.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes, until the pastry is light golden brown and the filling is completely heated through (reaching a temperature above 170ºF).
- Remove the pot pie from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
This recipe was tested using Diamond Crystal coarse kosher salt. If you use Morton's kosher salt or fine salt, decrease by about half for volume, or use the same amount by weight.
Got leftover cranberry sauce? Use that instead of dried cranberries.
Got leftover veggies? Feel free to swap those in for the carrots and peas.
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Ellen Ferrante
This is the tastiest recipe!! I made a store bought rotisserie chicken from Whole foods market lemon herb.. followed by your recipe. With also 1 t.b. lemon . made the Puff Pastry version
Wow so delicious.. thank you so much