Use leftover turkey and frozen vegetables in this easy Turkey Pot Pie recipe – it’s perfect for your Thanksgiving or Christmas leftovers! The homemade filling is quick to whip up and comes with an extra-creamy gravy.
Please note: I updated this post on 11/26/2020 and changed the recipe I originally published in 2015. Since most readers were using puff pastry instead of the phyllo, I re-wrote the recipe to better serve your needs. If you’re looking for the original made with phyllo pastry, I have saved it for you here.
Pot pies are the ultimate comfort food to me. They are nice for special occasions (like my individual chicken mushroom pot pies), but work just as well as an everyday weeknight dinner.
I decided to share a turkey pot pie instead of a chicken pot pie here, because almost everyone has leftover turkey around the holiday season. But the recipe works with rotisserie chicken just as well! (I also have a recipe for a fully homemade chicken pot pie, if you’re looking for that.)
This recipe is super quick and easy (just what you need after a Thanksgiving cooking marathon), requires no chopping thanks to frozen vegetables – and comes out with a deliciously creamy gravy. Almost better than the actual holiday dinner ?
Ingredients you’ll need
Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for quantities!
Ingredient notes
- Cooked turkey: Use leftover turkey meat (light and dark), rotisserie chicken or just poach 1.5 pounds of turkey breast (or chicken breast) for this recipe. You can either shred or dice the cooked poultry – I prefer it diced in a pot pie.
- Sour cream: You can use cream cheese as a substitute if you don’t have sour cream on hand. I do not recommend using Greek Yogurt, as it tends to split easily.
- Milk: Feel free to use heavy cream, evaporated milk or half-and-half in place of the milk.
- Frozen vegetables: I like to use a classic blend of frozen mixed vegetables with corn, peas, carrots and green beans. California blend (with cauliflower) is also great.
- Potatoes: Feel free to add a cup of diced potatoes to the filling to make it heartier.
- Puff pastry: Pie crust or phyllo sheets are great alternatives for the puff pastry. You can also use canned refrigerated biscuits or even crescent roll dough. If you prefer a double crust on your pot pie, you can absolutely do so. I would recommend using a pie crust though, not puff pastry.
How to make a turkey pot pie
Start by cooking the frozen vegetables in oil until they’re starting to soften with the herbs and seasoning (1). Then, pour the chicken stock over the vegetables.
Whisk the milk and the cornstarch until smooth (3). Pour into the skillet with the vegetables and chicken broth (4), stir well and simmer until thickened (5).
Take the skillet off the heat. Stir in the sour cream and butter (6). Finally, add the cooked turkey (7) and fold in until fully smothered in gravy (8).
Transfer the filling to a 9-inch pie dish or similarly sized casserole dish (9).
Cover with puff pastry (10), crimp the edge if you like (it’s not mandatory, but looks somewhat nicer) and cut four slits into the pastry to allow steam to escape during baking (11).
Now you just have to bake your pot pie, let it sit on the counter for 10 minutes before scooping to serve – and dinner is done!
Recipe tips
- Vegetables: There’s no need to defrost the vegetables before using them – just throw them in the skillet and cook them straight from frozen
- Cornstarch slurry: Make sure to fully whisk the cornstarch into the milk, otherwise you’ll end up with a lumpy gravy. For the same reason, stir the cornstarch slurry into the filling as soon as you add it; otherwise you’ll have one big blob of seized up gravy in your filling and the rest won’t thicken
- Pastry: Keep the puff pastry chilled until you’re ready to roll it out, it should be cold when it hits the oven – warm puff pastry is almost impossible to handle and doesn’t turn out as flaky as it should. By the way, I bake puff pastry cut-offs as well and serve the kids while they wait for the pie to cool.
- Filling: This makes a very creamy pot pie – that’s how we like it best, as leftover turkey tends to be dry so the amount of gravy can help counteract this. If you want a less creamy filling, feel free to leave out the butter and sour cream.
- Resting: Do not skip the 10 minute rest on the counter before scooping the pie to serve! The filling is too runny right out of the oven, and it thickens as it cools.
Serving ideas
Turkey pot pie is an excellent, hearty meal by itself. You can round it out by adding a salad on the side, some leftover dinner rolls or leftover vegetables (Brussels sprouts! Sautéed green beans!) for the vegetable lovers in your family.
More leftover turkey recipes
PS If you try this recipe, please leave a review in the comment section and add a star rating in the recipe card – I appreciate your feedback! Follow along on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram.
Again – if you’re looking for the old recipe using phyllo pastry, print it here.
Printable recipe
Easy Turkey Pot Pie
Recipe details
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon oil
- 2 ½ cups frozen mixed vegetables no need to defrost
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon dried garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon dried onion powder
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1 (14.5-oz) can chicken broth
- ½ cup milk
- ⅓ cup cornstarch
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 3 cups cooked and diced turkey
- 1 sheet puff pastry thawed
Instructions
- Heat oven to 425°F. Lightly grease a 9-inch pie plate.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add vegetables and season with thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. Cook until vegetables are thawed and starting to soften. Stir in chicken broth.
- In a measuring jug, whisk together milk and cornstarch, then thoroughly stir into the vegetables as well. Simmer until gravy has thickened.
- Take off the heat and stir in sour cream and butter. Fold in cooked turkey until smothered in gravy. Spread in prepared pie plate.
- On lightly floured surface, unroll puff pastry. With rolling pin, roll out into 11-inch square. Cut off corners to make an 11-inch round. Place on top of pie filling, crimp edges, then cut 4 slits into the pastry. Brush with oil for more shine, if you like.
- Bake pot pie in the hot oven for 20-25 minutes, until puff pastry is flaky and golden and filling is bubbly. Let sit on the counter for 10 minutes to allow the filling to thicken before scooping to serve.
Notes
- Cooked turkey: Use leftover turkey meat (light and dark), rotisserie chicken or just poach 1.5 pounds of turkey breast (or chicken breast) for this recipe. You can either shred or dice the cooked poultry – I prefer it diced in a pot pie.
- Sour cream: You can use cream cheese as a substitute if you don’t have sour cream on hand. I do not recommend using Greek Yogurt, as it tends to split easily.
- Milk: Feel free to use heavy cream, evaporated milk or half-and-half in place of the milk.
- Frozen vegetables: I like to use a classic blend of frozen mixed vegetables with corn, peas, carrots and green beans. California blend (with cauliflower) is also great.
- Potatoes: Feel free to add a cup of diced potatoes to the filling to make it heartier.
- Puff pastry: Pie crust or phyllo sheets are great alternatives for the puff pastry. You can also use canned refrigerated biscuits or even crescent roll dough. If you prefer a double crust on your pot pie, you can absolutely do so. I would recommend using a pie crust though, not puff pastry.
- Cornstarch slurry: Make sure to fully whisk the cornstarch into the milk, otherwise you’ll end up with a lumpy gravy. For the same reason, stir the cornstarch slurry into the filling as soon as you add it; otherwise you’ll have one big blob of seized up gravy in your filling and the rest won’t thicken
- Pastry: Keep the puff pastry chilled until you’re ready to roll it out, it should be cold when it hits the oven – warm puff pastry is almost impossible to handle and doesn’t turn out as flaky as it should. By the way, I bake puff pastry cut-offs as well and serve the kids while they wait for the pie to cool.
- Filling: This makes a very creamy pot pie – that’s how we like it best, as leftover turkey tends to be dry so the amount of gravy can help counteract this. If you want a less creamy filling, feel free to leave out the butter and sour cream.
Naomi says
If adding diced potatoes, do i add them cooked or raw before baking .
Nora says
Naomi – yes, I always pre-cook diced potatoes before adding them to pot pie. Hope this helps!
Holly Carpenter says
I made this using puff pastry. I baked it for 25 minutes and the puff pastry look beautifully golden brown. However, when I began cutting it, the pastry was not crispy all the way through. The flavor of the veggies and turkey and gravy is excellent. I put it back in the oven to bake further. I will update as it is still in the oven.
Pat Lopez says
Made this with leftover turkey the family loved it. I also made two extra fir my brother. New family favorite
Julie says
Discovered your recipe via Pinterest and tried it with turkey my husband had recently smoked–everyone loved it! Thank you for the recipe!
Nora Rusev says
I’m so glad, Julie! Thanks for letting me know, I appreciate it!
Cindee Derfus says
Hi Nora, Cindee says This sounded so good, i made it on purpose!! And i was right it was delicious!! A great comfort food on a cold February day. Thanks for sharing!
Margie says
Do you have nutritional info for this dish? Also, could it be made a day ahead and then baked the next day? (or even frozen and then baked?)
Nora says
Hi Margie, we’re not yet sure how we’ll handle nutritional info here on Savory Nothings. I’m not always a fan, because a lot of people assume that low calories equals healthy, while healthy food like nuts or seeds can be high in calories but still so good for us. Did you know you can just copy the ingredient list and paste it in here: https://www.verywell.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4129594 set the serving size and have the calculator estimate the nutritional info for you? I’m sorry I can’t give you a better answer for now, but it’s definitely something we’re working on figuring out.
You can absolutely make the filling a day ahead. Just add the pastry topping right before baking, to prevent a soggy crust. And you can freeze it fully assembled, wrapped well. To bake, don’t defrost – again, the pastry could get soggy. Instead, preheat your oven well and bake for 50-60 minutes straight out of the freezer.
Hope that helps – let me know if you have more questions!
Arlene Blight says
Sounds Great! What type of oil do you recommend using in between the phyllo Sheets?
Nora says
Hi Arlene, I used olive oil. But if you don’t like the taste, you can also use a neutral vegetable oil!
marcie says
I love pot pies, Nora, but never make them because typically I save my pie calories for dessert! 🙂 This version is perfect with the phyllo — guilt-free pot pie! Love it.
Nora says
Haha Marcie, I love me a savory pie but dessert pie calories are pretty important, too 😀 Thanks for stopping by!
Kelly says
Pot pie is a favorite at our house! I love that you used phyllo sheets in yours, Nora! It looks so comforting and delicious!
Nora says
Thank you Kelly!
Mary @ LOVE the secret ingredient says
This looks so flaky and delicious! I agree with you, pot pies are so comforting, but a healthier version like this is a must!
Nora says
Thank you so much, Mary!
Gayle @ Pumpkin ‘N Spice says
You had me at healthy and easy! This pot pie looks like the most perfect way to use up all of those turkey leftovers that I will have on Friday. And I’m loving that you used phyllo sheets on top, Nora! So creative and such a time saver!
Nora says
Thank you Gayle!