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Easy homemade Turkey Pot Pie Recipe
Homemade Turkey Pot Pie is pure comfort food, done right!
Hide away some of your leftover Thanksgiving turkey and make this comforting Turkey Pot Pie recipe.
Bring on the delicious Thanksgiving leftovers! I can’t wait for turkey sandwichesย piled high on homemade rollsย slathered with mayo and plenty of fresh ground black pepper. When we get tired of those I’m moving on to Turkey Waldorf Wraps, Turkey Tetrazzini and this amazing savory homemade Turkey Pot Pie.
Homemade pot pies are so much better than store-bought.
Do you remember frozen boxed turkey pot pies that were so popular back in the day? I remember loving them as a kid and then buying them on sale 3 for $1.00 when I was out on my own. When I was young and single, cheap eats were the way to go.
I’ll never forget those little tin pies that came out of the oven hot as molten lava. They never seemed to cool down enough to eat. I always thought they were so good, until I started making my own homemade.
If you have leftover turkey from Thanksgiving save about 3 cups and hide it in the back of the fridge. You’ll thrill your pot pie loving family with this tasty pastry loaded with tender turkey and veggies.
They’re going to forget all about the leftoverย cornbread dressing, creamy mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie and jump in for seconds of this bad boy.
Overview of ingredients
For the pot pie filling:
- unsalted butter
- onion
- celery
- carrot
- all-purpose flour
- low-sodium store-bought or homemade chicken broth
- whole milk
- salt and pepper
- fresh thyme leaves
- garlic powder
- ground cayenne pepper (optional)
- frozen green peas
- cooked turkey meat or chicken
- 2 unbaked pie crusts, refrigerated or homemade
- egg
- sesame seeds for garnish
Overview: How to make homemade turkey pot pie
1. First sautรฉ the vegetables
Melt the butter in a large skillet and add the onion, celery and carrots. Cook the vegetables until soft and tender. Add the flour and cook for a few minutes stirring constantly.
Whisk in the chicken broth and milk and bring to a simmer. Cook until thickened. Remove from the heat.
2. Add remaining ingredients
Add the seasonings, frozen peas and then stir in turkey. Gently fold together with a spatula. Cool for 30 minutes before adding to the pastry crust.
3. Prepare the crust and fill
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place a foil lined baking sheet or stone in the oven while it preheats.
Roll out half the pie dough and fit into the bottom of a 9-inch deep dish pie plate. Next roll out the top crust and have ready to use as soon as the filling is added. You don’t want it to sit too long and make the bottom soggy.
Pour the cooled turkey mixture into the prepared crust. Top with the second pastry. Trim and seal then cut slits in the top to vent steam.
Finally, brush the top of the crust with an egg wash, sprinkle with sesame seeds and bake until golden brown.
Allow the pot pie to rest for 15 minutes before serving.
Can you substitute chicken for the turkey in this Turkey Pot Pie Recipe?
You don’t have to use turkey in this recipe so feel free to substitute rotisserie or diced poached chicken. You can even make it a vegetarian pie using the filling in our savory Winter Vegetable Cobbler.
Our Turkey Pot Pie Recipe can be made with a single crust on the top, or a double crust pie.
I’ve made this recipe both ways; with the top crust only, and with the classic double crust as pictured. Personally, I don’t have a preference either way. My husband however, adores the double crust pie and said not to change a thing, ever.
Our Turkey Pot Pie recipe can be adapted to fit individual casserole pans or ramekins too. You can also make the entire thing in a cast iron skillet and float a single crust on top. Or, bake it in a pie pan as I’ve done here.
Can this Turkey Pot Pie be frozen?
Since the turkey is already cooked you can also freeze entire unbaked pot pie to cook later. Bonus!
Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and bake the next day. The filling can also be made ahead and frozen without the crust until needed. We’re all about the options ๐
The filling can be made ahead and refrigerated until needed. Mix it up the night before, cool and refrigerate. The next day you’re ready to go.
Leftover turkey pot pie can be rewarmed gently in the microwave or a slow oven.
How do you keep the bottom crust from getting soggy?
Soggy bottoms can be troublesome in double crust pies. However, I’ve picked up a few tricks over the years and found a fool-proof way to ensure the bottom crust browns and holds up well, even under all that creamy filling.
- When ready to bake place a foil lined, rimmed baking sheet or baking stone in the oven while it preheats.
- Make and assemble your pie in an aluminum pie plate like the one in the photo above.
- Place the assembled pie directly on the preheated stone and bake!
- Direct contact with the hot metal of the pan helps to brown and crisp the bottom crust under all the filling.
That’s it! It really works and makes a big difference. I hope you’ll give it a try ๐
Thanks for PINNING!
Turkey Pot Pie Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (2-ounces or 57g)
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 rib celery, diced
- 1 large carrot, diced
- โ cup all-purpose flour (44g)
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth (16-ounces or 488g)
- ยฝ cup whole milk (4 ยฝ-ounces or 128g)
- ยฝ teaspoon salt (more or less to taste)
- 1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1 pinch of garlic powder
- 1 pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
- 1 cup frozen green peas (5-ounces or 146g)
- 3 cups chopped or shredded cooked turkey, or chicken (14.5-ounces or 418g)
- 2 unbaked pie crusts rounds, homemade or store-bought
- 1 large egg, mixed with 1 tablespoon water for egg wash
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds, for garnish
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the chopped onion, celery and carrots until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in flour and cook, stirring constantly, about 3-4 minutes.
- Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and milk and bring to a simmer. Continue cooking and stirring occasionally until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
- Add the salt, pepper, garlic powder, cayenne (if using), frozen peas and turkey. Gently fold together with a spatula. Check the seasoning and add more salt and pepper as needed. Set aside to cool for 20-30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 375ยฐF. Place a foil lined, rimmed baking sheet or baking stone in the oven to preheat. *
- While the filling is cooling, roll out half the pastry and fit into the bottom of a 9-inch deep dish pie plate. Roll out the top crust and have it ready to use as soon as the filling is added.
- Pour the cooled turkey mixture into the prepared crust. Quickly top with the second pastry. Trim the excess crust and fold under sealing the pastry with the bottom crust. Crimp the edges in a decorative pattern. Cut 4 or 5 slits in the top crust to vent. Brush the entire top crust with the egg wash. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
- Place the pot pie on the preheated baking sheet. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until the filling is bubbly and the crust is golden brown.
Recipe Notes
- Use our recipe for homemade Perfect Pie Crust in 3 Easy Steps found HERE. Or, if desired, use pre-made refrigerated pie crust.
- * Baking the pie on a preheated baking sheet or stone will encourage browning of the bottom crust and help avoid a soggy bottomed pie.
- The pot pie filling can also be baked in individual ramekins topped with a single pie crust instead of a double crust. Place 4 to 6 ramekins on a foil lined baking sheet and cut pastries to fit on top. Brush the egg wash around the tops of the ramekins to help the crust adhere.
Nutrition
Here are a few more recipes you might also enjoy:
Perfect Pie Crust
Chicken Pot Pie Soup
Linda
I made a chicken pot pie a couple of weeks ago using this recipe and it was truly the best pot pie I have ever made and ever tasted. I followed the recipe exactly as written. It came out creamy and full of flavor. I will be making this recipe after Thanksgiving for sure!!
Tricia Buice
Thank you Linda! I’ve been craving this pot pie and can’t wait for leftover turkey. Have a great holiday season and happy baking!
Kathryn
This recipe was DELICIOUS. I doubled the recipe, removed the celery (because I didnโt have any), added potatoes instead and it was AMAZING. The cayenne pepper is the perfect flavor element that takes it to another level without being spicy. I will definitely be using this again.
Tricia Buice
Thank you Kathryn! So glad you tried this pot pie. It’s a favorite in our house. Thanks again.
Danielle
Thanks so much for offering this amazing recipe. The turkey pot pie is easy to make, flavorful, and creamy. It tastes like how a big hug feels.
Tricia Buice
Thank you Danielle! What a great description of this homey favorite. It’s hard to beat flaky, creamy and hearty in one bite ๐
Karen (Back Road Jounal)
Love your turkey pot pie, we had one yesterday. I like your tip about keeping the bottom crust from getting soggy.
Tricia Buice
Thanks Karen! Hope you and your family have a terrific Thanksgiving! And, I hope you get the chance to try this baking trick. Enjoy ๐
LAUREL SHERBURNE
Your tip on avoiding “soggy bottom” was perfect. I appreciate your cooking tios and all the recipes I have tried are wonderful -spiced pumpkin cookies and baked eggplant parmesan. Thank you!
Tricia Buice
Thanks Laurel!
Kiki
Hi! This looks amazing and I canโt wait to try it today. Can I use a glass pie dish and still do your trick of lining a baking sheet to help the crust not get soggy? Thank you!
Tricia Buice
Hi Kiki. You should be able to use a glass pie plate. However I haven’t tested the pre-heated stone/pan method using glass. I think it would be the same as placing a glass pie plate in a preheated oven, but I’m not sure. I would hate for you to have the glass break in the oven and your pot pie spill out. I guess I’d skip the preheated baking sheet trick if using glass. Sorry!
Laura
Do I have to use the flour? Is there anything I can use for a substitution?
Tricia Buice
Hi Laura. The crust is made with flour, unless you use a gluten free blend. For the filling you can substitute cornstarch in half the amount of the flour. Hope that helps
Chris Scheuer
I loved those Swanson pot pies too as a kid but I know I would love this one a lot more! Wish I had some leftover turkey right now! It looks amazing!
Tricia Buice
Thanks Chris – we did too! Have a very happy Thanksgiving ๐
Jennifer @ Seasons and Suppers
What a beautiful pie! I love the little turkey in the middle ๐ I don’t have leftover turkey in my immediate future, but I’m tempted to go and buy some just to make this pie!
Tricia Buice
Thanks Jennifer! You can substitute chicken for the turkey if you wish ๐ Thanks so much!
Larry Doolittle
Looks delicious Tricia and I’m impressed at how it stood up when cut. After dressing/mashed potatoes and gravy, this is my favorite part of Thanksgiving.
Tricia Buice
We’re all about the leftovers Larry. Thanks so much! I hope you have Bev have a fantastic holiday season. Thanks so much for stopping by!