Turkey Pot Pie Recipe

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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 sandwiches piled high on homemade rolls 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 leftover 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 sauté 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 🙂

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 😉

Thanks for PINNING!

5 from 6 votes

Turkey Pot Pie Recipe

Prep Time: 45 mins

Cook Time: 45 mins

Total Time: 2 hrs

Yield: 6 - 8

Course: Main Course

Author: Tricia

PRINT RECIPE

Rich and savory double crust pot pie made with chicken or turkey

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (2-ounces or 57g)
• 1 large onion diced
• 1 rib celery diced
• 1 large carrot diced
• ⅓ cup all-purpose flour (44g)
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth (16-ounces or 488g)
• ½ cup whole milk (4 ½-ounces or 128g)
• ½ 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 375°F. 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 information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. When multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.

 

Nutrition

Calories: 491kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 85mg | Sodium: 535mg | Potassium: 409mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 2245IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 70mg | Iron: 3mg

Here are a few more recipes you might also enjoy:

Perfect Pie Crust

Chicken Pot Pie Soup

Chicken Pot Pie with Herb Biscuits