Name: Turkey Pot Pie Recipe
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 120 min
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)

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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 😉

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