This Turkey Pot Pie with Puff Pastry is going to be your new favorite way to use up leftover Thanksgiving turkey! It's rich, creamy, and finished with the best buttery pastry crust. All you need is 15 minutes to prep the filling!
If you love my English Meat Pie, you will love this pot pie recipe. It's the definition of hearty, delicious comfort food and helps you clean out the fridge at the same time.
And if you've got extra puff pastry, you can't go wrong with making my quick and easy Berry Toaster Strudels for dessert!
🌟Why You'll Love this Recipe
- Best use of turkey leftovers! Once Thanksgiving passes, it can be difficult to figure out how to use up the rest of your easy roast turkey in ways more creative than cold turkey sandwiches. This simple and delicious turkey pot pie with puff pastry is sure to please the whole family.
- Made with pantry and kitchen staples. You'll find no out-of-the-ordinary recipe ingredients here. Just the simple classics.
- No soggy crust! Double-crusted pot pies can easily become soggy on the bottom. This pot pie is made with just a flaky puff pastry crust - no need to worry about blind baking a bottom pie crust.
🥘Ingredients and Substitutions
- Cooked turkey - This is the perfect recipe following the holidays when you're in no mood for Ground Turkey Pasta or Turkey Enchiladas. Make sure to use cooked turkey - raw turkey will not work.
- Vegetables - A simple blend of onion, garlic, celery, and carrot makes a classic mirepoix and an essential base of pot pie flavor.
- Cream - Adds creamy richness to the pie. If preferred, full-fat coconut milk will work well, too. If you prefer creamy dishes, try garlic chicken pasta next!
- Broth- Turkey, chicken or vegetable broth will all work.
- Puff pastry- I opt for store-bought puff pastry to make this recipe quick and easy. It can be found in the freezer section. Thaw it in the refrigerator or at room temperature until pliable.
- Egg - Used to brush the top of the puff pastry and make it golden
See the recipe card below for the remaining ingredients and quantities.
📖Variations
- No turkey? Leftover chicken will work well, too. This is a great way to use up extra rotisserie chicken.
- Prefer frozen vegetables? Substitute the diced carrots and celery with frozen mixed vegetables. Peas and green beans would taste great here, too!
- Puff pastry variation: Place the entire sheet of puff pastry over your turkey pot pie filling instead of cutting strips. Cut a few small holes for ventilation in the top, then bake as usual!
- All-purpose flour substitutes: Cornstarch or arrowroot powder will both work well to thicken this pot pie filling.
🔪Instructions
Step 1: In a large Dutch oven or pot, heat the olive oil and butter. Add in the vegetables. Stir and sauté until soft and translucent. Add the garlic, flour, salt and black pepper and stir to combine.
Step 2: Add turkey, broth, and herbs. Stir to combine then cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the cream.
Step 3: Transfer to a cast iron skillet or baking dish. Using a spatula, spread the creamy filling until smooth and even.
Step 4: Layer the puff pastry, brush with the egg wash, then bake until golden and bubbly. Allow it to cool for a few minutes to set before serving.
💭Recipe FAQs
The filling will continue to thicken as it bakes in the oven, but if you find your pot pie filling seems thin or runny, add a cornstarch slurry made of 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of water to the pot. Continue to simmer to thicken until your desired consistency is reached.
Although both are used to make pastries, puff pastry and phyllo dough are not the same and should not be used interchangeably. Phyllo dough has flakier layers and is better suited for making recipes like baklava and spanakopita.
If we are only considering price, making your own puff pastry is significantly cheaper. Making puff pastry at home only requires butter, water, salt and flour. But it is important to note that making puff pastry is not the easiest, low-maintenance recipe and purchasing it is incredibly convenient and guaranteed to turn out great. If you'd like to give making your own puff pastry a try, here is a simple, well-reviewed puff pastry recipe!
I make this delicious pot pie in my cast iron skillet but any round casserole dish or pie dish will work for this recipe.
👩🏻🍳Chef Tips
- Make sure to remove any bones and skin from the turkey and chop it or shred it into small pieces.
- Don't skip the egg wash. This is the key to a perfectly golden, shiny puff pastry crust. Without the egg wash, you'll have difficulty getting your puff pastry to turn crispy and a beautiful golden brown.
- Dice the vegetables uniformly in size. This will encourage even cooking and blend the filling ingredients together easily.
- Use fresh herbs. The flavor of fresh herbs simply cannot be achieved with dried herbs. Use your leftover rosemary to make my apple cider margarita.
🥗What to Serve with Puff Pastry Turkey Pot Pie
Puff pastry turkey pot pie is rather hearty and perfectly fine to serve on its own. If you'd like to serve an additional side of veggies, try honey roasted carrots and parsnips. Here are a few more of my favorite quick and easy side dish recipes.
- Air Fryer Frozen Green Beans20 Minutes
- Maple Brussels Sprouts35 Minutes
- How to Cook Frozen Broccoli25 Minutes
- Air Fryer Frozen Brussels Sprouts20 Minutes
🥣Serving and Storage
- The homemade turkey pot pie filling can be made ahead of time and kept in the fridge for about 2 days. Add the puff pastry on top just before baking.
- You can also freeze it before baking for up to 3 months. If using a ceramic dish, do not transfer it directly from the freezer to the oven or it will shatter. Freeze in a foil pan or allow to defrost before baking.
- Leftover turkey pot pie can be stored in the fridge for 3-4 days in an airtight container or wrapped with plastic wrap.
- If you want to freeze cooked turkey pot pie with puff pastry, it can be frozen whole or as individual pieces. I recommend wrapping it in parchment paper and then aluminum foil.
- To reheat, remove from the freezer and allow to thaw in the fridge overnight. Reheat at 350 degrees F until heated through.
Did you make this recipe? Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and comment below. Share it on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest!
📋 Recipe
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Turkey Pot Pie with Puff Pastry
KITCHEN TOOLS NEEDED
- Cutting board
- Round baking dish
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ⅓ cup flour
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 3 cups shredded leftover cooked turkey
- 2 cups chicken broth or turkey broth
- 1 sprig fresh sage leaves
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- 1 cup heavy cream or canned full-fat coconut milk
- 1 puff pastry sheet, defrosted and cut into strips
- 1 egg whisked for an egg wash
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Heat the olive oil and butter in a large pot or Dutch oven.
- Add diced onion, carrots, and celery to the pot. Sauté for a few minutes until the veggies begin to soften and the onion is translucent.
- Next, add the garlic, flour, salt and black pepper. Stir to combine.
- Add the cooked turkey to the pot along with the broth and herbs. Stir, cover and let simmer for 15 minutes.
- Pour in the heavy cream or coconut milk and turn off the heat.
- Fill your pan with the filling and layer the cut puff pastry sheets on top diagonally. Brush the pastry with egg yolk and bake for 25-30 minutes until golden.
- Let rest for a few minutes, then enjoy!
Sarah's Tips
- Make sure to remove any bones and skin from the turkey.
- Don't skip the egg wash. This is the key to a perfectly golden, shiny puff pastry crust.
- Dice the vegetables uniformly in size. This will encourage even cooking and blend the filling ingredients together easily.
- Use fresh herbs. The flavor of fresh herbs simply cannot be achieved with dried herbs.
- The pot pie filling can be made ahead of time and kept in the fridge for about 2 days. Add the puff pastry on top just before baking.
- You can also freeze it before baking for up to 3 months. If using a ceramic dish, do not transfer it directly from the freezer to the oven or it will shatter. Freeze in a foil pan or allow to defrost before baking.
- Leftover turkey pot pie can be stored in the fridge for 3-4 days in an airtight container or wrapped with plastic wrap.
- If you want to freeze cooked turkey pot pie, it can be frozen whole or as individual pieces. I recommend wrapping it in parchment paper and then aluminum foil.
- To reheat, remove from the freezer and allow to thaw in the fridge overnight. Reheat at 350 degrees F until heated through.
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Trish Hart says
Enjoyed this the other night with our leftover turkey, so good! Will definitely make it again.
Sarah Hill says
Thanks Trish, so happy you loved it!