Nothing beats Thanksgiving leftovers, but eventually, even the best turkey sandwiches get old. If you don’t want to see any of that perfectly cooked turkey breast go to waste, you need to make this crispy, creamy, and oh-so-rich, budget-friendly Turkey Pot Pie. I use frozen veggies and a ready-made pie crust to cut down on prep time! Serve it with a light, refreshing side salad, and please the whole family. Trust me!
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What is Turkey Pot Pie?
This comforting pie is just like your favorite chicken pot pie recipe but with a festive twist! It’s a savory dish with shredded leftover turkey, mixed vegetables, diced potato, and a cheesy, creamy sauce baked in a flaky pie crust. It’s hearty, perfectly cozy, and a great dinner option when served with a seasonal salad (hello, pear, celery, and pecan salad!).
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this leftover turkey pot pie:
- Leftover Turkey: I use leftover roasted turkey breast, which doesn’t need pre-cooking as it’s already done! It’s also the perfect way to enjoy any extra turkey left from your holiday meal. You can use white or dark meat or a mix of both. Remove any skin/bones and shred the meat with two forks.
- Frozen Vegetables: Use a bag of mixed veggies or a combination of your favorites. I like to use peas, carrots, corn, and green beans.
- Yellow Onion: Adds flavor to the creamy sauce.
- Russet Potato: I almost always have a spare potato or two lying around after Thanksgiving! Russets are my budget-friendly potato of choice for my mashed potato casserole, and they also work great in this pie. They hold their shape and cook through with the other filling ingredients.
- Chicken Broth: We almost exclusively use Better Than Bouillon here at Budget Bytes, but if you have some turkey broth made from your roasted turkey, that would be AMAZING in this!
- All Purpose Flour & Butter: Mix these together to create a thickening agent, also known as a roux, for the sauce. I also use a little butter to soften the onions and par cook the diced potato.
- Seasonings: Poultry seasoning is the best seasoning mix for this pie. It’s a combination of herbs and spices, which often includes thyme, sage, rosemary, and nutmeg. I also sprinkle in some garlic powder, salt, and black pepper for extra flavor.
- Fresh Parsley: Adds a fresh, herby flavor to the filling.
- Half ‘n Half: This makes the sauce nice and creamy without being too heavy. Milk will also work well.
- Shredded Parmesan Cheese: Mix this into your filling for a delicious cheesy flavor! It also helps thicken the sauce and adds an umami (savory) element to round out this pie.
- Pre-Made Double Pie Crust: I use a ready-made double pie crust for ease and convenience. For homemade, check out our 3 ingredient pie crust recipe!
- Egg: Beat an egg and brush it on top of the pie crust before baking. This creates a beautiful golden color and crispy texture.
What Is a Light Roux?
A roux is a mixture of fat and flour used to thicken sauce-based dishes and soups. In this recipe, I mix melted butter and flour to create a ”light roux” to thicken the creamy filling. A light roux is simply a roux (so the butter and flour), which is cooked for around 2-3 minutes to remove any raw flour taste.
There are other types of roux, including a blonde roux, a brown roux, and a dark roux, depending on how long the mixture is cooked. They each have different uses and flavors, but a light roux is all we need for this homemade turkey pot pie recipe! You can always refer to the recipe photos below for a visual reference.
Recipe Tips & Suggestions!
- If you only have a single pie crust, you can turn this recipe into a bottomless pie! Just spoon the filling into your 9-inch pie plate, top with your crust (crimping the edges), and bake as directed.
- Got some leftover roasted veggies from Thanksgiving? Add them to this pie and truly clean out your fridge! I’d dice any larger vegetables into small pieces and swap them 1:1 for the frozen vegetables.
- I dice my potato small and par cook it for a few minutes in the pan with my onions. This ensures it cooks evenly in the oven.
- Always let your half ‘n half (or milk) come to room temperature before using. I set mine out while I prepare the other ingredients. If the half ‘n half is too cold, it might curdle when added to the hot pan.
- I don’t wait for my pie crust to start burning before I cover it with foil! I gently wrap foil around the edge of my crust (leaving the center exposed) BEFORE putting it in the oven, and only remove it 10-15 minutes before the pie is done baking. This is my secret for a perfectly cooked top crust!
- Don’t forget to wait for at least 15 minutes before slicing into your pie. The vegetable and turkey filling will be too runny if you cut into it straight out of the oven.
Storage Instructions
This recipe for turkey pot pie is best when first baked, but you can store leftovers for up to 3-4 days in the fridge. Be sure to refrigerate them within 2 hours of cooking to maintain freshness. Reheat them in a 350°F oven or microwave (best for individual slices) until hot throughout.
As for freezing, you can try freezing this pie cooked or uncooked for up to 2 months. Always use a freezer-safe pie dish, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and then place it in a resealable freezer bag. Let it thaw in the fridge before baking or reheating. I’d add an extra 5-10 minutes (while covered with foil) to the cooking time to account for the unbaked pie being chilled.
Turkey Pot Pie Recipe
Servings 8 slices (1 slice per serving)Ingredients
- ½ cup half 'n half (or milk), room temperature ($0.44)
- 1 egg ($0.30)
- 1 cup frozen vegetables ($0.65)
- ½ yellow onion ($0.47)
- 1 russet potato ($0.75)
- ½ cup (1 stick) butter, divided ($1.06)
- ½ tsp salt, divided ($0.01)
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour ($0.05)
- ¼ tsp garlic powder ($0.01)
- ½ tsp poultry seasoning ($0.11)
- ⅛ tsp freshly cracked black pepper ($0.02)
- 1 cup chicken broth* ($0.09)
- ½ Tbsp fresh parsley, minced ($0.02)
- 3 cups leftover turkey, shredded with 2 forks ($3.24)
- 2 Tbsp shredded parmesan cheese ($0.56)
- 1 pre-made double pie crust ($2.77)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450F. Let half & half come to room temp while you prep your ingredients. Beat egg and set aside.
- Rinse and strain frozen mixed vegetables, dice half an onion, and peel and dice a potato.
- In a large saucepan, melt ½ stick of butter on medium heat and add diced onion and ¼ tsp salt. Cook until glossy but still firm, about 3 minutes
- Add diced potato and cook until par cooked (softened, but still with a little bite), about 7 minutes.
- Remove onion and par-cooked potatoes and set aside.
- In the same pan on medium low heat, add the remaining ½ stick of butter. Once melted, add flour and whisk to make a light roux.
- Add garlic powder, poultry seasoning, remaining ¼ tsp salt, and pepper. Whisk to combine.
- To your roux, add chicken broth and half 'n half, keeping the heat at medium low and whisking constantly to keep it smooth.
- Once thickened, about 3-4 minutes, remove from heat. Fold in mixed vegetables, diced onion, potato, and parsley.
- Then, fold in shredded turkey and parmesan cheese.
- Roll one pie crust out in a 9" pie pan. Fill the pie crust with the turkey vegetable filling.
- Then, add second crust on top, pinching the top and bottom together.
- Cut slits into the top of your pie to let some of the steam escape while cooking, and brush the crust with the previously prepared egg wash.
- Wrap the edges with tinfoil gently. Bake for 30 minutes. Then, remove the tinfoil from the crust and finish baking for 10-15 more minutes until the crust is golden brown. Let cool for at least 15 minutes before cutting, or the filling will not set.
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Notes
Nutrition
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how to make Turkey Pot Pie – step by step photos
Preheat oven to 450F. Let ½ cup half & half come to room temp while you prep your ingredients. Beat 1 egg and set aside.
Rinse and strain 1 cup frozen mixed vegetables, dice ½ an onion, and peel and dice 1 potato.
In a large saucepan, melt ½ stick of butter on medium heat and add diced onion and ¼ tsp salt. Cook until glossy but still firm, about 3 minutes
Add diced potato and cook until par cooked (softened, but still with a little bite), about 7 minutes.
Remove onion and par-cooked potatoes and set aside.
In the same pan on medium low heat, add the remaining ½ stick of butter. Once melted, add ¼ cup flour and whisk to make a light roux.
Add ¼ tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp poultry seasoning, remaining ¼ tsp salt, and ⅛ tsp pepper. Whisk to combine.
To your roux, add 1 cup chicken broth and ½ cup room temperature half ‘n half, keeping the heat at medium low and whisking constantly to keep it smooth.
Once thickened, about 3-4 minutes, remove from heat.
Fold in the rinsed mixed vegetables, diced onion, potato, and ½ Tbsp minced parsley.
Then, fold in 3 cups shredded turkey and 2 Tbsp parmesan cheese.
Roll one pie crust out in a 9″ pie pan.
Fill the pie crust with the turkey vegetable filling.
Then, add second crust on top, pinching the top and bottom together.
Cut slits into the top of your pie to let some of the steam escape while cooking, and brush the crust with the previously prepared egg wash.
Wrap the edges with tinfoil gently. Bake for 30 minutes. Then, remove the tinfoil from the crust and finish baking for 10-15 more minutes until the crust is golden brown.
Let cool for at least 15 minutes before cutting, or the filling will not set.
This leftover turkey pot pie recipe is a family-friendly dinner option that couldn’t be easier to make!
