Leftover Turkey Pot Pies are a great way to use Thanksgiving leftovers like turkey, carrots, onions, celery, even pie crust. Make them whatever size you want; we like small ramekins for mini-size portions for the kids!
Photography Credit: Nick Evans
I’m known as “the leftovers guy” because I’m always thinking of new ways to use leftovers. Thanksgiving always has an abundance of leftovers, so you’d better believe I get excited about it!
This year I’m all about Turkey Pot Pies.
The great thing about these Turkey Pot Pies is that they use many of the ingredients you likely already have on hand from making other Thanksgiving dishes – ingredients like onions, celery, carrots, stock, and pie crust. Plus, the individual serving size works perfectly for little kids.
WHAT TURKEY TO USE FOR POT PIES?
No need to be picky; just use what you have! I prefer dark meat in my pot pies so I opt for the thighs and legs, but anything will work. Just make sure to chop it well so there are no huge pieces in the final pot pie.
If it’s not turkey season, you can make these with any leftover chicken meat you have on hand. Shred it up and it’ll work great in a quick chicken pot pie!
CAN I USE LEFTOVER GRAVY?
What is leftover gravy?! I’m not sure I’ve ever seen leftover gravy. Just kidding! (Sort of.)
Yes, you can use the leftover gravy in lieu of the gravy in this recipe, but you probably won’t have enough to make all the filling. I recommend making the gravy as it’s shown in the recipe, then adding whatever leftover Thanksgiving gravy you have to it for extra turkey flavor!
CAN I USE LEFTOVER PIE CRUST?
If you’ve already made pie crust for, well, pies, and you have some leftover, you can use it here. But I’m also all about store-bought pie crust in this case. You’ve been cooking a lot and it’s fine to take a shortcut on this one!
WHAT KIND OF BAKEWARE DO I NEED FOR THESE PIES?
I make these turkey pot pies in ramekins. Round 8-ounce ramekins will give you a good kid-sized pot pie and an 18-ounce ramekin is good for adult portions.
CAN I MAKE THESE POT PIES IN ADVANCE?
You can absolutely make these in advance if that works better for your schedule. I would prep them completely up to the final baking step. They will keep great in the fridge, ready to go, for a few days.
Leftover pot pie will also keep well in the fridge for up to five days. Reheat them in a 350°F oven until warmed through and piping hot.
THE DAD ADD
No special Dad Add for the pot pies! Pot pies are enough of a special thing on their own. Just make a bigger one for the parents!
REPORT CARD
My kids were incredibly skeptical about what was going on here. I tried to explain to them that the delicious dinner was . My older kid (who is almost five) dove in straight away and basically turned his pot pie into a crust/turkey/gravy soup. (Turns out that is not the most appealing way to eat a pot pie.) My younger kid (almost three) delicately picked the smallest pieces of crust off the edges and nibbled them.
I was a bit concerned that my kids wouldn’t be into these pot pies, but it turns out there’s a surefire way to get kids to eat what lies beneath the crispy golden browned crust:
I took the pies apart somewhat and separated the ingredients, and while it was super-annoying to have to do that, it also worked great – pot pie victory even if the victory ended up not being in pot pie form!
MORE RECIPES TO MAKE WITH LEFTOVER TURKEY!
Leftover Turkey Pot Pies Recipe
You can use any size or shape of ramekin. Round works best, but oblong is okay as well and you get more crust with that shape.
Method
1 Preheat oven to 350˚F.
2 Cook the pot pie base: Add the butter to a large skillet over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add onions, carrots, and celery. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the vegetables start to soften. Stir in chopped turkey and season with the salt and pepper.
3 Make the gravy: Add flour to the filling and stir until the mixture is smooth. Cook for a minute or two to cook out the flour taste. Then slowly whisk in the stock to form a light gravy. If the gravy seems too thick, add more stock or water by the 1/4 cup.
4 Add peas and thyme: When gravy is done, add peas and fresh thyme and remove from heat.
5 Fill the ramekins: Divide the pot pie filling between ramekins. Fill ramekins up about 3/4 of the way full to prevent overflowing. (You can use any size or shape of ramekin. Round works best, but oblong is okay as well and you get more crust with that shape.)
6 Cover with pie crust and brush with egg wash: Cover ramekins with a top piece of pie crust, either store-bought or homemade. Crimp the edges well and poke a few holes in the center of the pie crust to let steam escape. Brush with egg wash.
7 Bake the pot pies: Bake the turkey pot pies at 350˚F for 20-25 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown around the edges and in the center. Let the pot pies cool for a few minutes before serving.
Leftover pot pie will keep well in the fridge for up to five days. Reheat them in a 350°F oven until warmed through and piping hot.
