Thanksgiving Leftovers Turkey Pot Pies
These delicious and hearty turkey pot pies are not only a practical use of the remaining Thanksgiving bird, but they’re also a wonderful comfort food to enjoy throughout the winter.
While the leftover turkey is the star of the show, the rich and tasty vegetables and sauce mixture is the supporting cast that really makes this dish really shine. For the crust, you can use leftover pie dough or refrigerated pie pastry from your local grocery store.
Yield: Makes 2 9-inch pies (6 servings each)
Turkey Pot Pies
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into ½-inch slices
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 celery rib, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 cups chicken or turkey stock
- 5 cups cubed cooked turkey
- 2/3 cup frozen peas
- 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream, divided
- 2 tablespoons white wine
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme, stems removed
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- Salt to taste
- 2 packages (15-ounces) refrigerated pie shell or leftover homemade pie dough
- 1 large egg
Instructions
- In a Dutch oven (or large skillet), melt butter and oil over medium heat. Add the potato, carrot, onion and celery. Sauté until tender, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute to soften. Stir in the flour. Using a wooden spoon or heat-resistant spatula to stir, coat the veggies with the flour. Gradually add the stock and stir to combine.
- Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring often, until the mixture thickens. Add the turkey, peas, ½ cup heavy cream, white wine, parsley, thyme leaves, pepper and salt to taste. Cool mixture before placing in the pie pastry.
- Spray each pie pan with nonstick cooking spray. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out two pieces of dough large enough to fit into the bottom of each pie dish. Place pastry in the prepared pans. Roll out the remaining dough into two rounds slightly larger than the top of the pie plate.
- If baking immediately, pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees. Divide the turkey mixture evenly between the two pastry-lined pie plates. Place the remaining dough rounds on top of each pie. Trim, seal and flute (crimp with a fork and indent with your fingers) the edges. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg with the remaining tablespoon of cream. Brush egg wash over the top pastry and make two slits on top of each pie. This will help release steam as the pies bake.
- Place pies on a sheet pan and bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown. Let pies rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Freezer option
- Wrap unbaked pies with foil and freeze up to 3 months. When ready to use, preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Remove from the freezer and discard foil wrapping. Using new foil, wrap foil only around the pie crust edge. Place pie on a sheet pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and remove foil. Bake an additional 40 minutes or until golden brown and a thermometer inserted in the center reads 165 degrees. Let pie rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Individual pie variation
- Make individual pot pies using 4-inch pie plates or small individual ramekins (or another baking dish). Prepare the recipe as described, using the smaller pie plates or dishes. The recipe will make approximately 10 individual pies. If serving immediately, bake at 375 degrees for approximately 25 to 30 minutes. If baking from a frozen state, bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of the pies should read 165 degrees.