When fall rolls around, I start craving food that feels warm, filling, and low-effort in the best way. Enter turkey pot pie. It’s rich, comforting, and exactly what I want after a big holiday meal—especially when the fridge is packed with Thanksgiving leftovers.
This recipe was designed specifically for leftover turkey, but it’s flexible. No turkey? A rotisserie chicken works just fine. Extra vegetables hanging around? Toss them in. This is less about strict measurements and more about making something satisfying out of what you already have.
It’s also a great way to avoid eating the same plate of leftovers on repeat. I put a lot of effort into Thanksgiving dinner, and I refuse to let any of it go to waste.
Thanksgiving Leftovers
Turkey may be the centerpiece of Thanksgiving, but the real challenge comes the day after. There’s always a mountain of leftover turkey, half-used herbs, stray vegetables from the veggie tray, and somehow a pie crust.
This turkey pot pie pulls all of that together into one dish that feels intentional instead of improvised. Leftover carrots and celery? Perfect. Extra herbs from the turkey? Even better. If you plan ahead and prep extra vegetables on Thanksgiving, future-you will be very grateful.
If you want to take it one step further, you can use the leftover turkey carcass to make homemade turkey stock. It adds depth and makes this feel even more rewarding.
Looking to take it a step further? You can use your leftover bird carcass to make the Turkey Stock! Check out the recipe here.
Turkey Pot Pie
Equipment
- Oven Safe Ramekins or Soufflé Bowls
- Rolling pin for pie crust
Ingredients
- 2-3 Cups Pulled Turkey
- 4-5 Cups Turkey Stock
- 1 Cup Carrots chopped
- 1 Cup Fingerling or Red potatoes Cubed
- 1 Cup Yellow Onion Chopped Cubed
- 1 Cup Peas
- 1 Cup Bella Mushrooms chopped
- 1 Cup Heavy Cream
- 4 tbsp Poultry Herbs (Rosemary, Thyme, Sage)
- 2 tbsp Garlic crushed
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 1 Pie Crust frozen
Instructions
- Begin to thaw your pie crust and preheat the oven to 375°
- Time to put the scraps on your Thanksgiving Turkey to good use. Pick all the bits of meat off your bird and set aside. You should aim for 2-3 cups but more is ok too. You can do this the night before.
- In a large stock pot add your turkey stock, herbs, garlic, and salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer.
- Add the potatoes, carrots, and onions. Simmer for 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are starting to get soft. The liquid level should be just slightly lower than your solids. Add water or more stock if needed.
- Add the pulled turkey, peas, and mushrooms. Simmer for 5 more minutes. Remove from heat and add heavy cream, stir. Ladle the soup into your oven safe bowls.
- Cut your pie crust into rounds that will exceed the mouth of the bowls by 1-2 inches. Place the crusts on top of the filled bowls and place immediately in the oven. Cook for 15 minutes at 375°
- Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Garnish with some fresh poultry herbs or pie crust cutouts. Enjoy!
