Leftover Turkey Pot Pie with Biscuit Topping
The butter is still sizzling when the onion, carrots, and celery hit the skillet, and the kitchen starts to smell like the beginning of a proper turkey dinner. I like…
Tip: save now, cook later.The butter is still sizzling when the onion, carrots, and celery hit the skillet, and the kitchen starts to smell like the beginning of a proper turkey dinner. I like this pot pie because it turns leftover turkey into a full meal without asking you to roll out pastry or fuss with a separate crust. The biscuit topping gets mixed in one bowl and dropped right over the filling in eight generous mounds.
The part that makes this version feel especially satisfying is the contrast: a creamy, savory filling underneath biscuits that bake up golden on top. I cook the flour with the vegetables before adding the broth and milk, then let the sauce thicken before the turkey and peas go in. Each spoonful comes out with tender vegetables, a bit of turkey, and a soft biscuit edge.
Kitchen Note
Stop stirring the biscuit dough as soon as it turns shaggy. A few rough patches are fine; working it until smooth makes the topping tougher.
Save this leftover turkey pot pie with biscuit topping for the next time cooked turkey is waiting in the fridge—the creamy filling and golden drop biscuits make a satisfying 9×13-inch supper.
Why the Filling Should Be Thick Before the Biscuit Dough Touches It
A pot pie filling that looks a little loose in the skillet won’t magically turn creamy in the oven. It can stay watery beneath the biscuits, where steam has fewer places to escape. That’s why I give the broth-and-milk sauce time to simmer and thicken before adding the turkey and peas. The flour has already cooked briefly with the vegetables, so it can blend into the liquid without leaving raw-flour lumps.
Look for a sauce that clings lightly to a spoon rather than one that pours like broth. It shouldn’t be stiff; the turkey and peas still need to move easily through it. The filling will bubble again as it bakes, and the biscuits sit on top rather than getting stirred through the sauce. That separation is what gives you a recognizable biscuit topping and a creamy layer underneath.
There’s a practical payoff, too: the vegetables and turkey are already cooked before they go into the baking dish. The oven’s job is to bake the topping and bring the center of the filling back up to temperature, not to cook raw meat or soften crisp vegetables from scratch.
The Flour and Fat Choices Behind a Set Filling and Tender Biscuits
- All-purpose flour for the filling — This thickens the broth and milk into a spoonable sauce. Stir it into the softened vegetables and cook it for a minute before adding liquid; skipping that brief cook can leave a floury taste. A gluten-free 1:1 baking blend can work here, though the finished sauce may have a slightly different texture.
- Self-rising flour for the biscuits — Its built-in leavening helps the drop biscuits rise without a separate leavener. For a gluten-free version, choose gluten-free self-rising flour rather than plain gluten-free flour, which won’t provide the same lift.
- Vegetable shortening and buttermilk — Shortening keeps the biscuits tender, while buttermilk brings a little tang and helps the dough come together. If you’re out of shortening, use the same amount of cold unsalted butter and cut it into the flour; the biscuits will taste richer and may be a little less tender. Regular milk isn’t a like-for-like swap for buttermilk here, since it changes both the dough’s acidity and consistency.
- Cooked turkey and frozen peas — Cut the turkey into even pieces so it’s easy to scoop through the filling. Leftover breast or dark meat both work. Frozen peas are convenient and hold their shape; add them straight from the freezer rather than thawing them first.
- Low-sodium chicken broth — It gives the sauce savory depth while leaving room for the kosher salt in the filling. Brand and leftover-turkey seasoning can affect how salty the finished dish tastes, so taste the sauce before it goes into the baking dish.
Building the Turkey Filling Before the Biscuits Bake
Soften the onion, carrots, and celery
Heat the oven to 400°F and lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish. Melt the butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat, then add the diced onion, carrots, and celery. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring now and then, until the vegetables have softened. If they still feel firm when you press one with a spoon, give them another moment in the skillet rather than expecting the oven to finish the job.
Cook the flour, then thicken the sauce
Stir the all-purpose flour, salt, black pepper, and dried thyme through the vegetables and cook for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the chicken broth and whole milk, keeping the whisk moving so the sauce stays smooth. Bring it to a simmer and stir for 4 to 6 minutes, until it has thickened. If you see floury lumps, whisk steadily while the sauce simmers; don’t dump in all the liquid at once.
Fold in turkey and peas
Stir in the cooked turkey and frozen peas, then cook the filling for 2 minutes. The turkey should be coated in sauce, and the peas should be spread through the skillet rather than clumped together. Keep the mixture at a gentle simmer instead of letting it boil hard. That keeps the sauce cohesive before it goes into the baking dish.
Mix the dough and bake the pot pie
In a medium bowl, cut the shortening into the self-rising flour with a pastry cutter or your fingertips until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Add the buttermilk and stir just until a shaggy dough forms. Spoon the filling into the prepared dish, then drop the dough in 8 evenly spaced mounds over the top. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the biscuits are golden and the filling is bubbling; check that the center reaches 165°F, then let the pot pie rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Swaps That Change the Topping or Make It Gluten-Free
Use cooked chicken instead of turkey
Replace the turkey with the same amount of cooked chicken, cut into 1/2-inch pieces. The filling stays just as hearty, with a milder poultry flavor; it’s a handy option when the leftover turkey has already been used up.
Make the biscuit topping with butter
Use cold unsalted butter in place of the vegetable shortening, cutting it into the self-rising flour until coarse crumbs form. The biscuits pick up a buttery taste, though they may be slightly less tender than the shortening version.
Make a gluten-free pot pie
Use a gluten-free 1:1 baking flour in place of the all-purpose flour in the filling, and gluten-free self-rising flour for the topping. The sauce and biscuits may have a slightly different texture, so choose a self-rising blend for the biscuit dough rather than plain gluten-free flour.
Storage and Reheating
- Refrigerator: Cover leftovers and refrigerate for 3 to 4 days. The biscuits will soften as they sit against the filling.
- Freezer: Freeze cooled portions in airtight freezer-safe containers for up to 2 months. Thaw them overnight in the refrigerator; the biscuit topping may be softer after thawing.
- Reheating: Warm portions in a 350°F oven, covered loosely with foil, until hot throughout. Uncover near the end if you want to crisp the biscuit tops; microwaving is quicker but leaves them softer.
Questions I Get Asked About This Turkey Pot Pie
Leftover Turkey Pot Pie with Biscuit Topping
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
- Melt the butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat, add the onion, carrots, and celery, and cook for 6 to 8 minutes until softened.
- Stir in the all-purpose flour, salt, pepper, and thyme and cook for 1 minute.
- Gradually whisk in the broth and milk until smooth.
- Bring the sauce to a simmer, stirring, and cook for 4 to 6 minutes until thickened.
- Stir in the turkey and peas and cook for 2 minutes.
- Cut the shortening into the self-rising flour with a pastry cutter or your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Add the buttermilk and stir just until a shaggy dough forms.
- Spoon the turkey filling into the prepared baking dish.
- Drop the biscuit dough in 8 evenly spaced mounds over the top.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the biscuits are golden and the filling is bubbling; check that the center of the filling reaches 165°F.
- Let the pot pie rest for 10 minutes before serving.
