Thanksgiving Leftover Turkey Pot Pie
The first cut is always the moment I watch most closely: a good turkey pot pie should hold its shape, not send gravy running across the plate. The trick starts…
Tip: save now, cook later.The first cut is always the moment I watch most closely: a good turkey pot pie should hold its shape, not send gravy running across the plate. The trick starts before the filling ever goes in. Thanksgiving Leftover Turkey Pot Pie gets a bottom crust that’s baked until dry, so it can stand up to the creamy filling instead of turning soft underneath.
I also let the filling cool before I cover it with the second crust. That short pause keeps steam from building under the pastry while the pie bakes, and it makes the top easier to handle as you crimp the edges. With cooked turkey, peas, and the familiar onion-carrot-celery base tucked inside, each slice is hearty without feeling like another plate of leftovers.
Kitchen Note
Give the filling its full 10-minute cool-down before you put on the top crust. A piping-hot filling sends up steam that softens pastry while you’re trying to seal the edges.
Save this Thanksgiving leftover turkey pot pie for a golden, flaky way to turn cooked turkey into a cozy dinner.
Why the Bottom Crust Needs to Bake Before the Filling Goes In
Pot pie filling carries plenty of moisture. If raw pastry sits beneath it in the oven, the top can look beautifully golden while the bottom stays pale and doughy. That’s especially frustrating with a double-crust pie, where you can’t see the base until you’ve cut into it.
Blind-baking gives the bottom crust a head start. First, the pie weights hold the pastry in place while it begins to set; baking it again without the weights lets the exposed base dry out. Look for a base that no longer looks glossy or damp before you add filling. The crust won’t be fully browned at this point, and it doesn’t need to be. It only needs to be set enough to meet the creamy filling without immediately soaking it up.
A deep-dish plate matters here, too. It gives the filling room while keeping the crust’s edges high enough to fold and crimp around the top. Use a regular shallow pie plate and you risk having more filling than the dish can comfortably hold.
What Each Ingredient Brings to This Turkey Pot Pie
- Refrigerated pie crusts — A two-crust package keeps this a practical leftover dinner while giving you pastry for both the base and lid. Keep the dough cold enough to handle cleanly; warm pastry tears more easily when you press it into the dish. The bottom crust needs its separate bake before filling.
- Butter and flour — Butter softens the vegetables and gives the sauce a rounded taste, while flour thickens the broth and milk into a filling that stays in the slice. Stir the flour through the softened vegetables so it cooks briefly before liquid goes in; pockets of dry flour can leave the sauce uneven.
- Low-sodium chicken broth and whole milk — The broth brings savory depth, and whole milk makes the sauce creamy without relying on heavy cream. Low-sodium broth leaves room to season the filling yourself. Whisk the liquids in gradually for a smooth sauce rather than pouring them in all at once.
- Cooked turkey and frozen peas — Diced cooked turkey turns the filling into a useful home for Thanksgiving leftovers, and frozen peas add small, sweet bites. Use turkey that’s already cooked and cut it into pieces that are easy to scoop onto a fork. Add the peas straight from the freezer; they warm in the skillet with the turkey.
- Onion, carrot, celery, and dried thyme — These build the savory base and give the filling its familiar pot-pie character. Finely chop the onion and dice the carrot and celery so they soften evenly. Dried thyme disperses through the sauce without adding moisture.
From Dry Bottom Crust to Golden, Sealed Top
Set the bottom crust before filling
Heat the oven to 400°F with a rack in the lower third, then press one crust into a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate, leaving about 1/2 inch of overhang. Line it with parchment and add pie weights or dry beans; bake for 12–15 minutes. Remove the parchment and weights carefully, then bake the crust for 4–6 minutes more, until the base looks dry and set. Set the plate on a rack while you make the filling.
Soften the vegetables and thicken the sauce
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat, then add the onion, carrot, and celery. Cook for 6–8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened; they shouldn’t still feel crisp when you stir through them. Sprinkle in the flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring so it coats the vegetables. Gradually whisk in the broth and milk, add the thyme, salt, and pepper, then bring the sauce to a simmer and stir for 3–5 minutes, until it thickens.
Warm the turkey, then fill the pie
Stir in the diced cooked turkey and frozen peas and cook for 2–3 minutes, just until heated through. Take the skillet off the heat and let the filling cool for 10 minutes. Spoon it into the prepared crust, then lay the second crust over the top. Trim both crusts to about 1/2 inch, fold the overhang under, and crimp the edge closed; cut 4 vents in the top so steam has a way out.
Brush, bake, and let the slices settle
Beat the egg with the water and brush it over the top crust, taking care to cover the surface without letting excess egg pool around the crimp. Bake for 35–40 minutes, until the top is golden and the center of the filling reaches 165°F. If the edges brown too quickly, shield them loosely with foil while the center finishes heating. Rest the pie for 15 minutes before serving so the filling settles and the first slice is easier to lift.
Easy Ways to Adapt This Leftover Turkey Pie
Make it dairy-free
Use plant-based butter in place of the butter and unsweetened oat milk instead of whole milk. The flour will still thicken the sauce, though the filling will taste a little less rich than the original.
Lean into a sage-forward filling
Swap the dried thyme for dried sage for a more pronounced, holiday-style herbal note. Sage is assertive, so start with less than the amount of thyme and taste the sauce before adding the turkey.
Use cooked chicken instead
Replace the diced turkey with an equal amount of diced cooked chicken. It keeps the same savory, creamy filling and works well when the leftovers in your refrigerator aren’t turkey.
Storage and Reheating
- Refrigerator: Cover the cooled pie and refrigerate within 2 hours; keep it for 3–4 days. The crust softens as it sits.
- Freezer: Freeze baked slices or the whole baked pie, wrapped tightly, for up to 2–3 months for best quality. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
- Reheating: Warm slices in a 350°F oven until hot throughout; loosely cover the edges with foil if they’re browning before the middle is warm. The microwave is quicker, but it softens the pastry.
Questions I Get About Thanksgiving Turkey Pot Pie
Thanksgiving Leftover Turkey Pot Pie
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat the oven to 400°F with a rack in the lower third.
- Press one pie crust into a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate, leaving about 1/2 inch of overhang.
- Line the crust with parchment and fill it with pie weights or dry beans.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes.
- Carefully remove the parchment and weights.
- Bake the crust for 4-6 minutes more, until the base looks dry and set.
- Transfer the plate to a rack.
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add the onion, carrot, and celery and cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.
- Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and cook for 1 minute, stirring.
- Gradually whisk in the broth and milk.
- Stir in the thyme, salt, and pepper.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring, until the sauce thickens.
- Stir in the turkey and peas and cook for 2-3 minutes, just until heated through.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and let the filling cool for 10 minutes.
- Spoon the filling into the crust.
- Place the second crust over the top.
- Trim both crusts to about 1/2 inch, fold the overhang under, and crimp to seal.
- Cut 4 vents in the top.
- Beat the egg with the water and brush it over the top crust.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the top is golden and the filling reaches 165°F in the center; shield the edges loosely with foil if they brown too quickly.
- Let the pot pie rest for 15 minutes before serving.
