Thanksgiving Leftovers Turkey Pot Pie

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This delicious pot pie is the best way to use Thanksgiving leftovers! It is filled with leftover turkey, vegetables and a creamy sauce and then topped with a buttery and flaky pie crust. 

Turn your holiday leftovers into the best comfort food! This turkey pot pie the perfect way to use leftovers and ingredients in your fridge in a new way that the whole family will love. This recipe is really flexible and allows you to use whatever you have in your fridge from all of your Thanksgiving cooking including leftover turkey, leftover gravy, and any veggies and herbs you have on hand. Unlike most leftover turkey recipes, this pot pie recipe will help you use up other items you have leftover in your fridge!

I love the traditional turkey meal at Thanksgiving, but after a few days I definitely get tired of the leftovers. And let’s be honest, you can only eat so many turkey sandwiches! This recipe is a great way to switch things up to use your turkey leftovers and ensure there won’t be any food wasted. This pot pie has easily become a holiday tradition, and for good reason!

Tips to use up leftovers

• This recipe is a good way to use whatever veggies you have in your fridge. I used carrots and celery, but green beans or peas are other Thanksgiving staples that would be great in this recipe. You can use cooked vegetables by just adding them in at the same time as the turkey. Or, if you do not have any leftover veggies you are can also use frozen. 
• This recipe calls for fresh herbs, but if you do not have any, you can substitute with 1 teaspoon of dried sage, rosemary, or thyme (or combo of all three). 
• Instead of making the filling from scratch, this pot pie uses leftover gravy from Thanksgiving dinner. Not only does it make cooking this pot pie super easy, it also adds a ton of flavor!
• You will need one pie crust for the top. I like to reserve one pie crust from the pies I make from scratch for dessert. Or, if you prefer you can also use store bought pie crust.  

How to make homemade pie crust

Making pie crust from scratch is so much easier then it sounds, I promise! You can get my easy butter pie crust recipe here. It is made with only four simple ingredients and it can be used for a savory pie like this one, or for sweet pies like a Sour Cherry Pie or Peach Pie. The pie crust recipe makes two crusts (for the top and bottom of the pie), but this recipe just needs a top crust. I like to make that recipe and use one half for a pumpkin pie (since it only has a bottom crust) and then save the other half to make this pot pie recipe! 

Tools to make this pot pie recipe

Pie pan- This Pyrex pie pan is my favorite. If you don’t have a pie pan, you can easily use a square baking dish or even an oven-safe skillet! 

Whisk – Using a whisk will help ensure the filling is fully combined and does not have any clumps

Wooden spoon – I love using wooden spoons for all my cooking! Not only are they non-toxic, they look so pretty in your utensil holder on your counter. 

Ingredients to make Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey Pot Pie

• Butter – salted or unsalted butter will work, whatever you have on hand!
• Onion – a diced yellow or white onion. 
• Garlic – Fresh minced garlic cloves, but if you do not have any you can substitute for 1 tsp garlic powder. 
• Vegetables – I used carrots and celery because that is what I have leftover from other Thanksgiving recipes, but you can use whatever you have on hand! Peas or green beans are other great options. 
• Fresh herbs- I use a combination of fresh thyme, rosemary and sage. 
• All-purpose flour- I like to add a little more flour to thicken, but you can adjust this based on how thick your gravy is. 
• Leftover turkey meat – Take the leftover meat and shred or cut into bite sized cubes. You can use white or dark meat. 
• Gravy – The secret ingredient! If you want to make the best ever gravy, use this homemade gravy recipe! (This gravy is one of our favorite things on Thanksgiving!)
• Cream – I have heavy cream leftover from my mashed potatoes recipe, but you can use half and half or whole milk, whatever you prefer. 
• Salt and black pepper- season to taste. 
• Pie crust – I just do one pie crust on the top rather then one on the top and bottom to keep things easy! 
• Egg- Combine the egg with one tablespoon of water to create an egg wash to brush on top of the pie crust. 

How to make Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey Pot Pie

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and melt butter. Add diced onion and let it cook down for about 4-5 minutes, until it starts to become translucent. 

Next, add in the rest of your veggies and continue to cook until they have softened, about 5-10 minutes

Then add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Next, add in the fresh herbs and stir to combine. Sauté for an additional minute.

Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and cook for an additional 2 minutes. 

Add in the gravy and use a whisk to combine with the flour. Once combined add in the cream or milk and whisk. Then add in the cooked turkey. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the mixture to a pie pan. 

Next, prepare the pie crust. Roll out the pie crust on a lightly floured surface and then place it over the pot pie mixture. I don’t bother to crimp the edges, I just let them fall over the edge. Trim any excess that hangs off too far. Using a sharp knife, cut small slits in the pie crust.

Then in a small bowl, whisk together one egg and one tablespoon of water. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the egg wash on top of the pie crust. I like to place the pie pan on top of a sheet pan incase the mixture bubbles over. 

Add to a 400 degrees F preheated oven and bake for 35-45 minutes or until the pie crust is golden brown. If the edges start to brown too quickly, you can tent the edges with aluminum foil. 

Remove from the oven and let it cool slight. Then slice and enjoy! 

How to store Turkey Pie Crust

The best way to store any leftovers is to either cover the pie pan with plastic wrap, or transfer the pot pie to an airtight container and store in the fridge. The pot pie will stay good for three days. (But keep in mind how long after your turkey dinner that you use the meat. It is recommended to consume leftover turkey meat after 3-4 days) 

Don’t throw out that turkey carcass!

Use your leftover turkey carcass to make homemade turkey stock for soup. Making a stock from scratch makes the most delicious soup ever! You can then use it in all of your favorite soup recipes or any other way you would use chicken broth. Get my easy Homemade Stock recipe here!