This slightly creamy leftover turkey pot pie recipe is made in a cast iron pan to keep things simple. Bursting with gourmet flavors and crisp vegetables, this pot pie recipe is ultimate comfort food.
Are you one of those people that gets more excited about Thanksgiving leftovers, than the official meal? If you’re overflowing with turkey leftovers, then this turkey pot pie recipe is perfect for you! It has all of the best comfort food flavors, but uses some unique ingredients so it doesn’t taste like you’re eating Thanksgiving all over again.
What Is In Turkey Pot Pie?
Turkey pot pie is a smattering of all of the most delicious flavors put together. Heaped with onions, celery, peas, and carrots that are cooked into a delicious gravy, the filling is topped with pie crust and baked to a golden brown perfection.
This turkey pot pie recipe is elevated with additional gourmet ingredients like white wine and fresh rosemary. These bring an elegant flavor profile to the dish that makes it unique while not losing it’s comfort food vibes.
There are many different variations out there, including this one which is made in a cast iron skillet instead of a baking dish.
Can You Freeze Turkey Pot Pie?
Whether you make it with turkey or chicken, pot pie is one of the ultimate comfort foods. It takes a little more time to make than most people want to spend however. To save yourself in the future (and use up plenty of leftover turkey) this pot pie can be frozen. In parts.
Since most of us don’t have spare cast iron skillets laying around, you can focus on the most time consuming part, which is the filling.
Once it is completely cooled, the filling can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 6 months. Once you are ready to use it, thaw it out in the refrigerator the day before and lightly heat it up in the cast iron pan before putting on the top crust.
If you just spread the cold filling in the bottom of the pan and then throw it in the oven, you may end up with a dry filling as a result of freezing. Heating it up lets you make any adjustments by adding any additional chicken broth or cream needed to the turkey mixture. Then slap on that crust and bake according to the recipe.
Recipe Tips For Making the Best Turkey Pot Pie Recipe
For how delightfully simple the flavors in this turkey pot pie recipe are, the assembly can cause challenges. Use these professional tips to ease potential difficulties.
- How To Make The Best Crust. One of the biggest complaints about making turkey pot pie from scratch is that the bottom crust gets soggy. By making it in the cast iron skillet we are eliminating that risk and as a result, you only need a single pie crust. Get my favorite recipe for an all-butter crust and all my professional tips here.
- What Is Mirepoix? Made of carrots, onion, and celery, this mixture is the flavor foundation for this turkey pot pie recipe.
- How To Make A Roux. A roux is a fat and flour combination used to thicken sauces. Get all my tips for how to incorporate the liquid for a smooth gravy.
- How To Keep Herbs Fresh. Every herb needs its own unique attention to keep it fresh. Find out how to take care of the parsley, thyme, and rosemary for the best flavor.
- Overnight Turkey Stock. If you want to really utilize your Thanksgiving leftovers, use the turkey carcass to make turkey stock. You don’t even have to stand over it, your slow cooker does the work while you sleep!
Can I Use Leftover Gravy In This Recipe?
If you have at least one cup of leftover gravy, yes you can use it in this turkey pot pie recipe. Just omit the flour and use the gravy instead of chicken stock. Once the cup of gravy is in the pan, you may need to dilute it with some additional chicken stock depending on how thick it is, but this turkey pot pie recipe is a great way to make use of those leftovers!
Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey Pot Pie Recipe
Skip the condensed soups and make your own turkey pot pie from scratch. The flavor is out of this world.
Want a free printable grocery list for this turkey pot pie recipe? Get it here. Everything is listed in standard grocery store amounts. If no size is specified, even the smallest package will provide more than enough.
Happy Cooking! 🙂
Skillet Turkey Pot Pie
Ingredients
- 4 Tablespoons butter
- 1 onion, diced
- 6 cloves garlic
- 1 pounds carrots, peeled and cut into rounds
- 6 ribs celery, chopped
- 2 potatoes, peeled and diced
- 2 cups turkey
- ⅓ cup flour
- ¼ cup white wine
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1 Tablespoon fresh thyme, minced
- 1 Tablespoon fresh rosemary, minced
- 2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
- 1 cup frozen peas
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 pie crust
- 1 egg
- 1 Tablespoon milk
Instructions
- In the bottom of a 10 inch cast iron skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Sauté the chopped onion and garlic until translucent; about 2 minutes. Stir in the carrots and celery and cook until the celery is bright green, another 5 minutes.
- Add in the chopped potatoes and turkey and cook until potatoes are just starting to soften. About 10 minutes. Stir in the flour and let cook for 2 minutes.
- Deglaze pan with white wine, using your utensil to scrape off any stuck on bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir in the chicken stock, rosemary, thyme, and parsley and bring to a simmer for 5 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Remove the skillet from the stovetop, stir in the frozen peas and season with salt and pepper.
- Place the prepared pie crust on top of the skillet, tucking the edges under as needed. Cut a slit or decoration in the top for the steam to release. Mix together the egg and milk and brush it over the top of the pie dough.
- Put the skillet into the preheated oven bake for 30 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the filling begins to bubble out of the slit.
- Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Cathy Simone says
I made it and loved it! I used yams instead of white potatoes as that's what I had on hand.
Mackenzie Ryan says
Oh I'm so happy you loved it Cathy! This makes my heart so happy!
EA Stewart says
I lOVE leftovers! This looks amazing-I definitely want to try making a gluten free version. Happy Thanksgiving!
Mackenzie Ryan says
I love the ease of making it in the skillet. Happy Thanksgiving!