Turkey Pot Pie with Puff Pastry
This Turkey Pot Pie with Puff Pastry recipe is a fabulous use of leftover Thanksgiving turkey, but you can also use it with leftover rotisserie chicken, pan-roasted chicken breasts, or Dutch oven pulled chicken. It’s easy to make if you buy puff pastry or have leftover rough puff pastry in the freezer.
Read on to learn all the detailed tips and tricks for making turkey pot pies and working with puff pastry. Or just grab your rolling pin, hit that Jump to Recipe button, and let’s make a turkey pot pie with puff pastry top!
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Ingredients
This turkey pot pie recipe has some basic ingredients and is very adaptable.
- Turkey – use leftover cooked turkey or you can also braise the meat in the liquid.
- Vegetables – pot pies often start with the French mirepoix of onion, carrot, and celery. Add a few more vegetables to round out the stew – my kiddo always insists on peas in recipes.
- Salt, pepper, and other dried herbs for flavor.
- Flour to thicken the broth, and a bit of vermouth or white wine to brighten the flavors.
- Puff pastry – rough puff pastry here works just as well as classic puff. If you are buying puff pastry, go with an all-butter version like Dufour Puff Pastry.
- Egg wash – this gives a beautiful golden color to your puff pastry just as it does for challah or homemade apple pie.
Want more turkey recipes? Try this Thanksgiving turkey meatloaf or one pot turkey meatball Stroganoff.
Please see the recipe card below for complete information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations and substitutions
- Use something other than turkey. I often make chicken pot pies, but you can also use pulled duck breast or pulled pork not mixed with BBQ sauce.
- Make a vegetarian pot pie and leave out the meat.
- Change up the vegetables. I love pot pies with parsnips in place of potatoes.
- Change up the herb combinations.
Recipe tips and tricks
This pot pie has a puff pastry top crust only. So often a pot pie bottom crust is just a soggy bottom, so in my mind there’s no reason to add calories for that.
Making the turkey pot pie filling
Start by preparing the pot pie filling. Heat the oil or butter in a large pot and then cook the chopped onions until they are soft and just starting to brown.
If you are handy with a knife, you can chop the remaining vegetables while the onions are softening. Try to get them into bite-sized chunks that are about the same size, but don’t stress too much. This is mostly about appearance.
Add the chopped carrot, celery, and potatoes. Stir and cook for a minute or two. Then add the minced garlic, salt, pepper, and herbs, and stir for a minute.
Add the flour and stir constantly to coat all of the vegetables and prevent the flour from burning. You can also use a cornstarch slurry to thicken the filling in place of the flour if you prefer.
Add the chicken broth and vermouth or white wine. The wine adds a touch of acidity to the filling that brightens up the flavors. You can also use a tablespoon of lemon juice or cider vinegar for the same effect.
Bring the liquid to a boil, then turn down the heat to a simmer and cook until the pot pie filling thickens, stirring occasionally. If you don’t have leftover turkey for the pot pie, you can add chicken breasts or other meats here and let it braise until cooked through.
Add the chopped turkey and peas to the filling and let cool. You can make the pot pies to this point and refrigerate the filling for up to three days.
Preparing the puff pastry for pot pies
Dust your countertop lightly with flour, and roll out your puff pastry to about a quarter inch thick. Be careful not to roll over the edge of the dough, which could seal the puff pastry layers together and prevent them from puffing up when baked.
Roll out or cut your puff pastry into a circle just slightly larger than your pie pan or ramekins. Top the turkey pot pie or pies with the puff pastry circle and use a sharp knife to cut a vent in the top. You can also stop here and freeze your pot pie, wrapped well, for up to three months.
Turn leftover puff pastry scraps into puff pastry cinnamon twists or other pie crust cookies.
Baking the turkey pot pie
Brush the puff pastry top with the egg wash, and bake until the top is a golden brown and the filling is bubbling. I bake pot pies on top of an old baking sheet, because the bubbly filling can get messy.
Serve hot and enjoy!
What to serve with turkey pot pie
Use other Thanksgiving leftovers, and serve your turkey pot pie with jalapeño cranberry sauce, leftover stuffing, and cavatappi mac and cheese. Or go with one of these:
- A simple salad like a rocket pear salad, feta kale salad, or raw carrot salad.
- Steamed or roasted vegetable like green beans or broccoli.
- Grilled corn on the cob.
- Skillet cornbread or garlic bread baguette.
Recipe FAQs
Leftover turkey pot pie topped with puff pastry should be stored in the refrigerator for three to five days. You can also freeze pot pies, baked or unbaked, for up to three months.
If you don’t have or eat egg, you can get some browning by brushing your puff pastry top with a little milk or cream.
If you can’t find or don’t want to make puff pastry, other types of pastry will work. Try this turkey pot pie with pie crust, biscuit dough, or even phyllo dough.
Related recipes
Check out other poultry recipes from the Ugly Duckling Bakery archives like:
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-heart 💜💜💜💜💜 rating in the recipe card below. Let me know how much you loved it, or any problems you had, in the comments section further down.
Recipe
Turkey Pot Pie with Puff Pastry
Ingredients
- ½ pound puff pastry defrosted
- 2 cups cooked turkey
- 2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2 medium carrots chopped
- 2 stalks celery chopped
- 2 Yukon gold potatoes chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried tarragon
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ cup (65 grams) all purpose flour
- 4 cups (32 ounces) chicken broth
- ¼ cup vermouth or white wine
- ¼ cup peas fresh or frozen
- 1 large egg
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 375℉ and defrost your puff pastry if it has been frozen.½ pound puff pastry
- If you are using leftover turkey, pull the turkey off any bones and chop or pull the cooked turkey into bite-sized pieces.2 cups cooked turkey
- Heat the oil or butter in a large pot and then cook the chopped onions until they are soft and just starting to brown.2 tablespoons butter or olive oil, 1 medium onion
- Add the chopped carrot, celery, and potatoes. Stir and cook for a minute or two. Then add the minced garlic, salt, pepper, and herbs, and stir for a minute.2 medium carrots, 2 stalks celery, 2 Yukon gold potatoes, 2 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, 1 teaspoon dried tarragon, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Add the flour and stir constantly to coat all of the vegetables and prevent the flour from burning.½ cup (65 grams) all purpose flour
- Add the chicken broth and vermouth or white wine. Bring to a boil, thenturn down the heat until the liquid is at a simmer and cook until it thickens,stirring occasionally.4 cups (32 ounces) chicken broth, ¼ cup vermouth or white wine
- Add the chopped turkey and the peas, and let the filling cool.¼ cup peas
- Dust your countertop lightly with flour, and roll out your puff pastry to about a quarter inch thick. Be careful not to roll over the edge of the dough,which would compress the puff pastry layers together. Roll out or cut your puff pastry into a circle just slightly larger than your pie pan or ramekins.
- Divide the pot pie filling into four large individual ramekins, a 9 inch pie plate, or another serving dish able to accommodate all of the filling.
- Top the turkey pot pie or pies with the puff pastry circle and use a sharp knife to cut a vent in the top. Brush with a slightly beaten egg.1 large egg
- Bake until the puff pastry turkey pie is a golden brown and the filling is bubbling, about 30 to 40 minutes. Baking the pot pies on top of an old baking sheet can help with clean up if the filling overflows.
Notes
Nutrition
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