We love a good roast turkey here at the Mouse House.
What we don’t love is eating the SAME roast turkey again…and again…and again.
(Can I get an amen?)
So we tend to get creative with leftover turkey meat really quickly.
This was this year’s bone-in turkey breast:
These individual pot pies are our favorite way of using up extra turkey (or roast chicken, for that matter!).
The best part?
Because I typically make them after cooking a HUGE holiday feast, I usually cop out and use frozen pie crust and veggies. (Don’t hate!)
Couldn’t be easier.
By all means, make your crust from scratch (here’s my simple recipe!), and use fresh, chopped veggies.
Totally up to you.
Holy comfort food, Batman!
These turkey pot pies are comfort food at its finest.
The crust is buttery and crisp.
The filling is thick. Fragrant with fall spices. And dotted with rustic chunks of hearty, roast turkey.
Pick your pots Â
This recipe is approximate because, honestly? Everyone’s “ramekin/pot-pie” gear is going to be slightly different.
I made them in these adorable little pots I found on sale at Home Goods.
For reference, they’re about 5 inches wide, and 2 inches deep.
You can order them here on Amazon.
Use mini-pie dishes, larger ramekins, or something like my pots.
The recipe below is approximate, so you may have a little filling left over, and need more or less crust, depending on the size of the dishes you’re using.
The short version of the recipe goes like this
Make an amazing turkey dinner. Then chop up your leftover turkey meat.
Saute some diced veggies in butter.
Add flour, milk, and chicken broth to the veggies to make a thick, luscious sauce.
Plop the whole business into pastry-lined ramekins.
Bake until blissfully bubbly and brown.
Inhale and enjoy the minute they’re cool enough to put your mitts on!
That’s it. Easy, right?
Scroll down for all the particulars, pictures of each step, and a printable recipe card.
Alrighty, to the ovens!
Easy Individual Turkey Pot PiesÂ
2 tablespoons butter
3 cups frozen diced veggies (mix of corn, peas, carrots, whatever you like)
1/3 cup flour
3/4 cup milk
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
Kosher salt, to taste
3 cups leftover turkey, chopped
3-4 rounds frozen pie crust (Depending on the size of your pie dishes)
~1 extra crust for top decorations
1 egg, beaten
Makes 4 individual pot pies
Do a little prep
Pre-heat your oven to 375-degrees F.
Grease your dishes with a little butter or oil. Set aside while you make the filling magic.
Chop up all that lovely, leftover turkey. How big or small is entirely up to you!
(Us? We like big, hearty chunks. I tend to pull it apart with my–very clean–hands instead of using a knife.)
Line your dishesÂ
Grab your greased dishes. In this case, like I said, I used these cute little pots.
Roll out your pie crust (either store bought or homemade).
Size the crust to fit.
You want to line the bottom and sides, then have enough left over to add a top crust.
Here’s how I did mine:
Ideally, you want the crust to extend a little above the edges, so you have some extra to attach the top crust to.
(You’ll see what I mean below.)
If not, it’s not the end of the world.
You’re not unmolding these, so honestly, just do your best. It will all bake out in the end. 😉
Set your prepped dishes aside while you make the filling.
Make the turkey pot pie filling
Melt your butter in a large, non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat.
Add your frozen veggies (or fresh, if you like).
Stir frequently to coat with butter and warm them up.
Cook for a few minutes over medium-high heat until soft.
Add the flour.
Stir to coat the veggies.
Saute over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, for about 2 minutes.
Pour in the milk and chicken broth.
The pan will bubble like mad (because of the hot pan), then subside.
Toss in the thyme, black pepper, granulated garlic, and kosher salt.
Cook, stirring constantly, over medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes.
The mixture will thicken REALLY quickly.
When you can scrape the spoon through the filling and see the bottom of the pan like this, your sauce is done.
Turn the heat off. Add the chopped turkey. Stir to coat.
Give the mixture a taste.
This is your finished filling.
If you think it needs more salt, pepper, what have you, add it now until you’re happy with the seasoning!
Assemble your turkey pot pies
Grab your pastry-lined dishes.
Fill them about to the top with filling.
Leave maybe 1/4 of an inch at the top.
Again, this is a rustic dish. We’re not building rockets.
I will say, though: Be careful not to over-stuff the dishes.
That’s a recipe for pies that bubble over and make a MESS in the oven.
Cut a round of pie crust and snuggle it on top of the filling.
Fold the edges together to form a loose seal. Like this:
Repeat with the rest of your dishes.
Decorate and glaze the tops
Use your favorite cookie cutters to cut the extra crust into decorative shapes for the top.
I should note, the cut outs on top are entirely decorative and optional!
Your pot pies will be perfectly functional and delicious without the extra flair on top…if a little less fancy.
Just lay them on top, like this:
For this batch, we did little stars and a squirrel.
Cut a few slits in the top crust with a sharp, non-serrated knife.
These are basically steam vents.
Squirrel version (Hi, Thumbelina!):
Brush the tops of your pot pies liberally with beaten egg.
This will give it a nice, shiny brown crust.
Bake your turkey pot pies
Put your dishes on a sheet pan (this will save you a ton of clean up in the event that they DO bubble over).
Slide the pan into your pre-heated, 375-degree F oven.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown on top.
(Remember, your filling is already cooked, so your goal with this part in the oven is to cook the pastry through.)
When they’re done, yank the pan out of the oven and set on a rack.
Cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Serve and enjoy!
Calories
Fat
Carbs
Protein
The Hungry Mouse
Yields 4 indidual pot pies
Our favorite, stick-to-your-ribs comfort food!
Save RecipeIngredients
Instructions
- Pre-heat your oven to 375-degrees F. Grease your dishes with a little butter or oil. Set aside while you make the filling magic.
- Chop up all that lovely, leftover turkey.
- Grab your greased dishes. Roll out your pie crust (either store bought or homemade). Size the crust to fit. You want to line the bottom and sides, then have enough left over to add a top crust. Everyone's dishes are going to be a little different. Set your prepped dishes aside while you make the filling.
- Melt your butter in a large, non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat.
- Add your frozen veggies (or fresh, if you like). Stir frequently to coat with butter and warm them up. Cook for a few minutes over medium-high heat until soft.
- Add the flour. Stir to coat the veggies. Saute over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, for about 2 minutes.
- Pour in the milk and chicken broth. The pan will bubble like mad (because of the hot pan), then subside.
- Toss in the thyme, black pepper, granulated garlic, and kosher salt.
- Cook, stirring constantly, over medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes. The mixture will thicken REALLY quickly. When you can scrape the spoon through the filling and see the bottom of the pan like this, your sauce is done.
- Turn the heat off. Add the chopped turkey. Stir to coat. Give the mixture a taste. If you think it needs more salt, pepper, what have you, add it now until you're happy with the seasoning!
- Grab your pastry-lined dishes. Fill them about to the top with filling. Leave maybe 1/4 of an inch at the top.
- Cut a round of pie crust and snuggle it on top of the filling.
- Fold the edges together to form a loose seal.
- Repeat with the rest of your dishes.
- Use your favorite cookie cutters to cut the extra crust into decorative shapes for the top. (Optional!) Lay them on top.
- Cut a few slits in the top crust with a sharp, non-serrated knife.
- Brush the tops of your pot pies liberally with beaten egg.
- Put your dishes on a sheet pan (this will save you a ton of clean up in the event that they DO bubble over). Slide the pan into your pre-heated, 375-degree F oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown on top.
- When they're done, yank the pan out of the oven and set on a rack.
- Cool for 5-10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
