Puff pastry turkey pot pie is the ultimate in super-simple comfort food recipes! It's a great way to use leftover turkey, even if the turkey has been chilling out in the freezer for a couple of months. The great thing about using puff pastry is it's pretty much foolproof; no fussing with homemade pie dough. It's a hearty, weeknight, homemade dish that anyone can make.
For more simple puff pastry recipes, try ready-in-minutes puff pastry cinnamon twists and easy peach turnovers.
Jump to:
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Butter: if using unsalted butter, increase the salt in the recipe by ¼ teaspoon.
- Turkey: switch out leftover turkey for cooked chicken (rotisserie is great here) for a year-round chicken pot pie recipe.
- Frozen peas: substitute an equal amount of corn for the peas if you prefer.
- Vegetables: you can use frozen vegetables, but you may have to cook them a bit longer.
How to Make Turkey Pot Pie
Step 1: cook the vegetables in a large pot, then stir in the flour.
Step 2: add the cream, stock, and spices, and simmer until thickened.
Step 3: mix in the turkey, herbs, and peas.
Step 4: transfer to a baking dish.
Step 5: roll out the chilled puff pastry.
Step 6: place the pastry onto the baking dish.
Step 7: seal the edges and brush with an egg wash. Add any decorations you'd like and brush again.
Step 8: bake until very golden and bubbling up around the edges.
Top Tips
- Cool it down: cooling the pie filling before you top it with the pastry prevents the dough from getting too warm before baking.
- Roll out the pastry: for the best result, the pastry should be rolled out very thinly, about the thickness of art paper.
- Don't serve immediately: cool the pie on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before serving, as the filling will remain piping hot for up to one hour after baking.
Recipe Notes
Don't let your puff pastry thaw for too long. Most commercial packages say to thaw for three to four hours, but the dough should be cold to the touch when you roll it. Thawing it in the fridge will keep the pastry block cold until you need it.
We have tried doubling the amount of potatoes with good results. You can leave the skins on or off.
Puff pastry should be cool/cold to the touch when rolling, and as cold as possible before baking in order for it to rise and puff.
The baking sheet under the pie will help prevent any bubbled over filling from making a mess in the oven.
To save on dishes, you can make the filling in an oven-safe dutch oven and bake it right in the same pot. Make sure it's fully cooled before adding the puff pastry.
The filling can be made a day in advance and stored in the fridge before adding the pastry topping and baking. Since it needs to be cooled before baking, this is a good way to make sure everything is done in good time.
How to Store
Storage: wrap the cooled baking dish and store in the fridge for up to three days. If only a couple of pieces remain, wrap them on a plate or store them in a container. Reheat in the oven. We don't recommend heating in the microwave as it makes the pastry soggy.
Freezing: simply follow the recipe until the pie edges are formed and pressed. Do not brush with egg white. Double wrap the assembled, unbaked pie with aluminum foil and place it in the freezer for up to three months.
Bake From Frozen
To bake a frozen puff pastry turkey pot pie, remove the pie from the freezer and thaw in the fridge the day before baking. The next day, remove the pie from the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for 30 to 45 minutes before brushing it with egg white and placing it in the hot oven.
Letting it sit at room temperature will help to prevent cold ceramic baking dishes from shattering in the sudden heat. With metal pie plates, this isn't a concern.
FAQ
Can you use leftover gravy for turkey pot pie?
Absolutely! Reduce the flour, milk, and stock in the filling by half, and replace with about a ¾ cup of gravy.
How do you reheat turkey pie?
It's best to keep it in the pie dish and reheat in the oven. Bake at 400°F (200°C) until heated through, which can take upwards of 15 minutes.
Why is my puff pastry soggy?
When puff pastry gets too warm before baking, the layers of butter melt and you won't see that nice crisp upwards puff. Keep the pastry very cold until right before baking, make sure the filling is cold, and you'll have a delicious pie.
If you make this Turkey Pot Pie recipe or any other savoury recipes on the Baked Collective, please take a moment to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. It’s such a help to others who want to try the recipe. For more baking, follow along on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
Puff Pastry Turkey Pot Pie
Equipment
- Measuring cups and spoons or digital kitchen scale
- Cooking pot
- Rubber spatula or wooden spoon
- 9 or 10-inch (23 or 25-½ cm) deep dish pie plate
- Rolling Pin
- small whisk or fork
- pastry brush
- small cookie cutters (optional)
- Parchment paper
- baking sheet
- Wire rack
Ingredients
- 1 block frozen puff pastry approximately 200 g, thawed according to package directions
- ¼ cup butter
- ½ cup carrot peeled or unpeeled, diced fine (about 1 medium-large carrot)
- ½ cup onion diced fine (about ½ of a medium onion)
- ½ cup celery diced fine (about 1 ½ to 2 stalks depending on size)
- ½ cup potato peeled or unpeeled, diced fine (about 1 small-medium potato)
- â…“ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups chicken stock
- â…” cup 3% whole milk
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper ground
- 2 cups cooked turkey shredded or chopped
- ½ cup frozen peas
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried summer savory or thyme, rosemary, or a mix of the three
- 1 large egg white
- 1 teaspoon 35% heavy cream
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a medium-large pot over medium-low heat. Add the diced carrot, onion, celery, and potato. Cook the vegetables, stirring occasionally until soft, about 8 to 9 minutes. If the vegetables begin to brown, reduce the heat.
- Sprinkle the flour into the pot and stir the vegetables to coat. Continue to cook the vegetables for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the flour turns slightly golden in colour and begins to brown on the bottom of the pot.
- Add the chicken stock, milk, salt, and pepper. Scrape up any stuck-on bits of browned flour from the bottom of the pot. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook the mixture until thick, about 3 to 4 minutes. Stir often to prevent burning.Â
- Remove the pot from the heat and add the turkey, peas, and dried herbs. Stir well to combine. Pour the turkey filling into a 9 or 10-inch (23 or 25-½ cm) deep dish pie plate. Smooth the turkey filling evenly into the dish and set it aside to cool slightly, about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF (200°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Lightly flour a work surface. Use a rolling pin to roll the thawed puff pastry into a rough 12-inch (30 ½-cm) square. Drape the puff pastry over the turkey filling in the pie plate.
- Trim the edges of the pastry leaving a ½ to 1-inch (1-¼ to 2-½ cm) overhang. Roll the overhang in and under itself, towards the edges inside the pie plate to create a thicker border crust. Gently smooth and press the crust along the edges of the pie plate with your fingertips to make it even.
- Whisk together the egg white and cream in a small bowl. Brush the mixture evenly over the puff pastry crust.Â
- Optional: Use small cookie cutters to cut shapes from the puff pastry scraps. Place the cut-outs on top of the egg-washed crust and also brush them with the egg white mixture.
- Place the pot pie on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake the pie in the pre-heated oven until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbly, about 33 to 35 minutes. Cool the pie on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before serving as the filling will remain piping hot for up to one hour after baking.