Turkey Pot Pie With Puff Pastry

You’re not alone if you look forward to leftover turkey as much as the main holiday meal, and this homemade Turkey Pot Pie with Puff Pastry is an easy, family-friendly dish that everyone will rave about! There’s no fussing with pastry for this recipe, and it bakes up light, flaky, buttery, and golden brown delicious.

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With a filling that’s thick, creamy, chunky, and loaded with tender turkey, herbs, and veggies, turkey pot pies are a much-loved dish and leftover turkey recipe. And the best part is these pot pies aren’t hard to make – using store-bought puff pastry makes them quick and easy, and they always turn out great.

What You Need To Make Turkey Pot Pies with Puff Pastry Lids

• Individual-size baking or casserole dishes or one large casserole dish
• Store-bought puff pastry sheets – you’ll need about one sheet of puff pastry – see my notes below
• Butter
• Carrots
• Yellow onions
• Celery
• Garlic – fresh is best
• All-purpose flour
• Milk – Or turkey stock, or chicken broth
• Leftover turkey gravy from Thanksgiving dinner – if you have any
• Leftover turkey – a combination of dark meat and white meat cut into chunks
• Frozen peas
• Dried parsley
• Dried or fresh thyme
• Salt
• White or black pepper
• Egg

What is Puff Pastry

Puff pastry is a technique for making pastry that results in very thin, crispy layers. It’s made by folding the dough over and over again while working in layers of butter. It puffs up when cooking (the butter releases its moisture, causing the dough to rise, puff, and cook in flaky layers), and when you brush the top of the dough with a beaten egg, it cooks up golden brown and glossy.

You can make puff pastry dough from scratch, but it is a labor of love and involves quite a bit of technique. And these days, store-bought puff pastry is affordable and accessible.

How to Buy Puff Pastry

Puff pastry is available in just about all large grocery stores, and you’ll usually find it near the desserts, particularly near the pie shells and frozen pie dough.

It’ll come frozen in a long, narrow box. When you get it home, pop the whole box into the fridge and let it defrost in the fridge. You want to keep the butter in the puff pastry as cold as possible without being frozen.

How To Make Turkey Pot Pies with Puff Pastry

Scroll down for the full recipe card with exact measurements and printable instructions.

Start by melting butter in the bottom of a heavy-bottomed pot or large skillet. Add the diced onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. Cook over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the onion is soft and translucent.

Turn off the heat and stir in the flour. If you need more fat to help the flour incorporate evenly, add a little more butter and let it melt. I like using a silicone spatula here because it scrapes the bottom of the pan well and prevents lumps.

Heat the milk in a small pot or in the microwave. Slowly stream the milk into the flour and vegetables while whisking. Turn the heat back to medium-low and stir until the mixture is thick and bubbling. Add gravy if you have it, or an extra ½ cup of milk or cream for a creamier texture.

Stir in the dried parsley, thyme, salt, pepper, peas, and diced turkey. Heat the mixture through and set it aside while you prepare the puff pastry.

To Prepare the Puff Pastry and Assemble the Pot Pies

Unroll or unfold the puff pastry on a clean work surface. Using a small knife, cut squares or circles slightly larger than the tops of your pot pie dishes so the pastry hangs over the edges. I love using squares on round dishes because it looks extra inviting.

For individual pot pies, fill individual-size oven-safe dishes with the turkey filling and top with a square or circle of puff pastry.

Cut a few slits in the top to allow steam to escape. Brush the tops with a beaten egg. I like using a silicone pastry brush for an even, glossy finish.

For a larger pot pie, cut the puff pastry into strips or overlap circles over the filling. Brush with a beaten egg to make the top golden and shiny.

How to Cook the Best Turkey Pot Pie with Puff Pastry

Place the pot pies on a baking sheet to catch any spills. Bake on the middle rack in a preheated 375 F oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until the tops are golden brown and the filling is hot and bubbling.

Serve warm and enjoy every flaky, buttery, comforting bite.

Chef Jenn’s Tips

• Don’t worry if the turkey pot pie filling seems thick – the turkey and veggies will give off more liquid when cooking, so it needs to start out pretty thick.
• If your puff pastry gets too brown, cover the top lightly with foil.
• No gravy? No problem – just substitute with heavy cream for a richer flavor or more milk.
• You can add more veggies to this, including diced potato, diced sweet potatoes, pearl onions, turnip, green beans, or any of your favorites. Stay away from watery veg like zucchini, or they’ll fall apart in the cooking process.
• No leftover cooked turkey? Turn this into chicken pot pie with leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken
• No time to chop veggies? Use about 4 cups of thawed previously frozen mixed vegetables instead.

What To Serve With Turkey Pot Pies with Puff Pastry

These creamy turkey pot pies are a hearty meal all on their own, but I usually round it out by serving a salad or, for my teen, a heel of crusty bread. I also like pairing this meal with a fabulous soup like this Cauliflower & Sweet Potato Soup, or a more brothy Beef & Barley Soup. For dessert, try these air fryer cookies!

How To Freeze Mini Turkey Pot Pie with Puff Pastry and Leftover Gravy

Puff pastry doesn’t like to be thawed and refrozen. If you have extra filling, I’d freeze it and keep some of the puff pastry frozen. Then, just thaw the filling and assemble with the puff pastry and bake when you’re ready to eat it.

You can freeze the filling just fine, and I use Souper Cubes for stuff like this.

Frequently Asked Questions