Mini turkey pot pies are delicious, easy to make, and an excellent way to use up leftover turkey roast. These pot pies are especially perfect as an appetizer or lunch.
You can equally serve the mini pies as a Christmas lunch or dinner accompanied by other holiday side dishes.
Turkey meat is loaded with protein, minerals, and vitamins. You can enjoy this healthy lean meat any time of the year. However, during the Thanksgiving festivities, turkey meat is in high demand. Where turkey roasts are the most popular main dish, you can make so many more exciting and delicious dishes using turkey meat. Among the many turkey breast recipe ideas, you can happily make easy turkey pot pies.
Those of us in the United States know this time of the year is turkey galore. You've stuffed your face, released your button/zipper, washed all that comfort meal with a glass or 3 of wine, flossed your teeth, load the dishwasher, now what do you do with all that turkey leftovers?
Well, I am here to help.
Why you'll love this easy turkey pot pie dish:
Perfectly spiced
Loaded with veggies
Easy to make
An inspired Classic
& utterly delicious,
And, let's not forget the Flaky buttery crust sheltering an aromatic meaty sauce. Ugh! I am hungry again.
Jump to:
What is a turkey pot pie made of?
Ingredients
Some of the main ingredients of this deep dish pot pie recipe are;
- Puff pastry: You need this to house the turkey sauce. You can add it as a shell or the top using a ramekin.
- Vegetables: I used a combination of fresh vegetables like Squash ( feel free to substitute for potatoes), carrots, onion, green pea, and celery. You can use frozen vegetables or add other varieties as you please.
- Herbs: my herb of choice was fresh thyme sprigs. You can equally use rosemary, parsley, or sage.
- Honey roasted turkey breast: I love the added sweetness from the honey roasted turkey. Any other flavor that isn’t over-powering would work great. You can equally use leftover chicken for a chicken potpie quick night meal.
- Spices: I used ground black pepper and Ras-el-hanout for this dish. The rich, warming flavor of this spice adds so much depth to the dish. You’ve got to try it!
You can find one here or use a combination of coriander seeds, ginger, clove, turmeric, spices, and sunflower oil to make yours.
- Cooked bacon strips: This is entirely optional, but it’s an added oumph to an already great dish.
- Broth: chicken, beef, or vegetable broth works fine. I didn’t add a lot because I didn’t want my pie to get soggy in the bottom. If you are using a ramekin for this dish, then add a little extra.
- Corn starch: used to thicken the sauce.
See the recipe card for quantities.
How to make puff pastry pot pie
- First, you’ll unroll and soften the crust according to package instructions.
- Next, place the crust on all sides of the deep dish baking pan. Shave the edges, and pop in the freezer.
- Make the filling: Saute the vegetables and turkey. Add broth, and thicken with corn starch. Set aside.
- Add filling to frozen puff pastry: Use a fork to slightly poke the bottom and sides of the pastry before adding the filling. Cover the top and brush with egg wash. Bake!
Please see the detailed directions in the recipe card below.
What to serve with turkey pot pies?
These pot pies go well with several sides. here are a few ideas:
• Salad: A simple salad with tangy vinaigrette is just perfect. It can either be a corn salad or a green bean salad. Make pasta salads ahead of time and store them for thanksgiving dinner.
• Roasted vegetables: Roasted potatoes, carrots, bell peppers, broccoli, and Brussel sprouts are great options.
• Sweet potatoes: Mashed sweet potatoes are creamy and perfect for the occasion.
• Glazed carrots: Honey glazed carrots are a perfect blend of sweet and savory and go well with pot pies.
• Casserole: Make sweet potato and squash casserole ahead of time and heat just before your thanksgiving dinner.
• Butter horns: These buttery rolls are easy to prep, and you can make them hours before dinner.
Can this easily be made gluten-free? Low carb? Paleo?
Absolutely! You can adjust a few ingredients to make this recipe gluten-free, low carb, and keto. For instance:
• Make pie pastry using almond flour, eggs, cream cheese, and mozzarella cheese for a gluten-free and keto pie pastry.
• For a low carb or keto filling, use low carb or keto vegetables like mushrooms, spinach, cauliflower, etc.
• Add heavy cream or half a half for thickening the filling for the keto sauce.
How to store individual turkey pot pies?
Turkey pies are very convenient, and you can store the leftover pies for later. Once baked and cool at room temperature, you can wrap the pot pies with aluminum foil and place them in the refrigerator. They will last for up to 3 days.
Can you freeze chicken/turkey pot pie?
Yes! You can freeze the baked mini turkey pot pies. Seal them with cling wrap, then a layer of aluminum foil, and place them individually inches apart in a plastic ziplock bag.
Place them in the freezer, which will last up to 3 months.
How do you reheat leftover chicken/turkey pot pie?
You can reheat the refrigerated and frozen pot pies in a preheated oven until the crust is flaky again and the pies are cooked through. Don't forget to cover the top while it's in the oven, which will prevent the crust from burning.
Top tip
Do you have to bake pre-made pie crust?
No! Once you've fitted the pie crust to the pan, pop it in the freezer for 10-20 minutes, add the filling, cover, and bake.
There are different techniques to make this puff pastry pot pie recipe. It all depends on the baker. Most people will blind bake the puff pastry shells, but I have tried that method multiple times, and I don't see a significant difference compared to the technique I used in this recipe.
The only time you should blind bake the pie crust is if your filling is of custard or liquid consistency. All you should be doing is combining the ingredients, get the flavors going, then allow the magic to happen while the turkey pot pie bakes in the oven.
Do you cook puff pastry first before adding turkey?
As I mentioned earlier, baking the puff pastry before adding turkey is optional. However, there are several benefits to it. You can place it in a preheated oven and bake for about 15 minutes. This way, the puff pastry won't be cooked unevenly, and you will get a perfectly textured puff pastry pot pie. Using the same method I did won't be a problem either, seeing as these are individual mini turkey pot pies.
📖 Recipe
Mini Turkey Pot Pies
Equipment
- Heavy bottom sauce pan
- mini cake pan or deep dish
Ingredients
- two 14.1 ounce pkg. (4 crusts) rolled refrigerated unbaked piecrust
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 small sweet onion, chopped
- 1 cup chopped delicata squash ( substitute with acorn, butternut, or carnival variety)
- 3 medium carrots, cubed
- 4 fresh thyme sprigs, stems removed
- ⅓ cup chopped celery
- 1 cup green peas
- 2 cups chopped roasted turkey breast
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- salt to taste
- 2 teaspoon Ras-el-hanout
- 3 cooked bacon strips, crumbled
- 1½ cup chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
- 1 egg, beaten
Instructions
- preheat oven to 425°F
- Soften pie crust according to package instructions
- Using a non-stick skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add the onion, and cook for 3 minutes. Add the squash, carrot, and thyme. Stir to combine. Cook for 6 minutes.
- Add the celery, peas, turkey, bacon, and broth. Season with salt, pepper, and ras-el-hanout. Combine the cornstarch with a tablespoon of water or broth, then add it into the turkey mixture and cook for 4 minutes on medium-low heat. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Unroll piecrust. Using the bottom of a 4 or 6-inch pan, cut out pastry. Press pastry circles onto bottoms and up sides of a 4” pan. Prick the bottom of the pie crust with a fork. Pop in the freezer for 10 minutes.
- Spoon the turkey mixture into each pastry shell. Cover with pastry rounds or cutouts. Seal the ends using a fork, prick the top again to release steam.
- Brush the top with egg wash.
- Bake for 36-40 minutes or until filling is puffed and pastry is golden. If the edges begin to burn, cover the top with aluminum foil. Allow cooling in the baking tin for 3 minutes. Release from pan, and serve warm.
Notes
Cook's tips:
** For the pastry shells, you can use twenty-four 1 ¾ -inch muffin cups. Cut rounds using 2 ½ inch rounds. ** if you can't find ras-el-hanout, use Equal parts paprika, coriander, ginger, and a pinch of saffronNutrition
Frequently asked questions
Turkey pot pies are not only delicious but have a rich depth of flavors. For this reason, the dark meat requires a medium to full body wine with little fruity notes. So, the perfect drinks to pair with this dish are;
Red wine: You need a medium-bodied red wine because of the richness of the turkey sauce. I enjoy this thanksgiving appetizer with either Mija Sangria red wine, pinot noir, or syrah.
Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc: A crispy dry white like chardonnay pairs well with this dish; think, flaky, buttery pie crust. But even better if you make the turkey sauce creamy.
Sweet apricot brandy is another pairing choice.
Did you make these mini turkey pot pie recipe? Share with us on Instagram using the hashtag worldlytreat(#worldlytreat); we'd love to see what you made. Don't forget to pin it for later.
PEACE & LOVE
Maureen
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Kayla DiMaggio says
The perfect way to use up leftovers! This was so delicious!
Maureen Celestine says
I am so glad you liked it, Kayla. Thanks for dropping by!