This Mini turkey pot pies are a twist on a holiday classic. They are delicious, easy to make, and an excellent way to use up leftover turkey roast. It can be made ahead of time, and it's freezer friendly.
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You can equally serve the mini pies as a Christmas appetizer, lunch or dinner accompanied by other holiday side dishes.
Turkey's meat is loaded with healthy nutrients. 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.
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 vegetables. You can use either frozen or fresh vegetables for the same great taste.
Easy to make recipe for any skill level.
Use cubed, shredded, or leftover turkey to make this dish.
An inspired Classic.
Utterly delicious, every bite is a marriage of flavors.
Short for time? make it ahead of time and pop them in the oven when you are ready to serve.
And, let's not forget the Flaky buttery crust sheltering an aromatic meaty sauce. Ugh! I am hungry again.
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 peas, 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 of 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 Ras-el-hanout for this dish. This rich, warming spice adds so much depth to the dish. You’ve got to try it! You can find one on Amazon or use a combination of coriander seeds, ginger, clove, turmeric, spices, and sunflower oil to make yours.
- Broth: chicken, beef, or vegetable broth works fine.
- Corn starch: used to thicken the sauce.
See the recipe card for quantities.
How to make puff pastry pot pie
- Step 1:Unroll and soften the crust according to package instructions.
- Step 2: Unravel the crust over the small pan. Press the crust gently on all sides of the deep dish baking pan using the back of your second finger.
- Step 3: Shave the edges, and pop them in the freezer.
- Step 4: In a large skillet or cast iron pan, saute the vegetables in butter until they are slightly cooked.
- Step 5: Add the rest of the ingredients and continue cooking. Add cornstarch to the filling. At this point, the vegetables should be very soft.
- Step 6: Scoop the filling into each pan.
- Step 7: Brush the edges and top of the crust with egg wash.
- Step 8: Bake and allow to cool before serving.
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 Brussels 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 it just before your thanksgiving dinner.
• Butter horns: These buttery rolls are easy to prep, and you can make them hours before dinner.
Expert Tips
- It’s vital that you don’t add a lot of liquid while making the filling. If you do, your pie might get soggy in the bottom. However, if you are using a ramekin, add more liquid.
- To achieve a beautiful golden brown pie crust, make sure to brush the top of the dough with egg wash before baking. Brushing at 15 minutes intervals would yield an even golden crust.
- Cover the dough loosely with aluminum foil when it's cooked halfway through to prevent it from burning.
How to store individual turkey pot pies?
Refrigerator: Turkey pies are very convenient; you can store the leftover pies for later. Once baked and cool at room temperature, wrap the savory pies with aluminum foil and place them in the refrigerator. They will last for up to 3 days.
Reheat: Reheat in an air fryer or in the oven before serving.
Freezer: wrap them with plastic wrap, then a layer of aluminum foil, and place them individually inches apart in a plastic ziplock bag.
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 to thicken the filling for the keto sauce.
Recipe Faq's
Turkey pot pies are not only delicious but have a rich depth of flavors. For this reason, 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.
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 it 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, as these are individual mini turkey pot pies.
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, preventing the crust from burning.
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.
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.
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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📖 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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 saffron
- Don't add a lot of liquid while making the filling.
- To achieve a beautiful golden brown pie crust, make sure to brush the top of the dough with egg wash before baking. Brushing at 15 minutes intervals would yield an even golden crust.
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!