

Comforting and irresistible, pot pies have a flaky pastry top and bottom crust, filled with chunks of poultry or meat and veggies slathered in a rich gravy or sauce—it’s no wonder they are a popular go-to recipe to use up those Thanksgiving leftovers!
Surprisingly, the humble pot pie has a colorful history dating all the way back to the Roman Empire when it was a common dish served at royal banquets. Instead of tender chicken, beef, or turkey baked inside, these historical pot pies were often filled with live birds! The pot pie became a standard dinner in Europe around the 16th century and was later introduced to America by the English settlers. Now, the endless versions of pot pies commonly show up in weekly dinner rotations. Who could resist the tender meat and veggies, silky rich gravy, and flaky crust?
After all that cooking it took to put on the BIG holiday feast, you’ll love this easy-to-make recipe! It's simple to use your leftover turkey and transform it into a scrumptious new dinner with the help of Pillsbury™ pie crusts. That rich, flaky crust transforms ho-hum leftovers into a fresh new meal your family will devour. And trust us—they’ll never know they are eating leftovers!
It's also winner for busy nights—the sauce comes together in minutes to mix with your turkey and veggies. And the pie crust couldn’t be simpler to use—just unroll it! It’s so good it will feel like homemade, just made easy.
Your family will love sitting down to this comforting, satisfying dinner idea. The only hard part is deciding if you dive straight into the pot pie, eating a bite of crust with every bite of filling…or do you eat all the filling before you enjoy every flaky, tender bite of crust?
There are just a few ingredients you’ll need for this homemade turkey pot pie that but most you may already have in your kitchen:
Turkey: This is the recipe to pull out when you’ve got leftover Thanksgiving turkey! Even if your Thanksgiving turkey was dry, you’ll never know it once its covered in this flavorful, savory sauce. No turkey on hand? No problem! You can substitute cooked chicken with our Classic Chicken Pot Pie recipe. Whether it’s leftover cooked chicken, shredded rotisserie chicken, or turkey, these pot pies will always be a hit at your supper table!
Onions: These add so much background flavor to this pie, you won’t want to leave them out! We recommend yellow onions and add them while making the sauce, to cut down on prep time and to take the edge of their raw flavor by cook them before adding to the filling ingredients.
Frozen Mixed Vegetables: Keep a bag of these in your freezer, so you can make pot pie any time you find yourself with leftover turkey or chicken. They are typically a medley of diced carrots, corn, and peas or pieces of green beans. You can substitute 2 cups of your preferred fresh or frozen diced vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, or bell peppers if you like.
Pillsbury Pie Crust: We highly recommend you always have this on hand, so you can make a pot pie whenever you crave the hearty coziness of this fan favorite. They cut down significantly on prep, rather than making pie crust from scratch, and they bake up so well, people will swear they are made from scratch.
Our turkey pot pie recipe is easy enough for a weeknight dinner! Using leftover, tender turkey, it comes together quickly, with the help of frozen pie crusts. As with all pot pies, there are a few common steps you’ll want to know:
Pillsbury™ pie crusts are simply unrolled to use! One crust lines a pie plate, the other is used to top the savory filling, for a crisp covering to hold the fillings.
Just a few pantry staples make a quick, savory sauce to bring all those delicious veggies and bite-size pieces of turkey together. Chopped onion is cooked in salted butter, and then flour is added with salt and pepper. Stir themed in with a whisk to keep it smooth while cooking it to thicken the mixture. Chicken broth and milk are added to make it the perfect thickness and amount for the veggies and turkey. Who knew these simple ingredients could make such a tasty sauce?
The sauce you just crafted is then mixed with the thawed mixed veggies and turkey pieces, before being turned into the pastry-lined pie plate.
Here’s where you’ll use the second pie crust. It gets placed over the filling and pressed to the bottom crust at the sides to seal in the filling. See the FAQ below: How Do You Flute Pie Crust?
The pot pie is baked 20 minutes and then a strip of aluminum foil is added around the edge to prevent it from getting too brown. The pie continues to bake until the top is golden brown (and that means the filling inside is hot and the veggies are cooked.)
Allowing the pot pie to stand at room temperature 5 minutes lets the filling firm up slightly, to be able to cut and serve nice size portions of this delectable Thanksgiving turkey pot pie without it falling apart.
For the best textures of the crust and filling, it’s best to make and serve this simple turkey pot pie fresh from the oven, rather than freezing it to make later. But leftover pie can be stored and enjoyed over the next few days!
Store any leftover turkey pot pie right in the pie plate, covered with plastic wrap, up to 2 days in the fridge. A piece of hot leftover pot pie is a great meal when your evenings are too busy to cook. Or take a piece to the office for lunch the next day, that’s like a hug from home!
Love pot pies as much as we do? Try any of these other fantastic savory pie recipes to change up the flavors and ingredients.






| Food Component / Nutrient | Amount | % , Daily Value* |
|---|---|---|
| Total Fat | 30g | 46% |
| Saturated Fat | 14g | 71% |
| Trans Fat | 0g | % Value Not Available |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 10g | % Value Not Available |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 2&½g | % Value Not Available |
| Omega-3 | 0g | % Value Not Available |
| Cholesterol | 95mg | 31% |
| Sodium | 1060mg | 44% |
| Total Carbohydrate | 43g | 14% |
| Dietary Fiber | 1g | 5% |
| Soluble Fiber | 0g | % Value Not Available |
| Insoluble Fiber | 0g | % Value Not Available |
| Sugars | 3g | % Value Not Available |
| Protein | 22g | % Value Not Available |
| Vitamin D | Value Not Available | 6% |
| Calcium | Value Not Available | 6% |
| Iron | Value Not Available | 10% |
| Potassium | 250mg | 7% |
| Vitamin A | Value Not Available | 15% |
| Vitamin C | Value Not Available | 6% |
| Vitamin E | Value Not Available | 2% |
| Thiamin | Value Not Available | 6% |
| Riboflavin | Value Not Available | 10% |
| Niacin | Value Not Available | 30% |
| Vitamin B6 | Value Not Available | 15% |
| Folic Acid | Value Not Available | 4% |
| Vitamin B12 | Value Not Available | 6% |
| Pantothenic Acid | Value Not Available | 8% |
| Phosphorus | Value Not Available | 15% |
| Magnesium | Value Not Available | 6% |
| Zinc | Value Not Available | 10% |
| Manganese | Value Not Available | 8% |
| Selenium | Value Not Available | 30% |
| Copper | Value Not Available | 6% |
| Beta-Carotene | Value Not Available | % Value Not Available |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. | ||


