Turkey Pot Pie (make ahead & freezer meal) - The Recipe Rebel (2024)

Last updated on April 18, 2024

This Turkey Pot Pie is made in one pan, with tender turkey or chicken, vegetables, and a creamy gravy topped with puff pastry for an easy dinner idea that’s also freezer friendly!

Fall and winter comfort food at its best here, friends.

This Turkey Pot Pie is one of my favorite easy meals — it has everything we love in a hearty dinner that’s easy to make and — even better — easy to make ahead!

It’s loaded with tender turkey — and you can use leftovers from a holiday meal, freshly cooked, ground turkey or even shredded chicken! — vegetables, an easy gravy that cooks in the same pan, and is topped with puff pastry and baked until golden brown.

There are a few reasons I love using puff pastry when it comes to a pot pie recipe like this.

Puff pastry is an easy “cheat” that not many people feel bad about because it’s so difficult to replicate at home. Pie crust? I can make easily enough myself but puff pastry? So much more intimidating!

It creates the most perfect flaky golden crust without you really even trying.

I promise, if you slap this Turkey Pot Pie on the table in front of anyone: your picky eaters, your distinguished guests, your mother-in-law — ain’t no one complaining!

Pro tip: serve it with some sort of crusty bread or dinner rolls to soak up alllllll of that gravy!

How to make Turkey Pot Pie:

1. Start with your veggies: cook them down in some butter until they’re nearly tender
2. Spice things up: add your herbs and seasonings into the pan with the veggies before adding your liquids — this brings them back to life after sitting in your spice rack for so long
3. Add some flour — just a bit to thicken what is going to become our gravy
4. Stir in some chicken broth, peas and our cooked turkey — simmer and stir until that flour works its magic and we have a thick creamy gravy coating every last bit.
5. Pour into a pie plate (or don’t, if you were using an oven-safe skillet), top with puff pastry or your topping of choice, and bake until golden.
6. Devour!

Variations on this Turkey Pot Pie recipe:

There are so many ways to take this Turkey Pot Pie and make it your own! Here are a few ideas if you want to mix things up:

• Don’t have puff pastry? Swap it out with pie crust, biscuit rounds, pizza dough — really any kind of neutral flavored dough will work as long as it is thin enough that it can cook through and not leave you with soggy dough through the middle. All will give slightly different results, so pick one you think would best suit your tastes!
• Swap out the vegetables for what you have on hand, or what your family prefers. There aren’t a lot of rules here!
• Spice it up: scan your spice drawer or fridge for something to add a little heat if that’s your style: spoonful of sriracha or a pinch of cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes will do the trick.
• Add a spoonful of basil pesto for an herb-y twist that adds big flavor.

Can I use chicken instead of turkey?

You can definitely use chicken instead of turkey if that’s what you have on hand.

If you don’t have leftover chicken ready to use, this Slow Cooker Chicken Breast would work perfectly.

And if you’re into big batch meal prepping?

Try making a large batch of this Crockpot Shredded Chicken or this Instant Pot Shredded Chicken (so flavorful!) to keep on hand for easy dinners through the week.

How to freeze Turkey Pot Pie:

Pot pies are one dinner recipe that freeze perfectly. Here are my tips for getting the best results from the freezer:

Prepare your vegetables and sauce and pour into whatever dish you will use to bake your pot pie (this may be the same one, or it may not). Let cool for 30-60 minutes. Top with your puff pastry (or other crust choice), wrap tightly, and freeze on a flat shelf up to 3 months.

To bake, you can bake right from frozen if you desire. Unwrap the pot pie, and pop the frozen pot pie into the oven while cold and turn the oven on to 350 degrees F. Bake for 75-90 minutes until heated through and the pastry is golden, covering half way through baking if the top reaches desired color before the pot pie is heated through.

You can also thaw completely in the refrigerator for 12-24 hours, then bake as directed in the recipe below.

What to serve with pot pie:

• Homemade Garlic Herb Dinner Rolls
• Buttery (Whole Wheat) Bread Machine Rolls
• No Knead (Whole Wheat) Artisan Bread