Easy Turkey Pot Pie with Puff Pastry (or Chicken)

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This Turkey Pot Pie with Puff Pastry is an easy dinner recipe to use leftover chicken or leftover turkey from the holidays and ingredients you can have on hand! The vegetables and sauce come together so easily and store-bought puff pastry is a time saver.

A Chicken pot pie is such a delicious and nostalgic dinner. You can get some delicious premade varieties in the freezer section. But, this recipe is incredibly easy and a perfect way to use leftover chicken or turkey from your Thanksgiving dinner.  Creamy, warm, and so comforting, this homemade Chicken or Turkey Pot Pie with Puff Pastry is a fantastic Fall and Winter family dinner.

The creamy filling is so flavorful with fresh sage and thyme along with garlic and scallions. The vegetables can be really whatever you like, but my version has carrots, celery, and zucchini. Yes, zucchini replaces the peas in this recipe because, well, not everyone loves peas! Shredded turkey or chicken stays tender and moist in the delicious sauce.

Then for the pie crust, a flaky puff pastry crust is baked right on top for a golden brown, buttery, flaky finish. Store-bought puff pastry is your time-saving component and the perfect way to top this pie!

This is definitely delicious comfort food.

Easy Ingredients for Turkey Pot Pie with Puff Pastry

• Frozen Puff Pastry Dough – This is the biggest time saver in this recipe. You can find puff pastry dough in the freezer section. Thaw it in the refrigerator the night before. Here are some easy store-bought substitutes for puff pastry. You can use traditional pie dough or crescent roll dough, both found in the refrigerated section. Simply roll it out and use the same way as the puff pastry. Biscuit dough can be a tasty alternative. Drop biscuits on top of the pot pie filling before baking. Phyllo dough, while not the same as puff pastry, can be a good substitute. Brush each layer with melted butter or oil before layering it on top of the pot pie filling. This will give you a crispy, layered crust.
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil – The olive oil is for cooking the veggies in the pot. You can use any other oil, cooking spray, or butter.
• Scallions (Green Onion) – You can use yellow onion, white onion, or red onion, or shallots.
• Garlic – in this recipe, the garlic is minced. You can buy whole cloves and mince or to save time, buy the jar of the pre-minced garlic also found in the vegetable section usually.
• Carrots, diced – You can use whole carrots with the skin on or peeled. You can also use frozen diced carrots, but then I would wait to add them until right before you add liquids.
• Celery, diced – I like to use the stalk and the leaves. You can leave the celery out if you desire. You can also substitute with green pepper.
• Zucchini, diced – I used the zucchini in place of the traditional green peas. You can use frozen peas, green beans, or other soft vegetable of you preference.
• Salted Butter – Butter is used for making the roux for the pot pie filling sauce. You can also use unsalted butter or substitute with another fat, such as Ghee (clarified butter), olive oil, coconut oil, or other butter or oil product.
• All purpose white flour – This is the thickener to mix with the butter/fat.
• Chicken broth or chicken stock – You can also use, vegetable broth or stock. If you don’t have broth or stock in liquid form, you can also use water mixed with a chicken bouillon cube or chicken base.
• Half and Half – Half and half makes it an extra creamy sauce, but you can substitute with cold water, cold broth, or milk. You can also go creamier with heavy cream.
• Cooked Turkey, shredded – Leftover thanksgiving turkey is ideal for this. Of course, you can use cooked chicken too. A great option is to use a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store.
• Fresh Sage and Fresh Thyme – You can also use dried herbs and any other herbs that you love.
• Egg – The egg is used to brush the top of the puff pastry so it cooks up golden brown. You can substitute milk brushed on lightly.
• Salt and Ground black pepper, to taste

Time Saving Dinner Tip!  Make More Protein, Eat Twice

That’s right, my friends, most of the time, it takes no additional effort or time to cook double of a protein.  Roast 8 chicken breasts on a sheet pan instead of 4.  Add 2-3 pounds of beef to the slow cooker instead of 1. You get the idea. 

The benefits of this small change, however, are HUGE!  I’m talking an entire second dinner, planned and mostly prepped!!  Woo Hoo!  So, to help you out I have created a printable cheat sheet of leftover protein ideas, where you can make more chicken, ground beef, pork, roast, beans, etc. and then use them in an easy second dinner.  You can download this FREE 30 Leftover Protein Dinner Ideas now!

Quick note!  This post contains affiliate links, which means I earn a commission (at no extra cost to you) if you purchase from them.  This commission is what helps me keep this blog afloat :).  I also share these links because I have used the products, genuinely love them, and want you to know exactly what I used. 

Simple Equipment Needed

I made the filling in a dutch oven, but any large pot that can go on the stove will work.

For the Pot Pie, you need a casserole or baking dish that’s approximately 9×9, 10×10, 9×11 or similar.

Finally, under the casserole dish when baking it to catch any filling that may bubble over, you may want to use a large sheet pan (I use a 17×11 baking sheet)

Time Saving Prep-Ahead Steps for Puff Pastry Turkey Pot Pie

We are all extremely busy and making dinner during the week can be overwhelming. Here are steps you can prepare ahead to save time on busy nights! (See the full recipe below) 

24 hours prior to using, place the frozen puff pastry in the refrigerator to thaw.

Peel and Dice Carrots. Thinly slice Scallions.

Shred the turkey to get about 3 cups.

Make the Pot Pie Filling in advance and let cool

Preheat a dutch oven, soup pot or very large skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil, diced carrots, diced celery, garlic, and sliced scallions. Stir to coat with oil and cook for 3 minutes until the carrots and celery glisten. Then add the zucchini and stir to combine.

Once the roux and broth are combined and the sauce is starting to thicken (about 3-4 minutes) add the half and half (or milk) and stir to combine.

Add the herbs and then the turkey. Mix to combine. Taste for seasoning and add a pinch of salt and pepper as needed.

Pour the filling of the pot pie into a 2-quart casserole dish and let cool, so it is not steaming, about 30 minutes to overnight in the fridge.

Easy Cooking Steps for this Pot Pie

Remove the puff pastry from the fridge (NOTE, DO NOT TAKE IT OUT EARLY AS IT GETS TOO STICKY TO MANAGE WHEN ROOM TEMP). If needed, on a lightly floured surface, gently roll out the puff pastry to a slightly larger size than your casserole dish. Gently lay the sheet of puff pastry over the casserole dish so that the pastry stretches over each side of the dish. Press the edges to seal in the pie and fold any excess dough back over the edge so it is not hanging down. Beat the egg in a small bowl and then lightly brush the egg wash on the puff pastry. Cut 3-4 slits into the top of the puff pastry.

Bake on a sheet pan that is larger to catch any pie filling that may sneak out for 25 minutes at 400 F degrees, then lower the heat to 350 and bake for another 35-40 minutes or until the topping is golden brown and crispy.
Let cool for about 10 minutes before serving.

ENJOY!  😍 Carrie

Turkey Pot Pie Recipe FAQs

Can I still use Peas in this Pot Pie recipe?

You can definitely add peas to this pot pie!! My husband and kids are not fans of peas, so I wanted to find a green alternative and zucchini is perfect. Put if you want peas, by all means, use 1 cup of frozen peas. Add the frozen peas at the same time as the zucchini in the instructions. You can either eliminate the zucchini or keep both.

Can I use frozen mixed vegetables for this Pot Pie?

Many pot pies have the recognizable cubed frozen veggies, so you can certainly use them here to save time. The ones that work best are peas and carrots, as they are similar in size and cook up evenly in the pie.

What parts of the leftover Thanksgiving turkey is best for this pot pie?

You can use both white mean or dark meat, whichever you prefer.

Can this Puff Pastry Pot Pie recipe be frozen?

You can freeze the pot pie filling separately and leave the puff pastry frozen until you are ready to make the pot pie. Place the filling in a sealed container or freezer bag and store in the freezer for up to 5 months.

You can also place the puff pastry on top and then freeze the pot pie before baking. However, if you want to do this option, I suggest portioning it out into smaller pies. You can use bread pans or oven safe smaller containers.

Have you tried this recipe? If so, please leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating in the recipe below! I love to hear your feedback and your rating helps others to find this recipe. Thanks so much!