This comforting pot pie is a delicious way to use up leftover turkey from Thanksgiving and make it even better than it was on the big day...you'll want to have leftover turkey more often!
I hope you had an awesome Thanksgiving full of family, friends, fun, and FOOD!
I love Thanksgiving, it's such a nice time to get together with loved ones and focus on the people (and the feast!) without getting distracted by presents or overbooking activities. It might be a little cheesy, but I really do love the tradition of going around the table and saying what you're thankful for. Cheesy or not, I think a lot of people like it...and don't act like you don't feel all the warm and fuzzies when people say they are thankful for their family/friends and you are part of said family/friends.
And the food - oh, the foooood! Think about it, pretty much every gathering calls for cooking a meal, but with Thanksgiving it's all about the meal! And what Thanksgiving would be complete without leftovers? We purposely made huge batches of everything this year with the goal of sending everyone home with containers of goodness to be enjoyed the next day (or later that night...I don't judge). Mission accomplished!
I've mentioned before that at Thanksgiving, I am all about the sides. So ending up with leftover oyster stuffing, green bean casserole, or mashed potatoes? No problem here. Pop that container in the microwave, give me a fork and I'll eat them as is. But for me, the turkey is a little less exciting as leftovers.
So when we finished our Friendsgiving celebration a couple weeks ago and had already devoured all of the leftover sides, we had a big old turkey with a bunch of meat left on it. What to do, what to do? Google "best turkey leftover recipe" obviously, which brought me to a bunch of turkey pot pie recipes. Read a few recipes, compare and contrast, check the reviews for tips, and of course improvise a little. Perfect!
Perfect indeed, because holy crap this was GOOD. Funny story - you'll notice that this post is a little different than my usual posts because there are no step-by-step photos. When we made this initially, it was just to eat for dinner...but after a couple bites (and lots of yummy noises), Pete and I looked at each other and immediately decided that we HAD to share this amazingness.
Talk about a leftover makeover. The crescent roll top is flaky and buttery, the veggies are earthy and tender with a fresh pop from the peas, the turkey is juicy and meaty, and it's all married together in a creamy flavorful sauce. Omg yum. I can't even begin to explain how much better this is than just reheating straight turkey. Pete was eating the leftovers the next day and he sent me a text that said (and I quote), "Omgggggg it's so goooooooooooooood. Seriously if we had enough I'd eat it all weekend." So there is your testimonial. 🙂
I am so excited to share this because I know that lots of you have a bunch of leftover turkey in the fridge right now - we literally have one entire turkey breast that we didnt even touch at Thanksgiving yesterday - and I'm drooling at the thought of making this again!
Your leftover turkey needs this. NEEDS IT! Get it out of the fridge, and make yourself this Turkey Pot Pie, and I promise...yummy noises await you!
Turkey Pot Pie
Serves 6
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 onion , chopped
- Salt and pepper , to taste
- 2 stalks celery , diced
- 3 carrots , peeled and diced
- ¼ cup flour
- 2 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 4 medium redskin potatoes , diced (about ½ inch pieces)
- ½ tsp. garlic powder
- ½ tsp. onion powder
- ½ tsp. seasoned salt
- ¼ to ⅛ tsp. cayenne pepper (adjust to your spice preference)
- 2 cups shredded turkey
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- ½ cup frozen peas
- 1 8 oz. tube of reduced-fat crescent dough
- 1 egg , lightly beaten
- Fresh chopped parsley or chives , for garnish
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large pot, add chopped onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook over medium heat until translucent. Add celery and carrots and cook for 2 minutes. Sprinkle in flour and cook for 2 more minutes, adding a splash of broth if it looks too dry. Add chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Add potatoes and spices and simmer until mostly tender (but not fully cooked), about 15 min. Preheat oven to 350 degrees while the potatoes are cooking. Stir in turkey, parsley, and peas. Taste and adjust seasonings to your preference.
- Pour mixture into a baking dish sprayed with cooking spray. Sprinkle a little flour on your work surface and roll out the crescent rolls so that it's about the same size as your baking dish (you can cut a little off the end and piece it back on the side if needed). Lay the dough on top of the baking dish and and brush with egg. Cut a few slits in the top of the dough to let steam escape and bake for 25-30 minutes until crust is deeply golden. Top with fresh parsley or chives if desired, and serve!
What amazing photos!! This sounds wonderful. Thanks for sharing. The crescent dough topping sure makes it a snap.