Got turkey leftovers? This turkey pot pie with biscuits is made in one skillet for a warm, flavorful meal with minimal cleanup!
I know it’s Tuesday, but if you have any turkey leftovers from Thanksgiving, you NEED to make this recipe. It’s so comforting and full of delicious flavors, plus it’s made in one skillet for easy cleanup.
Not a pot pie fan? Check out my Healthy Leftover Turkey Recipes or my most popular leftover turkey recipe.
I must admit, it’s pot pie skillet > pot pie for me any day. It’s the clean-up for me. The flavor is the same. The process is the same. You don’t have to transfer said recipe into another dish with a crust. This is why biscuits are so delicious! They bake right on top of the pot pie creating a fluffy, buttery, crunchy top that some would argue is better than the pie crust. Yes, I said it.
Now listen, it’s the week after Thanksgiving. I’m not about to make biscuits from scratch, but if you want to, you do you. I’m impressed. But I have two small kids under four, and I’m pregnant, and a million and one other things, so I used a package of immaculate brand biscuits. You can’t get any cleaner in your ingredient list than that. No, this isn’t sponsored. I’m just lazy and appreciate great pre-packaged food made with cleaner ingredients.
That being said, biscuits aren’t that hard to make, and if you want to step up your nutrition game, you could make some whole-wheat ones. But again, that’s not for my current stage in life! Homemade or pre-packaged biscuits you NEED to make this pot pie, even if you are out of turkey. Make it with rotisserie chicken. Just make it, then freeze some. You’ll thank me later.
Biscuit turkey pot pie is the ultimate comfort food. With its flaky biscuit topping and hearty turkey filling, this pot pie is perfect for chilly nights. As someone who loves cooking, I’m always looking for new ways to reinvent classic dishes. That’s why I was so excited to try making biscuit turkey pot pie. In this article, we’ll dive into everything you need to know to make this delicious meal.
An Overview of Biscuit Turkey Pot Pie
A pot pie is a baked dish that consists of meat and vegetables cooked together to make a filling with a crust on top. The crust can be made from pastry dough, biscuits mashed potatoes, or even cornbread. Turkey pot pie is a variation that uses turkey meat in the filling. Replacing the traditional pie crust with biscuits adds great texture and flavor. The biscuits get nice and flaky on top while soaking up the delicious gravy below.
Biscuit turkey pot pie is comfort food at its finest The savory turkey filling paired with the hot, fresh biscuits makes a satisfying meal on a chilly evening It’s also a great way to use up leftover turkey after the holidays.
The Key Components of Biscuit Turkey Pot Pie
To make biscuit turkey pot pie, you need three main components:
The Filling
This is where you can get creative with your leftover turkey or roast a turkey breast just for pot pie. Dice or shred the turkey and cook it down with aromatic veggies like onion, carrot, and celery. Thicken it up with a roux made of butter and flour. Chicken or turkey broth adds moisture while half and half or cream makes it rich and creamy. Frozen peas and corn round it out with some color. Season well with salt, pepper, thyme, and sage.
The Biscuits
You can use canned or frozen biscuits for convenience or make them from scratch. Homemade biscuits will take your pot pie to the next level. Cut cold butter into flour until pebbly, then gently mix in buttermilk. Knead, roll, cut, and bake until golden brown. Brushing the biscuits with melted butter or sprinkling them with herbs adds even more flavor.
The Bake
Bring it all together by pouring your hot turkey filling into a baking dish and arranging biscuits on top. Bake at 400°F until the filling bubbles and the biscuits are cooked through, about 30 minutes. The high heat helps cook the biscuits through. Let it cool slightly before serving.
Tips for Making the Best Biscuit Turkey Pot Pie
Here are some tips and tricks I’ve learned for making super delicious biscuit turkey pot pies:
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Use homemade turkey broth – Simmer the turkey carcass to extract maximum flavor for the filling.
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Toast the flour – Baking the flour briefly removes the raw taste and makes the filling more aromatic.
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Season generously – Pot pies need lots of salt, pepper, herbs and spices. Taste as you go.
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Cook the roux – Make sure to cook the butter and flour for 1-2 minutes to avoid a doughy taste.
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Stagger baking – For optimal texture, bake biscuits separately then add them to the pot pie 10 minutes before serving.
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Rest and cool – Letting the pie rest for 10-15 minutes allows the filling to thicken and lets the flavors meld.
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Freeze extras – Bake and cool any extra pies, then wrap well and freeze for up to 3 months.
Fun Variations to Try
Once you master the classic biscuit turkey pot pie, try these fun variations:
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Switch up the protein – Chicken, beef, sausage, lentils, or beans also work wonderfully.
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Add veggies – Onion, celery, carrot, potato, sweet potato, spinach, kale, mushrooms, etc.
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Use alternate toppings – Flaky cheddar biscuits, puff pastry, mashed potatoes, or cornbread.
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Make individual pies – Use ramekins for single serving pot pie deliciousness.
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Mix pie shells – Top with half biscuits, half pie pastry for best of both worlds.
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Play with spices – Try sage, rosemary, thyme, smoked paprika, curry powder, or cumin.
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Bake in muffin tin – For portion control and easy reheating, use a muffin tin.
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Go creamy – Stir in sour cream, cream cheese, or goat cheese for richness.
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Get cheesy – Sprinkle cheddar, gruyere, parmesan or fontina over the top.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Ready to get cooking? Follow these simple steps for sensational biscuit turkey pot pie every time.
Prep the ingredients
- 3-4 cups cooked turkey, diced
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 carrots, peeled and sliced
- 3 ribs celery, chopped
- 1⁄4 cup butter
- 1⁄4 cup flour
- 3 cups turkey or chicken broth
- 1 cup half and half or cream
- 1⁄2 cup frozen peas
- 1⁄2 cup frozen corn
- 2 tsp fresh thyme
- Biscuits (homemade or store-bought)
Make the filling
- In a skillet, sauté onion, carrots and celery in butter until soft, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in flour and cook 2 minutes more.
- Whisk in broth and half and half. Simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes.
- Add turkey, peas, corn, and thyme. Cook 5 minutes more.
- Taste and season with salt and pepper.
Add the biscuits
- Transfer filling to a 9×13 baking dish.
- Arrange biscuits evenly over the top.
- Brush biscuits with melted butter or egg wash.
- Bake at 400°F for 30 minutes until bubbly and biscuits are golden brown.
- Let cool 10 minutes before serving.
And that’s all there is to it! With these tips and instructions, you’ll be a biscuit turkey pot pie pro in no time. Now go enjoy this comforting, savory pot pie on a cold winter night!
How to Store and Freeze Turkey Pot Pie
To store: Store in an air-tight container for up to five days, and reheat in the microwave.
To freeze: Freeze in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Defrost under refrigeration or in the microwave, and eat immediately. Do not refreeze after it’s been frozen. Do not freeze if you used previously frozen turkey meat.
Tag me if you make these! I love to see what you guys make! You can tag me on Insta @hungryhobbyRD and Facebook @hungryhobby!
How to Make Turkey Pot Pie with Biscuits (Tips)
This is a one-skillet meal for the win! I made everything in my cast iron pan, but any oven-safe skillet will work.
I started by melting butter and sizzling it with fresh leftover “thanksgiving herbs” like rosemary, sage, and thyme. This is 100% optional, but it creates herb-flavored butter, which is divine. (I removed the herbs, but alternatively, you could chop them up and add them if you like a lot of spice! However, I wanted also to make a recipe that was friendly to not having fresh herbs on hand as well) PS I wanted to dip some bread in the skillet right there, but I went ahead with the pot pie.
Then cook your onion and garlic in said butter, followed by celery and carrots. Please take note of the approximate size of my carrots and celery. The celery is sliced thinly and as uniformly as possible. The carrots are quartered and then chopped somewhat uniformly. This little bit of tedious prep work ensures that you get uniformly cooked veggies vs. some that are mushy and some that are too crunchy.
Now, the fun part is making the creamy filling. Mix the veggies with flour. I used whole wheat flour, but you can use all-purpose or gluten-free. Then you’ll pour in chicken broth and milk, alternating small bits at a time. In other words, pour about 1/4 cup chicken broth and 1/2 cup milk, stir until smooth and repeat. The whole wheat flour absorbed a lot of liquid, so I used more liquid than I thought I would.
The filling is ready when you have a filling that resembles a thick soup, not a paste. If you have a paste, add more liquid in equal parts. If you add too much liquid, let it simmer for 7-10 minutes, this may help thicken it up. Don’t forget your seasonings here!
Then you can add in those turkey leftovers and frozen peas. Top with biscuits slathered in butter and bake. No, I did not make my biscuits from scratch. After Thanksgiving, I don’t have it in me to make everything from scratch. If you do, by all means, get after it, super-woman or man!
Let’s talk swaps and substitutions!
- Butter – Butter is the best choice for richness in flavor, but you can substitute vegan butter or any other oil.
- Fresh Herbs (Thyme, Rosemary, and Sage) – This is 100% optional, but it creates herb-flavored butter, which is, of course, divine.
- Onion – Feel free to sub other onions such as sweet, yellow, or red. Know it may alter the flavor a bit.
- Garlic – Optional but recommended.
- Celery- Do not omit.
- Carrots- Do not omit.
- Whole Wheat Flour – Can sub all-purpose flour. Do not omit.
- Poultry Seasoning – Do not omit.
- Sea salt – Adjust to taste.
- Chicken broth – could use vegetable broth.
- Milk – You could use 2% milk in a pinch. For dairy-free, I recommend ripple, as it’s thick enough to work as a one-to-one substitution in this recipe.
- Turkey – or sub rotisserie chicken. Vegetarian? Sub-chopped mushrooms (saute with other veggies) or even green beans
- Frozen Peas – optional. You can also use fresh or canned.
- Biscuit Roll – could make your own from scratch, if desired