Skillet Turkey Pot Pie is a filling, delicious, and comforting weeknight dinner! Savory, veggie-packed turkey pot pie is topped with buttermilk biscuits and baked to golden perfection in your favorite skillet.
The holidays are a time for enjoying friends, family, and of course, food. Lots and lots of food. For many families, the star of the Thanksgiving table is the turkey. A golden brown, juicy, tender turkey can make the holiday meal truly special.
But after the big dinner is over, you’re often left with pounds of leftover turkey meat. Don’t let it go to waste! Instead, transform those leftovers into the ultimate comfort food: cast iron turkey pot pie. This satisfying and hearty dish lets you stretch your Thanksgiving bird into another meal to be enjoyed.
Why Cast Iron Turkey Pot Pie is the Best
Cast iron skillets have experienced a major resurgence in popularity lately. And for good reason! These versatile pans can be used for everything from searing steaks to baking casseroles. The thick heavy material distributes heat evenly and retains it well. That makes it ideal for a bubbling hot turkey pot pie fresh from the oven.
Cooking the pot pie filling right in the cast iron skillet simplifies the process. No need to dirty extra dishes. Just sauté your aromatics, simmer the filling, top with pie crust, and bake. The cast iron also gives you a lovely golden brown crust.
And don’t forget the turkey! Shredding or chopping leftover turkey meat and mixing it into the filling adds extra protein and transforms what could be a boring soup into a hearty satisfying meal. Plus, it helps use up those leftovers so they don’t end up pushed to the back of the fridge.
Picking Ingredients for Flavor and Texture
A great turkey pot pie is all about balance. You want veggies, protein, and a delicious, creamy sauce all working together.
Onions, carrots, and celery make up the classic pot pie vegetable trio. Cook them down until softened and sweet to add aromatics. Potatoes provide heartiness and thickening power to the filling. Frozen peas and green beans mix things up with color and texture.
The sauce for turkey pot pie is often a basic creamy chicken or turkey gravy. But adding extras like white wine, fresh or dried herbs, and even a touch of smoke from paprika takes things up a notch. Slow cooking over low heat melds all the ingredients into a wonderfully rich, flavorful filling.
And let’s not forget the pièce de résistance: the crust! A homemade pie crust is worlds better than anything from the store. Choosing butter over shortening adds pure richness. Go for a classic double crust, or simply top the filling with pastry and bake in the cast iron skillet for easy cleanup. Either way, you get that satisfyi
Step-By-Step Instructions for Cast Iron Turkey Pot Pie
Once you’ve chosen your ingredients, it’s time to start cooking. Making cast iron turkey pot pie is easier than you may think. Follow these simple steps:
Sauté the aromatics: Melt butter in the skillet over medium heat. Cook onions, carrots, celery, and garlic until softened.
Simmer the filling: Add potatoes, turkey, herbs, and seasonings. Pour in broth and heavy cream. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer.
Add remaining veggies: Stir in any frozen veggies once potatoes are fork-tender. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
Top with pie crust: Roll out your favorite pie dough. Lay it over the filling and crimp the edges. Cut slits to allow steam to escape.
Bake: Bake at 400°F for 30-45 minutes until the crust is golden. Let cool slightly before serving.
Dig in! Scoop the pot pie into bowls and enjoy this warm and comforting dish on a chilly night.
With simple ingredients and easy cooking methods, homemade cast iron turkey pot pie is a cinch. The hardest part may be waiting for it to cool enough to take that first perfect bite!
Frequently Asked Questions
If you’re new to pot pie making, you probably have some questions. Here are answers to some often-asked pot pie FAQs:
What kind of turkey should I use? Both white and dark meat work well here. For best results, use a blend. Chop or shred into small pieces for even distribution.
Can I make it ahead of time? Yes! The filling can be made 1-2 days in advance. Cool completely before assembling pot pies to freeze, or topping with raw crust and freezing.
What if I don’t have a cast iron skillet? Any oven-safe dish like a Dutch oven or baking dish will work. You may need to par-bake the bottom crust first.
Can I use chicken instead of turkey? Absolutely! Simply replace the turkey with an equal amount of cooked, shredded or chopped chicken.
What vegetables should I include? The possibilities are endless! Try carrots, peas, green beans, corn, celery, potatoes, sweet potatoes, parsnips, turnips, leeks, or mushrooms.
How do I stop the crust from getting soggy? Make sure to cut generous vent holes in the top crust for steam to escape. And don’t overfill your pie. Let the filling mound slightly in the middle with some space around the edges.
Enjoy Leftover Turkey Again and Again
Cast iron turkey pot pie is the ultimate way to savor every last bite of your holiday bird. With a homemade crust and simple yet flavorful filling, it’s pure comfort in a bowl. The cast iron skillet adds an extra layer of crispy, golden goodness.
So next Thanksgiving when you’re faced with a fridge full of turkey leftovers, look no further than this satisfying, hearty pot pie. Your friends and family will be begging for seconds!
Ingredients for skillet turkey pot pie
- Butter – I like to use unsalted to cut back on sodium.
- Onion – White onion is what I use, but yellow works as well.
- Garlic – In a pinch, you can use pre-minced instead of fresh.
- Flour – All-purpose is what you need for the perfect consistency of the pot pie.
- Herbs – Dried parsley and dried thyme create the best herbaceous flavor.
- Black pepper – Freshly ground yields the best flavor.
- Salt – Just a pinch! And omit this if you use salted butter.
- Chicken broth – Use my favorite homemade chicken stock recipe if you’re feeling ambitious!
- Veggies – You’ll need carrots, celery, potatoes, and peas for the perfect pot pie.
- Turkey – the star of the show! Shred your leftover turkey to mix into this pot pie.
- Milk – I’ve found that whole milk makes for the creamiest consistency.
- Garlic powder – You can add a little more if you like the garlicky flavor.
- Buttermilk biscuits – Buy them frozen to make your life easy!
Dried herbs. You can definitely use fresh herbs in this if you have some leftover but otherwise to keep it easy, dried works great.
Turkey broth. If you happen to have a lot of leftover juices and broth from the turkey, feel free to swap in turkey broth. Or mix the both!
Canned biscuits. You can definitely used the canned biscuits in this recipe as well.
- What is turkey pot pie? Pot pie is the North American term for a type of meat pie with a top pie crust consisting of flaky pastry (Wikipedia). The meat used in this pot pie is turkey, hence the name!
- How to make turkey pot pie with pie crust instead? Instead of putting the biscuits on top as the last step, take whatever pie crust and put it over your pot pie filling. Crimp it around the edges to seal it against the cast iron skillet and cut a steam hole in the center.
- What can be served with turkey pot pie? Personally this is a filling enough dish itself and has all the goods: carbs, fat, protein. However, if you are feeling like you want a side salad, that would be a great addition to this turkey pot pie.
- Can this be frozen? I don’t recommend freezing this pot pie, mainly because of the whole milk in the pot pie itself. Also, if the frozen biscuits are baked and frozen a second time, the results will likely be dry and not so great.
Leftover turkey? Try this Skillet Turkey Pot Pie
It’s the following days after Thanksgiving and you’re drowning in leftovers. Yay! My favorite thing about Thanksgiving is all of the leftovers I get to indulge in all week long, baby. And the best way to enjoy all that leftover turkey is to bake it up in a quick and delicious skillet pot pie!
There’s nothing quite as comforting as a pot pie, and this easy recipe might just be the most comforting of them all.
Leftover turkey is mixed with classic pot pie veggies like peas, carrots, and celery, while made even more flavorful with an array of seasonings and herbs that make each bite mouthwatering.
The best part of all is that this is a one-dish recipe! That means clean up afterwards will be nice and easy, which is greatly appreciated after we all drown in dishes on Thanksgiving.
So if you’re looking for an easy weeknight dinner that uses up your leftover turkey, is easy to make AND easy to clean, this is the recipe for you!
