Anyone who’s sustained themselves for the entire long weekend on turkey and stuffing will let you know: leftovers are the best part of Thanksgiving. Some dishes actually get better over time, gradually settling into their best flavor after chilling and resting. So a recipe that combines all of the holiday classics has got to be nothing short of mind-blowing, culminating in a mixed-and-mashed up monument to leftovers with end results greater than the sum of their parts.
Enter this leftovers pot pie, which puts layers of turkey and vegetables inside a crust made of stuffing, with a topping of mashed potatoes and poured-over gravy. It takes any stuffy traditionalism within the original Thanksgiving meal and turns it on its head into a comforting, all-in-one combination of tastes and textures.
The recipe starts with the stuffing crust, but beyond that the filling is extremely forgiving and adaptable. We’ve provided the basic method below, but you can absolutely tinker with it and add or swap with other dishes—casseroles, whatever veggies you’ve got, or even cranberries are all fair game. Everything gets baked together and comes out the oven nicely warm and golden, but we’ve got a hunch that in true post-Thanksgiving fashion, it would be just as satisfying cold and straight from the fridge.
Get the recipe below and shop for ingredients on FreshDirect.
What You’ll Need:
Cooking spray
2 ½ cups leftover stuffing
1 ½ cups + 3 tablespoons low-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups chopped turkey meat, skin removed
1 cup chopped leftover vegetables or frozen peas and carrots, thawed
½ teaspoon poultry seasoning
2 cups leftover mashed potatoes
2 tablespoons leftover or jarred gravy
What To Do:
Preheat oven to 400 F. Coat the inside of a 9-inch pie plate with the cooking spray. Add the stuffing to a medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave 30 seconds–1 minute, until warm. Stir in 2–3 tablespoons chicken broth to make stuffing moist. Press stuffing into the bottom and sides of pie plate, using the back of a measuring cup to press down. Bake 20–25 minutes, until slightly golden on edges.
Meanwhile, in a 12-inch skillet, melt the butter. Stir in the flour and cook 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in remaining 1½ cups chicken broth and cook 2–3 minutes, until sauce thickens, stirring constantly. Stir in the turkey and vegetables and simmer 3 minutes. Add the poultry seasoning and season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.
Pour turkey mixture over the stuffing crust. Top with the potatoes, spreading over the turkey mixture with a spatula. Make an indent in the middle of potatoes and pour gravy into indent. Place pie plate onto a sheet pan and bake 20–25 minutes, until bubbly and golden brown. Let sit 10 minutes before serving.