Skillet Turkey Pot Pie with Buttermilk Biscuits is an easy, one-pot dinner to use up rotisserie chicken or turkey leftovers.
Bake up fresh whole wheat buttermilk biscuits while the creamy turkey pot pie filling simmers on the stove.
Why Make Inside Out Turkey Pot Pie?
When I was out of the flour I needed for our favorite pie crust, this easy turkey pot pie recipe with biscuits was born out of necessity.
I did have sprouted wheat flour on-hand so I whipped up whole wheat buttermilk biscuits while the turkey pie filling simmered on the stove.
The Downside: My family loves pastry crust; it took some navigating to get past that when they thought we were having traditional turkey pot pie with pie crust.
So I’m just warning you, you might get some resistance if they eat the pie for the crust. However, delicious biscuits help win them over, which is part of the upside.
The Upside: The turkey pot pie filling was fabulous over biscuits and the quality of the leftovers was far better since there wasn’t a crust getting soggy from sitting in gravy.
Filling-to-crust/bread ratio was also easier to control and suit individual preferences. And the biscuits are a real treat with butter and jam—Mmm, warm biscuits and butter!
The best part is you feel good about serving your family a healthy, comforting meal made with whole food ingredients.
This one-pot meal can be served right out of the skillet and easily converted to soup to stretch the budget too.
Of course, you can use roasted or rotisserie chicken in this same recipe, but let’s talk turkey.
Make Skillet Turkey Pot Pie the Easy Way with Leftover Roast Turkey
Thanksgiving turkey leftovers are ideal, but you can find roasted turkey breast portions in stores all through the fall season. Start with quality turkey and you’re way ahead.
We have enjoyed various organic turkeys, as well as free-range and heritage turkeys like those from Mary’s Turkeys. Whatever brand you choose, read the label.
Popular commercial brand ingredient label:
CONTAINS UP TO 20% OF A SOLUTION OF WATER, SALT, MODIFIED FOOD STARCH, SODIUM PHOSPHATE, DEXTROSE, NATURAL FLAVORS TO ENHANCE JUICINESS
We prefer turkey that has been humanely raised and doesn’t come with a long list of other ingredients.
I don’t mind paying more for clean, quality sourced meat; every bit of a roasted turkey is used for our family holiday dinner, bone broth, and leftover recipes like this one.
Roasted organic turkey (or chicken) simmered in a light, creamy sauce with traditional pot pie vegetables is at the top of our comfort food list!
Skillet Turkey Pot Pie Step by Step
- Prepare the biscuits. It’s okay if everything isn’t timed perfectly, the pot pie filling can sit a few minutes once cooked.
- Dice vegetables and saute with salt, pepper, and thyme in butter; sprinkle with flour.
- Add cognac, cream, stock, and Worcestershire; simmer until sauce thickens.
- Stir in chopped turkey and peas and simmer until turkey is completely warmed through; season with salt and pepper, as desired. (Remove from heat and set aside if the biscuits aren’t quite done.)
- Serve pot pie filling over warm split biscuits.
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Recipe Variations
- Use baked or rotisserie chicken in the recipe instead of turkey.
- Make gluten-free biscuits from Mama Knows Gluten Free
- Make turkey pot pie with dumplings — in this pot pie recipe, increase broth/stock to 2 1/2 cups and merge this recipe with the Parmesan Dumpling instructions in our Creamy Chicken Stew.
- Change up the veggies — green beans, cauliflower, parsnips, celeriac root, leeks, and mushrooms all work well in this recipe without changing the base flavor of the dish. Use any combination you like, just keep the total amount the same as listed in the recipe, which is 3.25 cups, including the onions. You can reduce the amount of turkey (3 cups) to accommodate more vegetables as well.
- No crust turkey pot pie — top with leftover stuffing or mashed potatoes before baking.
- Make a classic turkey pot pie with a healthy oat flour pastry crust.
- Make turkey pot pie soup — once the filling is complete in Step 4 stir in additional chicken broth to thin to desired soup consistency.
Add a combination of broth and milk or cream to retain a creamier texture. Serve in warmed bowls with biscuits on the side.
Recipe Tips
- If you’re short on time, you can use frozen carrots and peas just make sure they’re completely defrosted. You don’t want added moisture diluting a delicious cream sauce.
- Make-ahead turkey pot pie filling — prepare the recipe up to STEP 4 as directed. In STEP 4, remove the thickened sauce from the heat and stir in the turkey and peas. Cool and refrigerate filling until ready to reheat and serve, for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 1 month.
- Make-ahead sprouted wheat biscuits — prepare the recipe through STEP 7 (biscuits are stamped out and on the baking sheet), cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Bake at 475°F for 14 minutes just before serving. Baked biscuits can be frozen for up to 1 month once completely cooled. - To reheat — warm (defrosted, if frozen) filling in a skillet while (defrosted, if frozen) biscuits warm in a 350°F oven for 5-6 minutes.
- Stretch any leftovers into soup — warm filling in a saucepan and add enough chicken broth to thin to desired soup consistency.
Or add a combination of broth and milk or cream to retain a creamier texture. Make it stretch even farther with cooked rice, pasta, and additional vegetables, just keep in mind you may need to adjust seasoning too.
Skillet Turkey Pot Pie with Whole Wheat Buttermilk Biscuits
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup butter
- 3/4 cup finely chopped sweet onion , 1/2 of large onion
- 1 cup sliced carrot rounds , 2-3 medium carrots
- 3/4 cup chopped celery , 2-3 celery ribs
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 2 tablespoons sweet rice flour , or whole wheat flour, or 1 tablespoon organic cornstarch added with liquids
- 2 tablespoons cognac (optional)
- 2/3 cup heavy cream , or whole milk
- 1 3/4 cups turkey stock , or chicken stock (low-sodium)
- 1 to 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce , to taste
- 3 cups cooked cubed turkey , bite-size pieces
- 3/4 cup frozen peas , defrosted
- Whole wheat buttermilk biscuits (Recipe Below)
Instructions
- Prepare biscuits so they're ready to slide in the oven. (Biscuit Recipe Below)
- Heat oven to 475°F. Prep vegetables and rinse peas to separate and defrost. Melt 1/4 cup butter over medium heat in a deep skillet. Stir in 3/4 cup onion, 1 cup carrots, 3/4 cup celery, and 1/2 teaspoon thyme and cook until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Stir in 2 cloves minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. While vegetables are cooking, bake biscuits when the oven reaches 475°F.
- Stir in 2 tablespoons cognac and allow to evaporate for 30 seconds, then whisk in 2/3 cup cream, 1 3/4 cups stock, and 1 to 2 teaspoons Worcestershire (add 1 teaspoon, then taste before adding another). Simmer for 8-10 minutes or until carrots are just tender, stirring occasionally as the sauce thickens.
- Stir in 3 cups turkey and 3/4 cup peas and allow to warm through. Taste and season with additional thyme, salt, or pepper, if needed.
- Serve in warmed bowls with biscuits on top or on the side.
Video Displays Here or In Post
Notes
Recipe Tips:
- Frozen carrots and peas combo can be used, just make sure they’re completely defrosted. You don’t want added moisture diluting a delicious cream sauce.
- Make-ahead turkey pot pie filling — prepare the recipe up to STEP 4 as directed. In STEP 4, remove the thickened sauce from the heat and stir in the turkey and peas. Cool and refrigerate filling until ready to reheat and serve, for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 1 month.
- Make-ahead sprouted wheat biscuits — prepare the recipe through STEP 7 (biscuits are stamped out and on the baking sheet), cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Bake at 475°F for 14 minutes just before serving. Baked biscuits can be frozen for up to 1 month once completely cooled.
- To reheat — warm (defrosted, if frozen) filling in a skillet while (defrosted, if frozen) biscuits warm in a 350°F oven for 5-6 minutes.
- Stretch any leftovers into soup — warm filling in a saucepan and add enough chicken broth to thin to desired soup consistency.
Or add a combination of broth and milk or cream to retain a creamier texture. Make it stretch even farther with cooked rice, pasta, and additional vegetables, just keep in mind you may need to adjust seasoning to taste.
See Recipe Variations in Post
Nutrition values do not include biscuits.Equipment
Nutrition
Biscuit Recipe
Sprouted Wheat Buttermilk Biscuits
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups sprouted white whole wheat flour , plus more for counter
- 2 tablespoon coconut palm sugar , or honey
- 2.5 teaspoons baking powder
- 0.25 teaspoon baking soda
- 0.5 teaspoon sea salt
- 6 tablespoons butter , very cold or frozen, cut into small cubes
- 7 ounces cold buttermilk , plus more for brushing tops
Instructions
- Combine 1 3/4 cups flour, 2 tablespoon sugar, 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl; whisk together.
- Add 6 tablespoons cubed butter to the bowl and work into flour with a pastry knife or grate butter over flour and stir in to coat butter pieces with the flour.
- Add 7 ounces cold buttermilk to the butter and flour; stir just until flour is moistened, about 15 strokes. If the flour is not all moistened, add more buttermilk 1 tablespoon at a time over the drier parts and gently stir in. The dough will be shaggy.
- Generously dust a work surface with flour. Transfer dough to the work surface and sprinkle with a little more flour. With floured hands, gently press the dough into a rectangle about ¾ inch thick, with the long edge facing you.
- Using an offset spatula or bench scraper, fold 1/3 of dough from each side creating a stack of three layers. Turn it so the long edge faces you and press the dough out again (add a little flour if too sticky). Repeat the lift and fold method 2 more times, adding more flour if needed. This folding method creates many layers of buttery pieces throughout.
- Chill dough in fridge 10-15 minutes to firm up butter. Heat oven to 475°F.
- Transfer the dough back to a lightly floured work surface. Roll the dough out to about 1-inch thick. Dip a round dough cutter into flour and stamp out the biscuits. Don't twist, just push down. Dip cutter in flour between each cut. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet closely together so they touch (baked goods will rise higher when touching sides).
- Chill again in fridge for 5-10 minutes so the butter is firm when they go in the oven.
- Brushing the tops with buttermilk will create a chewier crust and golden brown color. If you prefer soft crust, leave alone and brush with melted butter when they come out of the oven. Otherwise, brush tops with buttermilk and Bake at 475°F for 12-14 minutes.
Zuzana says
i love chicken so this is a great recipe. Love it
Meredith says
Oh I just love pot pie and haven’t made it in ages because no one in our house can agree on crust! Thank you for this inside-out version. I can’t wait to try it with my turkey leftovers. And thank you for the guidance on how to choose a healthy turkey!!
ChihYu says
I love this recipe! So easy to prepare, delicious and fun!
Raia Todd says
Those biscuits look so delicious! Pot pie is such a comfort food and this looks perfect.
Don Baiocchi says
Yum! It’s like a big cozy hug.
Jean Choi says
Sounds delicious! Love a comfort food like this one. Those biscuits are the perfect texture.
Yang says
It looks so warming and inviting! I can’t wait to try, especially the butter milk biscuits.
Megan Stevens says
Such a beautiful recipe. That cognac and cream + homemade stock!! SO yummy!
Tessa Simpson says
I can’t wait to have this with leftover Thanksgiving turkey!!! We’ll serve ours with some paleo biscuits!
tina says
I used to eat chicken pot pie like every day when I was little – can’t wait to try this turkey pot pie version!
Jill says
Saving this for after Thanksgiving! Looks perfect for our family.
Jeff the Chef says
I think this sounds like a wonderful recipe, and I say that as someone who loves pastry crust. I love a good pot pie, but I also love chicken and dumplings, and I also like biscuits and gravy – this seems almost like a mashup of all of those. Plus, I love that you used whole wheat flour and buttermilk.
Judy Purcell says
Thanks Jeff, I don’t think you can go wrong with any of these options when the filling is so good. Each satisfy a different food mood in my book. 🙂
John / Kitchen Riffs says
I make something kinda sorta similar sometimes. Love comfort food like this, and it’s a great way to use leftovers. Heck, I sometimes make turkey throughout the year just so I can have turkey leftovers at times other than Thanksgiving! I’m weird that way. 🙂 Anyway, neat recipe — thanks.
Judy Purcell says
Ha, I love that — kinda, sorta, similar — isn’t that the beauty of cooking! Thanks John. 🙂