The holidays often leave us with leftover turkey that we can enjoy in the weeks ahead. When you have some spare turkey (or even chicken) in your kitchen, these turkey pot pie pockets are a delicious, easy dinner recipe to add to the menu!
My Aunt Carole originally gave me this twist on a Turkey Pot Pie recipe (handwritten on an old index card!!!) at my bridal shower over 15 years ago. Where does the time go?!
I have obviously held onto this meal over the years because it’s that good! The Turkey Pot Pie Pockets are made with puff pastry, and they’re just a really simple way to repurpose your leftover turkey or chicken. The pockets are little hand pies that don’t even require utensils — especially if you’re a kid!
Ready to dig in?!
How to make Turkey Pot Pie with Puff Pastry:
These creamy turkey pot pie pockets with puff pastry are the perfect way to take advantage of leftovers in your kitchen!
Ingredients:
- Cream cheese
- Butter
- Cooked, diced turkey or chicken
- Milk
- Onion
- Frozen puff pastry
- Salt and pepper
First, let’s prepare the filling…
Use an electric mixer on low speed to quickly combine softened cream cheese, softened butter, onion, and milk. You can do this by hand, but the mixer makes it nice and fluffy…within about 30 seconds!
Fold in the cooked turkey (or chicken), salt and pepper. You could also stir in some fresh herbs such as thyme or chives, if you have them on hand.
Next, it’s time for the puff pastry!
Unfold one sheet of thawed puff pastry, and roll it out on a floured surface. You want to roll it into a larger 11-inch by 11-inch square. Cut that larger square into 4 smaller squares, and place some of the turkey filling in the center of each square.
Dip your fingertip in a bowl of water and run your finger along the edge of each square. Moistening the pastry dough will help to seal the edges.
Then fold the square (corner to corner) over the filling to form a triangle. Lightly press a fork along the edges of each triangle to seal.
Place the pot pie pockets on a baking sheet and brush the tops with melted butter. This will help them to brown in the oven.
Bake the Turkey Pot Pie Pockets at a temperature of 350 degrees for about 25-30 minutes, or until they’re golden and flakey.
Can you freeze Turkey Pot Pie Pockets?
Yes! To freeze, allow the pockets to cool to room temperature. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and foil. Keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
How to reheat Turkey Pot Pie Pockets:
To reheat frozen pockets, place on a baking sheet, cover loosely with foil, and bake at 350 degrees F for about 20-30 minutes, or until heated through.
Serve the pockets with gravy for dipping or pour over top, if desired!
Cook’s Tips and Serving Suggestions:
- Try using Chive and Onion Cream Cheese instead of the plain cream cheese for an added boost of flavor.
- Feel free to include some herbs in the filling if you have them on hand. Minced thyme, rosemary, parsley, or chives would all work well.
- This recipe yields 7-8 pockets, depending on how much filling you put in each triangle. I like a larger amount of filling in each pocket (about 1/3 cup), so I get about 7 pockets out of the recipe. If you want to stretch the filling for 8 pockets, just use less turkey mixture in each pocket (about 1/4 cup per triangle).
- While the recipe yields 7-8 pockets, it’s safe to assume that most adults will likely want 2 pockets per meal. A child might be satisfied with one pocket, so plan accordingly if feeding a crowd!
- This recipe works equally well with chicken! Use leftover roasted chicken, or purchase a rotisserie chicken from the store for a shortcut!
- Make sure that your cream cheese and butter is at room temperature before mixing. This will help the ingredients blend easily and it will give you that smooth, fluffy texture!
- Make sure that your puff pastry is at room temperature (thawed) before you try to roll it out. You will find a specific thawing instructions for your product on the box, so check your package for details.
- Serve the turkey pot pie pockets with a fresh green salad, with some steamed or oven roasted broccoli, with a pan of roasted acorn squash, or with your other holiday leftovers!
More leftover turkey recipes that you might enjoy:
- Dump-and-Bake Turkey Tetrazzini
- Quick and Easy Homemade Turkey Noodle Soup
- Aunt Bee’s Leftover Turkey Casserole
- 5-Ingredient Turkey Shepherd’s Pie
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Turkey Pot Pie Pockets
Ingredients Â
- 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
- 1 tablespoon butter, softened
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1 tablespoon grated onion
- 2 cups cooked turkey or chicken, chopped or shredded
- ÂĽ teaspoon kosher salt
- â…› teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 (17.3 ounce) package frozen puff pastry (2 sheets), thawed
- 1 tablespoon butter, melted
- Turkey gravy, for serving
Instructions
- Prep the pan: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an extra-large baking sheet (or two smaller sheets) with parchment paper or foil and lightly mist with cooking spray.
- Make the filling: Use an electric mixer on low speed to beat the cream cheese, softened butter, milk, and onion until smooth and fluffy, about 30 seconds. Fold in the turkey, salt, and pepper.
- Roll the pastry: Unfold one sheet of puff pastry on a lightly floured surface and roll it into an 11-inch square. Cut it into 4 equal squares. Keep the second sheet in the fridge until you're ready for it.
- Fill and seal: Spoon about â…“ cup of filling onto the center of each square. Dip a fingertip in water and run it along the edges. Fold each square corner to corner into a triangle, then press the edges firmly with a fork to seal.
- Repeat: Place the pockets on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the second sheet of pastry and the remaining filling.
- Brush and bake: Brush the tops with melted butter. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown on top and bottom.
- Serve: Let cool for 5 minutes, then serve with warm gravy for dipping or spooned over the top.
Notes
- Yield: Makes 8 pockets with about â…“ cup of filling each. Most adults will want 2 pockets per meal, while kids are often happy with 1.
- Soften first: Make sure the cream cheese and butter are at room temperature before mixing for a smooth, fluffy filling.
- Keep the pastry cool: Thaw the puff pastry according to the package directions, but work with it while it’s still cool so it puffs nicely.
- Chicken swap: Leftover roasted chicken or a store-bought rotisserie chicken works just as well as turkey.
- Ham swap: Use diced ham instead of turkey and leave out the added salt.
- Flavor boosts: Use chive and onion cream cheese in place of plain, or stir in minced fresh thyme, rosemary, parsley, or chives.
- Store: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Freeze and reheat: Wrap cooled pockets in plastic wrap and foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat on a baking sheet, loosely covered with foil, at 350°F for 20 to 30 minutes, until heated through.
Nutrition
This post was originally published in November, 2012. It was updated in November, 2019.
Super easy and super tasty. I made 8 of them and it lasted us 2 meals. what great flavor!
I did have to use chicken sadly I ran out of Turkey leftovers.
Chicken works well, too! I do that when I don’t have turkey as well. 🙂 Glad that you liked them!
Do you think ham could be used instead of turkey? My son is very allergic to poultry.
We don’t see why not! We’d love to know how it goes if you give it a try.