Got leftover Christmas dinner? Turn it into a scrummy Leftover Christmas Dinner Pie! Packed with turkey, veggies, and roast potatoes, it’s the ultimate stress-free recipe and a great way to enjoy a zero-food-waste Christmas.
What’s the best thing about Christmas dinner? It’s the leftovers on Boxing Day! Well, for me anyway. I love leftovers. Not just the meat either, I’ll happily just nibble a leftover sprout every time I open the fridge.
Which I concede might be a bit weird, but there we are.
Even better than nibbling on cold leftover Brussels sprouts (hard to believe such a thing could exist, I know) is cooking with your leftovers, for example, if you want more ways to use up leftover brussels sprouts, I’ve got a whole post with tons of ideas.
I hate food waste, so I’m always looking for ways to include my leftovers in new recipes and family meals. My Christmas dinner leftovers pie is a great way to use up whatever you’ve got without having to make something complicated when, really, you just want to sit on the sofa watching Christmas TV, eating Quality Street in your PJS (just me again?!).
Why I Love Christmas Dinner Leftover Pie
I love everything about this Leftover roast dinner pie recipe! It’s:
- Ideal for any Christmas Day leftovers.
- Easy!
- Perfect if you love Festive Pie recipes.
- A Leftover pie recipe that’s easy, tasty and fairly quick.
- Who doesn’t love a big, comforting pie?
Ingredients For Leftover Christmas Dinner Pie
Now, your leftover turkey dinner pie will depend on the specific leftovers that you’ve got. You can throw anything in!
I use:
Butter – You can use olive oil or another cooking oil instead, but I love cooking with butter, it adds a smoothness.
Red Onion
Chicken Stock – Veg stock or turkey stock, if you have it, will work, too.
Double Cream
Wholegrain Mustard
Leftover Cooked Turkey
Leftover Vegetables – I use roast carrots, parsnips and sprouts. These are our go-to veggies. But you can use anything!
Roast Potatoes – You can skip these if you’ve got tons of veggies or you don’t want to make such a massive pie (mine is HUGE!).
Readymade Shortcrust Pastry: I use ready-rolled and just roll it out to shape. Yes, I know I should make my own, but I don’t have the time or the inclination, especially not on Boxing Day!
Plain Flour – Just to dust the work surface.
Beaten Egg – To egg wash the pie.
You’ll Also Need
I make my pie filling in a Dutch Oven, but any large flameproof pot is fine.
Then I bake it in a 9-inch cake tin. You can use any pie dish or ovenproof tin.
Apart from that, I just use a rolling pin, a sharp knife, a chopping board and a spatula.
How to Make Leftover Christmas Dinner Pie – Step-by-Step Instructions
Full, easy-to-follow instructions and quantities are available in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step One
Melt the butter in a large, non-stick, flameproof dish or pan over medium heat on the hob. I use my Dutch Oven.
Step Two
Add the onion and fry for 5-10 minutes until soft, stirring often.
Step Three
Pour in the stock and cream, and add the mustard. Stir well.
I’d usually add the meat and veg first, but leftover veggies are already pretty soft, and they’re going to cook further in the pie. If you simmer them in the sauce, too, they are just going to cook to mush.
Step Four
Bring to a steady simmer, reducing the temperature if needed.
I don’t add salt and pepper because there’s plenty on my leftover roasters. Add some to taste if needed.
Step Five
Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until the sauce has thickened.
Step Six
Add the leftover meat, vegetables and potatoes.
Step Seven
Stir together well.
Step Eight
Cook for 5 minutes, making sure the meat, veg and potatoes are covered in sauce.
Step Nine
Remove from the heat.
Step Ten
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C (fan-assisted).
Step Eleven
Grease an ovenproof tin or pie dish. Mine is 9 inches round, but my pie is huge, so if yours is bigger, it will be fine.
Step Twelve
Roll out the pastry into two pieces on a lightly floured surface. One piece should be big enough to fill the bottom and sides of the tin with a little hanging over it, and the other should be big enough to cover the top comfortably.
Step Thirteen
Place the larger pastry piece into the tin and press gently into the bottom and sides, leaving a little hanging over the edges.
Step Fourteen
Spoon in the pie filling, letting it pile up on top, or at least fill the tin.
Step Fifteen
Cover with the other piece of pastry.
Step Sixteen
Press the edges together by firmly pinching around the tin.
Step Seventeen
Trim away any excess.
Step Eighteen
Whisk the egg in a small bowl.
Step Nineteen
Use a pastry brush to brush liberally on the top of the pie.
Step Twenty
Use a knife to stab two holes into the middle of the pastry, so the steam can get out.
Step Twenty-One
Place into the preheated oven and cook for 30 minutes until golden brown.
I recommend using a food thermometer to make sure the middle of the pie has reached 72 degrees C before serving and cooking for longer if you need to, especially if your pie is as big as mine or you are using a different-sized tin.
Step Twenty-Two
Remove from the oven and rest for a few minutes before serving.
Serving Suggestions
My leftover pie has it all, so really, any sides are optional.
I typically add some mushy peas or garden peas and sometimes some gravy (leftover gravy if you have it). If you’ve got any other leftovers, like stuffing or pigs in blankets, add these to your plates, too.
Variations
So, the main variations are what you can add.
All of it! Any veggies and potatoes, throw them in. You could even add some chopped-up pigs in blankets if you wanted to.
Add Stuffing
My family don’t like stuffing (I know, right?!), so I only tend to make a little portion in a ramekin for myself, so there are never leftovers.
If you have any left, you can add it to your pie or serve on the side.
To add, just break it up into little bits and stir it into the pie filling with the meat and vegetables.
Add Cranberry Sauce
I don’t think I’d add cranberry sauce personally. I don’t like the idea of it with a mustardy sauce. But that might just be me. I’d happily add a dollop to the side.
Use Puff Pastry
I’m all about the shortcrust pastry pie. Puff’s just not for me. I don’t dislike it; I’d eat it if someone else had made it, but the texture just isn’t my first choice.
If you prefer a rough puff pastry, go for it.
Make Your Pastry
You’re a better person than I am.
Leftovers
This pie uses leftover meat, so I don’t recommend reheating it again. Finish it in one go!
FAQ
As long as it’s stored correctly, is in date, has no signs (smell, texture, colour and taste) of being off, and you reheat it safely, you can keep leftover Christmas dinner for 2-3 days. I try to eat most of it within 2. Get more advice here and trust your instincts.
Curry is perhaps one of the most popular leftover turkey recipes, but you can make anything from a stir fry to a stroganoff.
Other Recipes
Other leftover recipes include:
- Turkey and Ham Pie
- Bubble and Squeak
- Patatas Bravas
- Leftover Vegetable Curry
- Turkey Hash
- Leftover Gammon Pie
- Leftover Gammon Mac and Cheese
Leftover Christmas Dinner Pie
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon Butter (+ extra to grease tin)
- 1 Red Onion (diced)
- 300 ml Chicken Stock
- 150 ml Double Cream
- 1 Tablespoon Wholegrain Mustard
- 200 g Leftover Turkey (chopped into bites)
- 300 g Leftover Vegetables (such as sprouts, carrots and parsnips – chopped into bites)
- 200 g Leftover Roast Potatoes (chopped into bites)
- 320 g Readymade Shortcrust Pastry
- 1 Tablespoon Plain Flour
- 1 Egg (whisked)
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large, non-stick, flameproof dish or pan over medium heat on the hob. I use my Dutch Oven.
- Add the onion and fry for 5-10 minutes until soft, stirring often.
- Pour in the stock and cream, and add the mustard. Stir well.
- Bring to a steady simmer, reducing the temperature if needed.
- Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until the sauce has thickened.
- Add the leftover meat, vegetables and potatoes.
- Stir together well.
- Cook for 5 minutes, making sure the meat, veg and potatoes are covered in sauce.
- Remove from the heat.
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C (fan-assisted).
- Grease an ovenproof tin or pie dish.
- Roll out the pastry into two pieces on a lightly floured surface. One piece should be big enough to fill the bottom and sides of the tin with a little hanging over it, and the other should be big enough to cover the top comfortably.
- Place the larger pastry piece into the tin and press gently into the bottom and sides, leaving a little hanging over the edges.
- Spoon in the pie filling, letting it dome.
- Cover with the other piece of pastry.
- Press the edges together by firmly pinching around the tin.
- Trim away any excess.
- Whisk the egg in a small bowl.
- Use a pastry brush to brush liberally on the top of the pie.
- Use a knife to stab two holes into the middle of the pastry.
- Place into the preheated oven and cook for 30 minutes until golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and rest for a few minutes before serving.
Notes
Any nutritional information is given as a general guide only and may not be accurate. The information is provided using an online calculator and is specific to my ingredients. Please make your own calculations if you want precise information.
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