If you have any leftover turkey, this leftover turkey and mushroom pie is an excellent way to use it up, helping you to save money, reduce waste, and make the most of that delicious meat.
Let’s face it: many of us spend the few days after Christmas trying to eat leftover turkey because we got carried away when we chose the bird.
While I love a leftover turkey sandwich (with leftover roast potatoes on the side!) I also like to make some meals with my leftovers!
Turkey curry is a huge favourite, and turkey and ham pie is a fantastic choice if you also have leftover ham.
This easy leftover turkey and mushroom pie is a little different, but it’s absolutely delicious, whether you are making it on boxing day or you’ve frozen your leftover turkey and you’re looking for the ultimate warming comfort food one night in January.
*This post may contain affiliate links to products I find useful when making this recipe. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.*
Why I Love Leftover Turkey and Mushroom Pie
My reasons for loving this pie are simple!
- I love pie.
- I love mushrooms.
- I love a creamy sauce. Turkey Pie has really got it all.
- Reducing waste and saving money is always good.
- Pie is proper warming comfort food. I can eat a pie even after lots of heavy Christmas food.
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Ingredients For Turkey and Mushroom Pie
The first thing to say here is that I don’t make pastry. I can. But I don’t want to. Ready to roll, or even ready rolled (even if I have to roll it a bit thinner to fit my tin), is perfectly yummy and super easy to use.
You can, of course, make your own pastry if you want to.
When I make this recipe for leftover turkey and mushroom pie, I use:
Butter – You can use olive oil, other cooking oils, or a cooking spray instead, but butter is yummy!
Leftover Turkey – Ideally, leftover turkey breast and as close to 400g as you can get. But there’s lots more going on, so less will do. You might just need more potatoes.
Red Onion
Mushrooms – I use a simple closed cup, but button, chestnut, and others are fine. Even a mixture!
Potatoes – Any white potatoes are fine.
Double Cream
Chicken Stock
Wholegrain Mustard
Tarragon
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Shortcrust Pastry
Egg – This is to brush the pastry for a lovely golden top. If you use ready-rolled pastry, it’s sometimes pre-washed, so double-check the package. If in doubt, an extra egg wash won’t hurt.
Plain Flour – This is just to dust the surface.
You’ll Also Need
You’ll need a sharp knife, chopping board and potato peeler to carefully prepare the meat and vegetables, and a jug and whisk or fork to make the stock.
Then, you’ll need a large flameproof dish or pan to prepare the turkey and mushroom pie filling and a spatula to stir. I use my Cast Iron Dutch Oven, but you could also use a large non-stick frying pan.
You need a rolling pin to prepare the pastry and a small bowl and pastry brush for egg washing.
Then you need a tin or pie dish to bake your pie. I use an 8-inch square cake tin that’s around 2 inches deep. Other pie dishes and tins are fine, too.
How to Make Turkey and Mushroom 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
Heat a large flameproof dish or pan over medium heat on the hob.
Step Two
Add the butter and melt.
Step Three
Add the onions and fry for 5 minutes, stirring often until they are starting to soften.
Step Four
Stir in the mushrooms.
This will look like a ton of mushrooms. You may even have to add them in batches. But they will shrink a lot.
Step Five
Cook for a further 5 minutes, stirring often, until the onions are translucent and the mushrooms have shrunk.
Step Six
Add the leftover turkey and the diced potatoes and stir well.
Step Seven
Pour in the stock and cream and stir.
Step Eight
Add the mustard, tarragon and freshly ground black pepper. Stir together until smooth.
Step Nine
Bring to a simmer, and reduce the heat if you need to.
Step Ten
Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes have softened and the sauce has reduced.
Step Eleven
Remove the cooking pan from the heat and leave the filling to cool.
It doesn’t need to be cold but give it long enough for the sauce to thicken.
Step Twelve
Liberally grease your tin or dish with butter and preheat the oven to 180 degrees C (fan-assisted).
Step Thirteen
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry into two squares. One should be big enough to fill the bottom and sides of the tin with a little hanging over it. The other should be big enough to cover the top.
Step Fourteen
Place the larger pastry square into the tin and press gently into the bottom and sides, leaving a little hanging over.
Step Fifteen
Spoon in the cooled pie filling, filling to the top if possible. Discard any extra sauce.
Step Sixteen
Rest the other square of pastry on top.
Step Seventeen
Press the edges and the overhang together by firmly pinching around the edges of the tin with your fingers or thumbs.
Step Eighteen
Carefully trim away any excess. I do this with a sharp knife.
Step Nineteen
Beat an egg in a small bowl if you are egg-washing.
Step Twenty
Use a pastry brush to brush the beaten egg liberally onto the top of the pie.
Step Twenty-One
Use a knife to stab two holes into the middle of the pastry. I give my knife a little wiggle, so they are fairly big holes.
Step Twenty-Two
Place into the preheated oven and cook for 30 minutes until the top is golden brown. Don’t worry if bits of sauce bubble out.
Step Twenty-Three
Remove from the oven and rest for a few minutes before serving carefully.
Top Tips
- This pie, as delicious as it is, is grey. There’s nothing you can do about it!
- The filling will thicken as it cools, but if you are worried it’s too watery, you can simmer for longer or mix some cornflour with a splash of water and stir in.
- If, on the other hand, it seems to be drying out, add a cup of water.
- Pastry is very forgiving. It’s like food play-doh. If a bit rips, patch it. If a bit is too short, rip a bit off from somewhere else and press it in. Don’t worry too much.
Serving Suggestions
I always serve my pies with mushy peas. I’m so boring on that front, but the kids adore mushy peas, and there’d be a riot if I didn’t.
You could, however, serve with roasted root veggies or simple steamed vegetables.
There are potatoes in this pie, so you don’t need anything like mash or wedges. It’s filling and heavy, so I recommend keeping your sides light, whatever you choose.
Variations
I love this pie just the way it is, but there are a few things that you could do differently if you wanted to.
Skip the Potatoes
Leftover Turkey Mushroom and Potato Pie is brilliant. And potatoes are great if you are short on turkey.
However, if you’ve got loads of turkey left, you could skip the potatoes entirely.
Reduce the Mushrooms
Same with the mushrooms, really.
The quantities I’ve used fill my pie tin nicely. And I love mushrooms, so they are a priority.
But you could use fewer mushrooms and more turkey or more potatoes. Another option could be adding some sliced carrots to fill your pie. Or use a smaller tin.
Add Bacon
Adding some bacon is another great option, but remember bacon is very salty and will alter the sauce’s flavour.
To add bacon, chop roughly and add between the onions and mushrooms, cooking for a few minutes to brown.
Use Crème Fraiche
I sometimes make this and other pies with crème fraiche instead of cream. Whichever you choose, full-fat is best.
Make The Pastry
I never make the pastry. It’s just not worth my time. But you can if you like doing it or want to save a bit of money.
Use Puff Pastry
I pretty much always use shortcrust. It’s what I like the best.
However, you could make a puff pastry turkey and mushroom pie if you prefer, either by making your own or using readymade puff pastry.
Just Use a Pastry Lid
Another popular option is adding a pastry lid to your filling instead of a bottom and sides. You can do this with leftover turkey and mushroom pie made with puff or shortcrust.
Leftovers
This pie is made with leftover turkey, which I only recommend reheating once. I wouldn’t recommend saving any leftovers of this pie for another time.
Disclaimer: While I aim to be as accurate as possible, any advice in this post, including but not limited to, cooking times, quantities, nutritional information and storage and freezing guidance is based on my own experience. Please use your own skills, knowledge and judgement, and get up to date food safety information.
Storage
Store your leftover turkey safely, following guidance like this.
Personally, I only like to keep meat for 1-2 days. If you want to keep it longer, you can freeze your leftover turkey, but you should still only reheat it once.
FAQ
No. Leftover turkey should only be reheated once.
Yes, just increase the potatoes or add some bacon.
Turkey is a healthy and lean mean. Mushrooms are healthy, too. But it is a creamy turkey pie recipe, so while it’s got lots of nutrients, it’s high in fat and calories. It’s probably not the best for weight loss.
Other Recipes
If you are looking for leftover Christmas dinner recipes, you might want to try:
- Leftover Turkey Hash
- Butter Turkey Curry
- Leftover Turkey Pasta with Cranberry Sauce
- Turkey Pasta Bake
- Leftover Turkey Fried Rice
- Leftover Turkey Risotto
- Turkey Stroganoff
- Turkey Ragu
- Leftover Turkey Curry
- Bubble and Squeak
- Patatas Bravas with Leftover Roast Potatoes
- Turkey Ham and Leek Pie
Recipe Card
Leftover Turkey and Mushroom Pie
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon Butter (Plus extra to grease the tin)
- 400 g Leftover Turkey Breast (Chopped into bitesize pieces)
- 1 Red Onion (Finely diced)
- 400 g Closed Cup Mushrooms (Sliced)
- 400 g White Potatoes (Peeled and diced into 1cm chunks)
- 300 ml Double Cream
- 500 ml Chicken Stock
- 2 Tablespoons Wholegrain Mustard
- 2 Teaspoons Tarragon
- Good Pinch of Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- 320 g Readymade Shortcrust Pastry
- 1 Egg
- Plain Flour (To Dust)
Instructions
- Heat a large flameproof dish or pan over medium heat on the hob.
- Add the butter and melt.
- Add the onions and fry for 5 minutes, stirring often until they are starting to soften.
- Stir in the mushrooms.
- Cook for a further 5 minutes, stirring often, until the onions are translucent and the mushrooms have shrunk.
- Add the leftover turkey and the diced potatoes and stir well.
- Pour in the stock and cream and stir.
- Add the mustard, tarragon and freshly ground black pepper. Stir together until smooth.
- Bring to a simmer and reduce the heat if you need to.
- Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes have softened and the sauce has reduced.
- Remove the cooking pan from the heat and leave the filling to cool slightly.
- Liberally grease your tin or dish with butter and preheat the oven to 180 degrees C (fan-assisted).
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry into two squares. One should be big enough to fill the bottom and sides of the tin with a little hanging over it. The other should be big enough to cover the top.
- Place the larger pastry square into the tin and press gently into the bottom and sides, leaving a little hanging over.
- Spoon in the cooled pie filling, filling to the top if possible.
- Place the other square of pastry on top.
- Press the edges and the overhang together by firmly pinching around the edges of the tin with your fingers.
- Carefully trim away any excess.
- Beat an egg in a small bowl.
- Use a pastry brush to brush the beaten egg liberally onto 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 the top is golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and rest for a few minutes before serving.
Notes
- The filling doesn’t have to be cold, but it shouldn’t be too hot to touch.
- I usually use ready-rolled pastry and just roll it out a little more to fit my tin.
- Read the post above for more tips and advice.
Nutrition
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.
