Description
This Leftover Turkey Pot Pie Gratin is a comforting and inventive twist on traditional pot pie, making excellent use of leftover turkey. With tender leeks, aromatic herbs, creamy milk, and a golden Gruyere cheese crust layered over sliced potatoes, it delivers rich flavors and satisfying textures. Baked to perfection, this dish is a hearty, crowd-pleasing meal perfect for family dinners or holiday leftovers.
Ingredients
Scale
Liquid & Dairy
- 1 cup 1% milk
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken bone broth (divided)
- 4 ounces shredded Gruyere cheese
Herbs & Seasonings
- 1 ¾ teaspoons kosher salt (or 1 large chicken bouillon cube)
- 3 sprigs thyme (plus ½ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves)
- 2 sprigs sage
- ¼ teaspoon fresh black pepper
- 3 tablespoons chopped parsley
Vegetables & Protein
- 1 ½ cups sliced leeks (white part only, from 3 large halved leeks, cleaned)
- 1 ½ pounds leftover turkey breast (approximately 4 ¾ cups)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups frozen peas and carrots
- 1 pound 4 to 5 medium Gold or Red potatoes (peeled and sliced ⅛-inch thick, peeled weight 12 ounces)
Thickener
- ¼ cup cornstarch
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Set your oven to 375°F to prepare for baking the gratin later.
- Simmer Aromatics: In a large oven-safe enamel deep skillet with lid, combine the milk, ¼ teaspoon salt or bouillon cube, thyme sprigs, and sage sprigs. Gently heat over low heat until it reaches a simmer and the herbs release their aroma, about 5 minutes. Pour this infused milk mixture into a bowl and wipe out the skillet.
- Sauté Leeks and Aromatics: Melt the butter in the cleaned skillet, then add the sliced leeks. Cook over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes until the leeks soften. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add Turkey and Vegetables: Stir in the leftover turkey breast, remaining salt (1 ¼ teaspoons), black pepper, 1 cup of the chicken broth, frozen peas and carrots, chopped parsley, and half the fresh thyme leaves. Cook together for 3 to 4 minutes to combine flavors.
- Thicken the Filling: Mix the cornstarch into the remaining 1 cup of chicken broth until smooth. Pour this mixture over the turkey filling and cook, stirring continuously, until the sauce thickens, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Assemble Gratin: Spread the thickened turkey mixture evenly in the skillet. Remove the sage and thyme sprigs from the milk infusion and pour the milk evenly over the turkey layer. Arrange the sliced potatoes on top in an overlapping spiral starting from the outside edge covering all of the filling. Sprinkle shredded Gruyere evenly over the potatoes.
- Bake Covered: Cover the skillet tightly with foil or a lid and bake on the second rack from the top of the oven for about 1 hour, or until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife.
- Broil for Golden Finish: Remove the cover and broil the gratin for about 3 minutes until the Gruyere cheese turns slightly browned and golden.
- Garnish and Serve: Sprinkle the remaining parsley over the gratin before serving for a fresh finish.
Notes
- Milk: You can substitute 2% milk if you prefer a richer creaminess.
- Protein: If you don’t have leftover turkey, leftover chicken or store-bought rotisserie chicken works well in this recipe.
- Potatoes: For a sweeter twist, substitute sweet potatoes instead of Gold or Red potatoes.
- Herbs: Replace thyme with rosemary and parsley with chives for a different herb flavor profile.
- Broth: Vegetable broth, chicken stock, or homemade turkey stock can be used instead of chicken bone broth.
- Cheese: Gruyere can be swapped with Swiss or mozzarella cheese depending on your preference.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 ¼ cups
- Calories: 383 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 775 mg
- Fat: 11 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 46 g
- Cholesterol: 107.5 mg
