Easy Leftover Turkey Mini Pot Pies in Croissant Crust
Description
Transform your leftover Thanksgiving turkey into savory mini pot pies baked in flaky croissant crusts. Packed with tender turkey, carrots, celery, and a rich herb cream sauce, these bite-sized treats are simple to prepare in a muffin tin. They make a fantastic post-holiday dinner, easy lunch, or crowd-pleasing appetizer.
Ingredients
Turkey Filling
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 2 medium shallots diced
- 2 stalks celery diced
- 2 medium carrots diced, about 1 cup
- 2 cups cooked turkey diced
- 2 cups turkey broth or chicken broth
- ¼ tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp ground sage
- ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- ¼ tsp fresh thyme
- 2 slices turkey bacon pan-fried and crumbled
- salt and black pepper to taste
Crust & Topping
- 2 packages refrigerated croissant dough such as Pillsbury
- ½ cup mozzarella cheese shredded
Instructions
Filling
- Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat and sauté the diced onion and shallots until translucent.
- Add the carrots and celery, cooking until slightly softened.
- Stir in the chopped turkey, broth, onion powder, garlic powder, sage, and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer for about 10 minutes.
- Pour in the heavy cream and stir well, then gradually sprinkle in the flour while stirring continuously to prevent lumps.
- As the mixture thickens, stir in the fresh thyme and crumbled turkey bacon. Simmer until thickened, then season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Remove from heat and cool the filling completely before assembling.
Assembly & Baking
- Preheat your oven or smoker to 350°F (175°C) and grease a muffin pan.
- Unroll the croissant dough, press two triangles together at the seam to make a rectangle, roll flat, and cut in half to yield two dough squares.
- Press each dough square into a cup of the greased muffin pan to form a small crust cup.
- Spoon the cooled turkey filling into each dough cup and top with shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Bake or smoke uncovered at 350°F (175°C) for about 20 minutes until the crusts are golden brown.
- Serve warm with homemade cranberry sauce on the side.
Notes
- To cool the filling quickly, place it into a plastic bag and set it in the freezer for a few minutes.
- Ensure the filling is cooled completely before adding to the dough so the croissant crusts bake properly without getting soggy.