‘The Pioneer Woman’: Ree Drummond Has the Perfect Solution for Thanksgiving Leftovers That Uses Whatever Is in the Fridge

Ree Drummond has a creative way to use all the Thanksgiving leftovers — she assembles an easy turkey pot pie. The Pioneer Woman star said the recipe is totally customizable so you can use up whatever you have on hand.

Ree Drummond tackles Thanksgiving leftovers by making a hearty dish

Rather than a tired old sandwich made with Thanksgiving leftovers, Drummond has the perfect recipe for any turkey and vegetables you have after the big feast.

In an October 2021 blog post on The Pioneer Woman website, Drummond shared her recipe for leftover turkey pot pie. “Feel free to customize this recipe with ingredients you already have in your fridge,” she noted.

“Even if you’ve planned your Thanksgiving menu perfectly, you’ll probably still have leftovers once the big meal is over,” Drummond explained. “If you’re looking for something to do with your extra turkey, here’s the recipe for my delicious pot pie. You can make it with chicken or turkey … whatever’s in your fridge. You may even have leftover onion and celery from the Thanksgiving stuffing — even better! Just make sure to pair it with leftover Thanksgiving desserts — if there are any!”

How to make Ree Drummond’s classic pot pie recipe

Drummond shared the step-by-step instructions for her classic pot pie recipe in a blog post on The Pioneer Woman website. “It doesn’t get much better than pot pie. It just doesn’t,” she wrote. “It’s that broth-y gravy… that golden, crisp crust … those tender, flavorful vegetables. Gosh, gosh, gosh. Times a million. Infinity.”

Drummond shared just how versatile the recipe is, as you can use chicken or leftover turkey as well as make a pie crust for the recipe or use one you’ve stashed in the freezer.

She demonstrated how to make her pot pie recipe on an episode of The Pioneer Woman. Drummond thawed the pastry dough while she made the easy filling. She melted butter in a large pot and added onions, carrots, and celery. While the vegetables cooked, she shredded the meat into bite-sized pieces and added it to the pot.

To make “a thick, nice gravy,” Drummond added flour, followed by white wine. “Normally my husband’s not a fan of the flavor of wine but I’m going to sneak it into this,” she explained. “I don’t think he’ll know it’s there — there’s so much going on in this.”

Then she added chicken broth and bouillon cubes and turned the burner to high. To make the dish “incredibly rich and decadent,” Drummond added heavy cream, as well as fresh thyme leaves to “deepen the flavor,” salt, pepper, and frozen peas.

‘The Pioneer Woman’ star’s pot pie can be frozen and reheated later

Drummond poured the filling into a pie pan or casserole dish, rolled out a crust 1 inch larger than the pan, and placed it over the top. She cut small slits in the crust and pressed it gently against the dish to seal it.

The Pioneer Woman star baked the pot pie in a 400 degree Fahrenheit oven for 30 minutes and allowed it to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

If freezing the pot pie to eat later, Drummond recommended allowing it to cool completely, then cover it with plastic wrap or aluminum foil before placing it in the freezer.

When ready to cook it, remove the pot pie from the freezer, brush it with a mixture of egg and water, then bake it in a 375 degree Fahrenheit oven for 30 to 45 minutes.