Leftover Turkey and Ham Pie

5 from 1 vote

This turkey and ham pie is what I most look forward to after Christmas day. It is the perfect recipe to use up leftover turkey, and turn it into a comforting, crowd-pleasing dinner.

Prep Time30

Cook Time35

Total Time1 5

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: British

Servings: servings

Ingredients

For the pie:

40 g butter
1 large red onion chopped
3 cloves garlic crushed
2 tbsp plain flour
Salt and black pepper
450 ml whole milk
100 ml double cream
300 g cooked turkey shredded
250 g cooked ham chopped
Small handful of fresh parsley chopped
1 tsp lemon juice
1 sheet ready-rolled puff pastry
1 beaten egg for egg wash

For the garlic butter

120 g unsalted butter softened
1 tbsp parsley finely chopped
2 garlic cloves grated
Salt & pepper

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 170°C fan (190°C conventional / 375°F).
Melt the butter in large frying pan over a medium heat. Tip in the red onion, season with a little salt and pepper, and cook gently for around 5 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, just until you can smell it.
Sprinkle in the flour and stir well until a paste comes together (the roux). Cook for 2–3 minutes then gradually pour in milk, whisking well to prevent lumps. Simmer gently for 5 minutes until thickened.
Stir in the double cream, shredded turkey, chopped ham and chopped parsley. Add the mustard and lemon juice.
Taste and adjust the seasoning – it will definitely want a good grind of black pepper.
Pour the filling into a pie dish (roughly 20–22 cm).
Then make the garlic butter: mix in a bowl the softened butter, garlic, parsley and some salt and pepper.
Add a few scoops of garlic butter on top of the pie filling.
Unroll the puff pastry and lay it over the top of the pie dish, trimming any excess around the edges. To seal it, press the edges down with a fork or your fingers. If you want to make the patchwork pattern, cut the sheet of puff pastry into small squares and lay them on top of the pie filling, slightly overlapping as you go.
Brush the top with beaten egg and a few sea salt flakes.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30–35 minutes, until the pastry is puffed and golden brown.
Allow the pie to rest for 5–10 minutes before serving.

Notes

Scroll up for a step by step guide on how to make this turkey ham pie.

To store: Once baked and cooled, cover the pie with foil or transfer to an airtight container for up to 3 days.

To reheat: Reheat in the oven at 170°c fan / 190°c conventional for 15–20 minutes, or until piping hot in the centre. Or in the air fryer: 160°C for 8–10 minutes, until crisp and hot. Avoid microwaving if you can as it softens the pastry.

To freeze: Assemble the unbaked pie, wrap tightly in foil and plastic wrap, and freeze for up to 2 months. You can bake from frozen; just bake covered with foil for an hour and then 20–30 minutes uncovered. Or you can freeze the filling separately and top with fresh pastry when ready.

Filling only: The cooked filling freezes well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then add to the dish, top with garlic butter and cover with pastry.

Make ahead: Make the filling up to 3 days in advance and store in the fridge. When ready, assemble with fresh puff pastry and bake as directed. You can also assemble the entire pie up to 24 hours ahead, cover, and chill unbaked.

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