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Turkey Hand Pies

Leftover turkey hand pies are an easy peasy way to repurpose all those leftovers—and we do mean all of them!—into something fresh, exciting, buttery and (best of all) cheesy!

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Homemade Turkey Hand Pies on a serving plate

Got Leftovers? Make Hand Pies!

This ultra easy hand pie recipe is so smart, so quick and so delicious, we’re not sure what took us so long to come up with it. You’ll need a fridge full of Thanksgiving leftovers and some frozen puff pastry, and that’s basically it! These sweet little turkey hand pies, stuffed with mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce, are a cut above the regular old, mayo-slathered turkey sandwiches that most of us indulge in on the Friday after Thanksgiving. Toasty and buttery, they’re legit dinner food—those cold turkey sandwiches are good, but they don’t quite cut it for dinner. Serve with a little salad on the side and you’ll have squeezed a whole other meal—one that feels a little more exciting than a microwaved plate of what you ate on Thanksgiving—out of your turkey day leftovers.

puff pastry, Dijon mustard, Egg, Gruyère, Onion, Flaky salt, shredded turkey and cranberry sauce in bowls on the counter

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The Very Easiest Leftover Turkey Recipe

Frozen puff pastry makes this leftover turkey recipe so, so easy. Add it to your Thanksgiving shopping list and you’ll be all set to tackle those leftovers on Friday (and Saturday and Sunday). If you’re anything like us, the weekend after Thanksgiving is full of all kinds of holiday prep—the marathon build up to Christmas day starts then! From tree decorating to holiday shopping, this recipe is so quick and easy that it’ll leave you plenty of time for all of that other good stuff. Plus, it uses up more than just leftover turkey! You’ll use up leftover mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce, too. Other than leftovers—turkey, cranberry sauce and mashed potatoes—here’s all you’ll need to make these simple meaty hand pies:

  • Frozen puff pastry

  • Dijon mustard

  • Egg

  • Gruyère

  • Onion

  • Flaky salt

puff pastry square spread with dijon for leftover turkey hand pies
homemade turkey hand pies being assembled on a cutting board surrounded by all the ingredients
puff pastry square filled with mashed potatoes and turkey
homemade turkey hand pies being filled with mashed potatoes, turkey and cranberry sauce

How To Make The Best Ever Leftover Turkey Hand Pies

That fridge full of leftovers is destined for greatness. Grab some frozen puff pastry, and prepare to feast all over again! Here’s how to make leftover turkey magic:

  1. Prep the hand pie crust: Cut each puff pastry sheet into four squares, so you end up with eight total square pieces of puff pastry.

  2. Make an egg wash! In a small bowl combine beaten egg with 2 tbsp cold water. Brush the inside edges of each square with the egg wash—this will help you seal them after filling the hand pies.

  3. Fill the hand pies! Spread the inner area with Dijon, then add mashed potatoes, a bit of Gruyère, turkey and a dollop of cranberry sauce.

  4. Seal the hand pies! Fold the puff pastry over the ingredients and press the edges to seal them.

  5. Bake! Brush the tops with the rest of the egg wash and sprinkle them with the minced onion and flaky salt, then pop them in the oven for about 15 minutes.

leftover  turkey hot pocket made with puff pastry, mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce
unbaked puff pastry turkey hand pies on a baking sheet
Unbaked Turkey Hand Pies sprinkled with minced onion and flaky salt on a baking sheet
Baked puff pastry Turkey Hand Pies on a baking sheet

Tools You’ll Need:

4 More Leftover Turkey Recipes to Try

Homemade Turkey Hand Pies on a serving plate
Homemade Turkey Hand Pies filled with mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce on a serving plate

Thanksgiving Leftovers Live Again!

Please give this recipe a spin! And when you do, tell us all about how much you love it, how you changed it, and who you ate it with. Share a photo and tag us on Instagram using @themodernproper and #themodernproper so that we can see your stuff! Happy eating!

Turkey Hand Pies

  • Serves: 4
  • Prep Time:  15 min
  • Cook Time:  18 min
  • Calories: 634

Ingredients

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.

  2. Cut each puff pastry sheet into four squares equal in size, 8 total.

  3. In a small bowl combine the beaten egg with 2 tablespoons cold water.

  4. Using a pastry brush, brush a ½ inch egg wash boarder all the way around the edge of each puff pastry square. This will help the pastry stick together when you fold it in half.

  5. Equally divide the dijon mustard, spreading it on the inside of the pastry dough.

  6. On one half of each of the pastries add 2 tablespoons mashed potatoes, followed by 3 tablespoons cheese, 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) of turkey and 1 tablespoon cranberry sauce. Fold the pastry dough over the ingredients and press the edges down tight to seal.

  7. Arrange prepared hand pies on a large parchment lined baking sheet.**

  8. Brush the tops with remaining egg wash and sprinkle with minced onion and flaky salt.

  9. Bake on the center rack for 15-18 minutes until golden brown. Serve warm.

*One package of frozen puff pastry typically contains 2 sheets. Thaw in the fridge for at least one hour or overnight.

**If you don’t have a full size baking sheet, use two half-sheets and bake them in the oven at the same time, rotating positions halfway through.

Nutrition Info

  • Per Serving
  • Amount
  • Calories634
  • Protein18 g
  • Carbohydrates72 g
  • Total Fat29 g
  • Dietary Fiber6 g
  • Cholesterol52 mg
  • sodium1271 mg
  • Total Sugars14 g

Turkey Hand Pies

Questions & Reviews

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  • kerry

    Could you freeze these?

    We haven't personally frozen these. If you try it, we recommend freezing them without the egg wash. Then when ready, lett them thaw completely, adding the egg wash then baking. Let us know if you try it out, we'd love to hear!

  • Liza

    How would mozzarella taste with this instead of gruyere? I have that at home and my kids like it, but not sure it will complement. Thanks!

    Mozzarella is so mild, I am sure it would taste great!

  • Kathleen

    Just made these 2 days after Thanksgving- I didn't quite have enough mashed potatoes so I used one tablespoon instead of two- and same for the Turkey because I was scared they wouldn't close. These were incredible! My dad loved them and he's a picky eater- they even got the thumbs up from my 96 year old Grandpa who let's gives his approval on a Scrooge like level... I loved the balance of these flavors- the cheese makes it all come together and with the flaky pastry to top it off? This has officially become a new leftover tradition. Thank you for this!! I can't wait to double it next year and prove to my siblings that I'm not a total failure in the kitchen ;)

    Haha. Love this review!

  • Kathy

    Delicious! Subbed everything bagel seasoning for the onions.

    perfect!!