Equipment
Ingredients
Pastry & Binding
- 450 g puff pastry, thawed but kept cold
- 1 egg, beaten with a splash of water
Thanksgiving Leftovers
- 350 g mashed potatoes, cold
- 150 g sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 300 g cooked winter squash, mashed or thinly sliced, cold
- 400 g cooked turkey, shredded or chopped, cold
- 150 ml leftover gravy, cold
Fresh Additions
- 200 g swiss chard, leaves only, roughly chopped
- 15 ml olive oil
- 2 garlic, minced
- 2 g kosher salt
- 1 g black pepper
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 653 kcal
- Protein
- 27 g
- Carbohydrates
- 49 g
- Fat
- 39 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
- Sugar
- 3 g
- Sodium
- 1517 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 13 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 17 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 5 g
- Cholesterol
- 96 mg
- Potassium
- 536 mg
- Calcium
- 210 mg
- Iron
- 3.5 mg
- Magnesium
- 68 mg
- Phosphorus
- 322 mg
- Zinc
- 3.3 mg
- Vitamin A
- 259 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 14 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.4 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 1.3 mg
- Vitamin K
- 220 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.5 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 1.1 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.35 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.51 mg
- Niacin
- 7.3 mg
- Folate
- 72 mcg
- Water
- 131 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat your oven to 200°C/400°F and ensure the oven rack is placed in the lower third position to help the bottom pastry bake thoroughly.
Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and chopped Swiss chard, seasoning with salt and pepper. Cook until the chard is fully wilted.
Remove the Swiss chard from the skillet, let it cool slightly, and vigorously squeeze out as much excess liquid as possible to prevent a soggy pie.
In a mixing bowl, combine the cold shredded turkey with the leftover gravy until the meat is evenly coated.
Using a rolling pin, roll out two-thirds of the puff pastry and carefully line the bottom and sides of a 20cm springform pan. Leave a slight overhang.
Spread the cold mashed potatoes into an even layer directly onto the bottom of the pastry-lined pan.
Sprinkle the shredded sharp cheddar cheese evenly over the mashed potato layer.
Add the cooked winter squash, spreading it gently to form the third distinct layer.
Distribute the squeezed, cooked Swiss chard across the squash layer.
Spoon the turkey and gravy mixture over the chard, pressing down gently with a spatula to compact all the layers.
Roll out the remaining puff pastry to form a lid and place it over the top of the turkey filling.
Trim any excessive pastry overhang, then crimp the edges of the top and bottom pastry together securely. Brush the entire exposed surface with the beaten egg wash using a pastry brush.
Score the top pastry a few times with a sharp knife to create vents for steam to escape during baking.
Bake in the preheated 200°C/400°F oven for 45 minutes until the internal filling is hot and the pastry is baked through.
Remove the pie from the oven and let it rest in the pan for at least 15 minutes. This cooling period helps the layers set before slicing.
Chef's Notes
- Using cold leftovers is the secret to distinct, beautiful layers and a crisp pastry crust. Warm fillings will prematurely melt the butter in the puff pastry before it hits the oven.
- If your mashed potatoes are particularly soft or heavily enriched with cream, consider mixing in one egg yolk to help them bind and hold their structural shape when the pie is sliced.
- Squeezing the cooked Swiss chard dry is critical. Excess water will seep downward during baking and cause the lower layers and pastry to become waterlogged.
- Layering matters. Placing dense, starchy layers like mashed potatoes at the bottom acts as a structural foundation and an absorbent barrier against meat juices.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Store well wrapped. The pastry will soften over time.
Freezer: 2 months — Freeze unbaked or fully baked and cooled completely. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before baking or reheating.
Reheating: Reheat individual slices in a 175C/350F oven or air fryer for 10 to 15 minutes to crisp the pastry.
Troubleshooting
Pastry bottom is soggy and underbaked
Cause: Fillings were too wet or warm when assembled, or pie was baked too high in the oven
Fix: Cannot be completely fixed, but reheating individual slices on a hot skillet can help crisp the bottom crust
Prevention: Ensure all leftover fillings are cold before assembly, vigorously squeeze excess moisture from the chard, and bake on the lower oven rack
Pie collapses when sliced
Cause: Pie was sliced while still boiling hot, preventing the starches in the potatoes and squash from setting
Fix: Serve as a delicious, albeit messy, scoop instead of a clean slice
Prevention: Always allow the pie to rest for at least 15 minutes at room temperature before cutting
Cultural Context
The day after Thanksgiving in America often yields an overwhelming bounty of leftovers. Transforming these disparate side dishes and meats into a grand, cohesive savory pie breathes new life into the holiday feast, turning remnants into a spectacular centerpiece that rivals the original meal.
