These little turkey pot pies are the perfect recipe for fall. They’re basically the food equivalent of jumping in a pile of leaves while wearing an oversized sweater and plaid flannel scarf.

It’s no secret that I have a fondness for pot pie… well, all pie, really. My classic chicken pot pie is a tried and true recipe that I make every year as soon as the weather cools down enough to warrant having the oven on for that long. Then I developed a lighter, brighter version using seasonal spring veggies and an easy puff pastry top. Now, allow me to present you with this one: It has deep, slow-cooked flavor, a rustic whole wheat crust, and could not be more perfect for this time of year.

This recipe is not only ideal for a cozy fall supper, but it’s great for using up leftover carved turkey from Thanksgiving. The filling is so forgiving, it works with both white and dark meat, and you can easily add in some leftover corn, peas, brussels sprouts, green beans, or anything else you have laying around. You can even swap out the butternut squash for pumpkin, sweet potatoes, or another hard winter squash – the flavor will essentially be the same.

I’m a sucker for a homemade crust, but there is absolutely no reason why you can’t use a store-bought pie dough or even frozen puff pastry instead. There are some really good quality doughs on the market these days, and they tend to show up even more in November. I opt to use a little bit of whole wheat flour in my crust, in addition to all purpose, because it adds a really lovely nutty flavor that compliments the filling so well.

Turkey pot pie filling in six ramekins on a baking sheet.Unbaked dough squares laid over ramekins of turkey pot pie on a baking sheet.Close up side view of an individual turkey pot pie in a ramekin on a baking sheet.Top down view of an individual turkey pot pie in a ramekin on a dinner plate.

The best part of these pot pies is that they’re freezer friendly. You can make them up, crust-and-all, then freeze them unbaked (wrapped tightly). When you’re ready, pop them straight from the freezer into a 350 degree oven for about an hour, and they’re just as good as the day you made them. They’ll keep frozen for up to 6 months, but there’s no way you’ll ever be able to wait that long.

If you’re like us, you’ll gobble these up before they even have a chance to make it to the freezer. No pun intended… just kidding, it totally was. Gobble, gobble, gobble.