Seafood Pot Pie with Puff Pastry
Creamy, cozy, and topped with golden puff pastry, this seafood pot pie feels decadent yet homey. It’s a perfect nontraditional Thanksgiving main that still delivers comfort.
Why You’ll Love It
- Creamy filling with flaky puff pastry.
- Easy to customize with your favorite seafood.
- Looks fancy but uses shortcuts like store-bought pastry.
Equipment You’ll Need
- Skillet
- Ramekins or casserole dish
- Rolling pin
Serving Suggestions
Pair with roasted vegetables or a crisp salad.
Make-Ahead & Storage Tips
Filling can be made a day ahead and refrigerated. Add pastry just before baking.
Ingredients
- 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
- 1 lb mixed seafood, cut into bite-sized pieces (shrimp peeled and halved if large, scallops halved if large, fish cut into 1-inch chunks, lump crab left whole)
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1 ½ cups milk
- ½ cup seafood or chicken stock
- 1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Melt butter in skillet. Sauté onion, carrots, and celery until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in flour, cook 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk and stock. Simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Season with Old Bay, salt, and pepper.
- Stir in seafood, cooking just 2–3 minutes until barely opaque (it will finish in the oven).
- Divide filling into ramekins or pour into a casserole dish.
- Roll puff pastry to fit tops. Place over filling, press edges to seal. Brush with egg wash.
- Bake 20–25 minutes, until pastry is golden and puffed.
Yield: 4 servings
At the end of the day, Thanksgiving isn’t just about the turkey. These unique Thanksgiving recipes show that there are plenty of ways to make the holiday meal feel special.
Whether you choose prime rib, seafood pot pie, mushroom wellington, or stuffed squash, each of these Thanksgiving alternative meals brings its own kind of wow factor. Hosting should feel joyful, not stressful, so pick one of these different ideas for Thanksgiving dinner and let the sides and desserts round out the table.
After all, the real tradition is gathering together – not what’s sitting in the middle of the platter.