Don’t let that leftover turkey go to waste! This Turkey Shepherd’s Pie uses leftover turkey along with tasty veggies that are covered in creamy mashed potatoes for a comforting and hearty meal. Creating the ultimate comfort food with Thanksgiving leftovers couldn't be easier.
In the United States, Shepherd's pie, much like cottage pie, is commonly made with beef, whereas in the United Kingdom, it traditionally features lamb, but the choice of meat is flexible to suit your family's taste.
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Why It's Yummy
- Useful. Don’t let that leftover turkey go to waste! This shepherd’s pie recipe is a delicious way to repurpose it. Rotisserie chicken is another fave!
- Hearty. Loaded with veggies, turkey, and mashed potatoes this shepherd’s pie will keep you full for hours.
- Comforting. Topped with buttery mashed potatoes this is definitely comfort food at its best.
- Versatile. You can easily modify the veggies, change up the turkey for chicken, beef, or ground lamb, or even use a cauliflower mash or mashed sweet potatoes instead of the traditional potatoes.
Ingredients
My few comments on the ingredients + don't forget to read the Tips section!
The full recipe and ingredients can be found in the recipe card below this post.
- Cooked turkey - leftover turkey, chopped, shredded, or even (cooked) ground turkey are all options.
- Mashed potatoes - for a typical pie topping, you’ll need a batch of mashed potatoes. Simply boil the potatoes and mash them. You can also use my leftover cream cheese mash or sweet potatoes instead.
- Olive oil - extra virgin olive oil is best but any type will work.
- Butter - salted or unsalted butter, melted. You can opt for either butter or canola oil in the recipe, depending on your personal taste. Butter lends a pronounced buttery flavor, while oil has a more neutral taste.
- Veggies - use a fresh or frozen bag of mixed veggies or simply the classic mirepoix consisting of carrots, celery, and onion.
- Frozen peas - give them a rinse if you find there’s lots of ice on them.
- Garlic - freshly minced garlic is best but jarred will also work.
- Flour - I used a gluten-free flour blend but any type of flour will work.
- Chicken broth - Choose a low-sodium broth so you can adjust the salt amount to your preference. If you don't have any chicken broth or chicken stock on hand, use beef broth instead.
- Herbs - dried thyme and oregano to stir into the shepherd’s pie and some fresh thyme and oregano as garnish.
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a medium saucepan or skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat.
Sauté the onions and carrots, stirring occasionally, until they become tender (approximately 10 minutes). Add garlic and cook for an additional minute.
Incorporate the flour and stir until it blends completely. Pour in the broth, and continue to cook on medium heat, stirring until the broth thickens.
Fold in the peas, corn, and turkey, cooking until everything is heated through.
Season with salt and pepper to your liking, and add oregano and thyme. Give it a thorough stir and let it simmer for a couple of minutes to warm everything through and the vegetables are fork tender.
Transfer the turkey mixture to a 8 or 9-inch baking or casserole dish, spreading it evenly. I used 8x11 rectangular dish.
Top the mixture with mashed potatoes, using a fork to even them out, and brush with 2 tablespoons of melted butter.
Bake for 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are heated through. Serve with a garnish of fresh herbs.
📋 FLAVOR & TEXTURE: This turkey shepherd’s pie turns out savory, hearty, and very filling.
Tips
- Some shepherd’s pie recipes have tomato paste, so feel free to add some if that’s what you prefer.
- To deepen the savory flavor you can add a touch of Worcestershire sauce, or soy sauce, tamari, or if you are avoiding soy use coconut aminos.
- While this turkey pie is delicious on its own, don't hesitate to enhance the flavor with your choice of seasonings like dried herbs, cayenne, chili powder, paprika, or any of your favorite spices.
Serving Suggestions
Though shepherd’s pie can be a meal in itself, it does pair well with these dishes:
Freezing And Storing Instructions
- To Store. Not sure what to do with leftover shepherd’s pie? Let it come to room temperature and then store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Alternatively, you can cover the baking dish with aluminum foil or other food wrap and place it in the fridge.
- To Freeze. Frozen shepherd’s pie will keep for up to 3 months. Freeze it in a freezer-safe storage container. Defrost leftovers in the fridge overnight and then reheat in the oven or microwave.
- To Make Ahead. You can make this shepherd’s pie a day or two ahead of time but keep in mind that cooked turkey will last 3-4 days. If you aren’t going to prepare the shepherd’s pie soon after your turkey, you can freeze the turkey and then take it out of the freezer the day before you want to prepare this shepherd’s pie.
The casserole will set nicely on the second day like in the picture.
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Recipe
Leftover Turkey Shepherd’s Pie
INGREDIENTS
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter (melted)
- 5 cups mashed potatoes
- 3 cups cooked chopped turkey
- ½ cup frozen corn or canned corn (drained)
- 1 medium onion (finely diced)
- 2 cup carrots (peeled and finely diced)
- 1 teaspoon garlic (minced)
- 1 tablespoon flour (I used GF flour blend)
- 1 ½ cups chicken broth
- 1 cup frozen peas
- salt and pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- Fresh thyme (oregano for garnish)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a medium skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Sauté the onions and carrots, stirring occasionally, until they become tender (approximately 10 minutes). Add garlic and cook for an additional minute.
- Incorporate the flour and stir until it blends completely. Pour in the broth, and continue to cook and stir until the broth thickens.
- Fold in the peas, corn, and turkey, cooking until the everything is heated through. Season with salt and pepper to your liking, and add oregano, thyme. Give it a thorough stir and let it simmer for a couple of minutes to warm everything through.
- Transfer the mixture to an 8x11 rectangular or 8 or 9-inch baking dish, spreading it out evenly.
- Top the mixture with mashed potatoes, using a fork to even them out, and brush with 2 tablespoons of melted butter. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are heated through. Serve with a garnish of fresh herbs.
NOTES
- To Store. Not sure what to do with leftover shepherd’s pie? Let it come to room temperature and then store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Alternatively, you can cover the baking dish with aluminum foil or other food wrap and place it in the fridge.
- To Freeze. Frozen shepherd’s pie will keep for up to 3 months. Freeze it in a freezer-safe storage container. Defrost leftovers in the fridge overnight and then reheat in the oven or microwave.
To Store. Not sure what to do with leftover shepherd’s pie? Let it come to room temperature and then store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Alternatively, you can cover the baking dish with aluminum foil or other food wrap and place it in the fridge. - To Freeze. Frozen shepherd’s pie will keep for up to 3 months. Freeze it in a freezer-safe storage container. Defrost leftovers in the fridge overnight and then reheat in the oven or microwave.
PRIVATE NOTES
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)
FAQs
If you end up with soggy pie it could be because there was too much moisture. It could be coming from the mashed potatoes. Make sure to remove any excess water after you boil them and not to add too much milk or butter.
To freeze turkey you can slice it into individual portions and then place it in an airtight container or wrap it in aluminum foil.
Yes, cooked turkey can be frozen and reheated but only reheat what you will eat right away. It is best not to reheat previously frozen turkey more than once.
This recipe has been adapted from The Recipe Rebel.
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