This leftover turkey shepherd’s pie is the perfect way to use up those Thanksgiving leftovers. Seasoned to perfection and then topped with mashed potatoes, this is a hearty and flavorful dish that makes leftovers special.
The one this about Thanksgiving is that you are guaranteed to have something left over. Whether it be turkey, mashed potatoes, dressing, or any other side dishes that you had over the holiday. The last thing I want to do is go shopping for more food when I have a bunch of stuff still in the kitchen. This is one my favorite ways to get rid of so many other ingredients that you might not have used as well as give you a special meal that won’t even make you think that it was made with leftovers.
In this recipe
There are a few things that you can take from your previous meal to use for this recipe. The two main ingredients will be mashed potatoes and the turkey.
Turkey: this is the perfect way to use all of that left over turkey on the bones or anything that you haven’t already turned into a sandwich.
Mashed potatoes: you can use all the remaining mashed potatoes, however if you don’t have enough feel free to make some more.
Celery: normally an ingredient in dressing, however you will probably have some extra and this is a great way to use that up.
Making the filling
Since the turkey is already cooked, this step is only going to take a few minutes, just the way I like it! You will cook the veggies until they are nice and soft and then add the garlic and cook for another minute or two. I purposely omitted a lot of seasoning from this recipe as the flavor of the turkey is going to greatly impact the flavor of the filling. However, feel free to add a tablespoon of herb and spices that were used to make the turkey for an additional flavor boost.
Once the vegetables are nice and soft you can add the turkey, Worcestershire sauce, and chicken broth. If you have turkey broth that will make this even more special. Both of these will add more flavor to the turkey as well as give it a nice richness to the dish. Once the stock has reduced you are ready to cover with the mashed potatoes and bake it baking.
Getting some mashed potatoes
This recipe does call for about 5 cups of mashed potatoes to cover the top of the dish. You might not have that much left over. There are a few things that you can do in that case. The first one is to make some more mashed potatoes. A good rule of thumb is that 1 pound of potatoes will make about 2½ cups of mashed potatoes after adding the butter and cream. However, if you don’t want to wait you make small dallops of mashed potatoes across the top in even intervals. If neither of those options sound good, then it is time to get creative.
Turkey shepherd’s pie your way
Sometimes I cannot be bothered to do any more work than I absolutely need to do while I am in the kitchen. This is one of those recipes that you can get a little creative with when making it. If you happen to have some left-over dressing, you can spread that over the top of the filling and then top the dressing with the remaining mashed potatoes that you have. You can also alternate dallops of dressing and potatoes for those that have a preference.
The only suggestion I have is to make sure everything is savory. This will allow all of the flavors to blend well together. If you want a consistency closer to a pot pie you can use any leftover gravy and mix it in with the filling. This is honestly one of my favorite things to do as it really does tie in the rest of the flavors nicely and you can use up even more of those leftovers. Whether this is for just you, your family, or friends I promise you will have a dish everyone loves.
Looking for other low effort recipes?
Leftover Turkey Shepherd’s Pie
Equipment
- Casserole dish
- Large pot, optional
- Potato ricer, optional
- Potato peeler, optional
- Mixing bowl, optional
- Colander, optional
Ingredients
- 6 cups mashed potatoes
- 1½ pounds turkey leftover, diced or shredded
- ¾ cup onion chopped
- ¾ cup celery chopped
- ¾ cup carrot chopped
- ¾ cup chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon thyme
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Mashed potatoes, if you don’t have enough from leftovers
- 2½ pounds potatoes peeled and large dice
- ½ cup butter softened
- ½ cup half and half
- 1 tablespoon salt
Instructions
Making the mashed potatoes (skip this step if you have enough mashed potatoes on hand)
- In a large pot add the potatoes and cold water. Bring to a boil and cook for 15-20 minutes or until a fork or knife can pass through easily.
- Drain using the colander, rice or mash the potatoes in a mixing bowl. Add the salt, butter, and cream and mix until smooth.
Making the shepherd’s pie
- Preheat oven to 350°F, 177°C, or gas mark 4.
- In an oven safe skillet or casserole dish over medium-high heat add the butter, onion, celery, salt, pepper, and thyme, and carrots. Cook until soft, about 5-10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
- Add the turkey, Worcestershire sauce, and chicken broth. Cooked until reduced. Remove from the heat.
- Spread the mashed potatoes evenly across the top of the turkey mixture and bake for 30 minutes or until the potatoes start to brown. Remove from the oven and serve.
Nutrition
