Leftover Turkey Shepherd’s Pie

This Leftover Turkey Shepherd’s Pie is a great way to use up all your post-Thanksgiving food just sitting in the fridge!  Carrots, celery, onion and peas get simmered in a gravy sauce and baked with a topping of mashed potatoes.

The traditional Shepherd’s Pie is made with beef, but I only eat what flies or swims.  This turkey version utilizes all the traditional Thanksgiving leftovers with the addition of some fresh veggies for a flavorful, leftover dish that might taste better than the original versions.  So good, that your MIL might quickly wash your dish and pack away the leftovers in her fridge when you’re not looking.  Well, at least you get left with a clean dish!

This dish is super simple to make.  I started with around 4 c. of cubed, leftover turkey and spread it into the bottom of a sprayed baking pan.  Next, I chopped up fresh onion, celery, carrot and garlic and added it to a heated skillet with a bit of olive oil.  The veggies get sauteed for around 5 minutes until the onion becomes translucent and the carrots are slightly softened.  A bit of dried parsley, thyme, salt and pepper are all you need for great flavor.  I used around 4 c. of leftover gravy that was made with turkey drippings.  You can use the instant variety if you don’t have any leftovers and want to make something quick.  The gravy gets added to the veggies and simmered for around 10 minutes before pouring over the turkey.

I chose to pour the gravy over the turkey to avoid drying it out any further [very tricky turkey indeed].  Spreading it in the bottom of the pan also, ensures equal distribution of turkey delight in every bite.  Wow, I’m rhyming now…the puns will start dropping next!

The final stage involves the spreading of creamy, mashed potato goodness.  Lucky for you, there is no guessing how much mashed tater is needed to cover the whole top of this pie.  I wasn’t so lucky during my recipe creation endeavours! As I began spreading , it became painfully apparent that I was just short of the amount required for Sheperd’s Pie perfection.  Profanity may have been involved following my initial stage of denial, as I tried to spread a mm thick layer before calling no joy and getting my potato peeler out.

Slow Cooker White Turkey Chili is another great way to use up some of that leftover turkey!  Wash it down with a pitcher of Apple Cider Margaritas or Sangria.

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Leftover Turkey Shepherd's Pie

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

30 mins

Total Time

50 mins

 

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Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Servings: 12

Author: Holly

Ingredients

• 1 c. carrots; sliced thinly horizontally
• 1 c. celery; sliced horizontally
• 2/3 c. yellow onion; finely diced
• 2/3 c. frozen peas
• 3 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• 1 tsp. dried parsley
• 1 salt and pepper to taste
• 4 c. prepared gravy
• 6 c. prepared/seasoned mashed potatoes
• 2 tbsp. freshly chopped chives
• 2 tsp. minced garlic (around 2 cloves if fresh)
• 4 c. cubed cooked turkey

Instructions

1. Add the olive oil to a large skillet on medium/high heat until hot.

2. Add the carrots, celery onion and garlic.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Saute for around 4-5 minutes until onions become translucent and the carrots are slightly softened.

3. Stir in the thyme and parsley.

4. Add the prepared gravy.  Simmer on low heat for around 10 minutes.

5. Add the cubed turkey to the bottom of a 13x9" baking dish lightly sprayed or greased.

   

6. Pour the gravy mixture evenly over the turkey.

   

7. Spread the potatoes evenly over the top of the gravy mixture.

   

8. Sprinkle the top with fresh chives.

9. Bake at 375 degrees for around 30 minutes or until the top is slightly browned.