This easy recipe for turkey shepherd’s pie is so good that you might not want to wait for the Thanksgiving leftovers to make it! Tender turkey and vegetables in a creamy sauce, all topped with buttery mashed potatoes. Comfort food to the max!
I do love me some Thanksgiving, with family gathered around the table and the turkey and all the fixings. But close after that in terms of things I am thankful for are the leftovers!
And every year I try and come up with some new and scrumptious way to serve up those precious leftovers, because is there is something about Thanksgiving leftovers that always transforms magically into comfort food.
And so I bring you this year’s spin on next week’s leftovers: turkey shepherd’s pie! Let’s make it!
And I am sorely tempted to make this even before I have the leftovers in my hands, because apparently the first Nor’Easter of the season is heading our way…TODAY. A full week before Thanksgiving.
SOB. Although I have promised the weather gods that they can send all the snow they want, so long as the Southern daughter’s wedding in mid-March is completely snow-free.
Meantime back at this shepherd’s pie, I would like to start by saying that I am well aware that I have broken all shepherd’s pie rules by calling this shepherd’s pie.
I realize that true shepherd’s pie is made with lamb, but in my house anything that gets topped with buttery mashed potatoes is firmly in shepherd’s pie territory, and so I am going rogue and call this turkey shepherd’s pie.
If you have leftover turkey, leftover mashed potatoes and leftover carrots this dish will practically make itself, but just in case I have included directions for starting from scratch in the recipe below.
You are basically going to make a creamy concoction of turkey and veggies in a seasoned broth, top the whole thing with mashed potatoes and pop it in the oven for a few minutes until everything is piping hot.
And we all lived happily, thankfully ever after!
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Turkey Shepherd’s Pie
Prep Time: 30 minutes- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop and Oven
- Cuisine: American
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This easy recipe for turkey shepherd’s pie is so good that you might not want to wait for the Thanksgiving leftovers to make it!
Ingredients
- 3–4 cups cooked turkey, torn into bite sized pieces (see note)
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 2 carrots, peeled and diced, or a cup of baby carrots
- 1 sweet onion, peeled and chopped
- 1/2 cup flour
- Salt and pepper
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon dried sage
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
- 3/4 cup half and half
- Chopped parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425.
- Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a saucepan over medium high heat. Add carrot and onion and saute for 5 minutes.
- Add flour and stir to coat. Add broth, sage and thyme and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes or until thickened.
- Stir in turkey along with a pinch each of salt and pepper.
- While the turkey mixture is coming along, make the mashed potatoes (and of course if you have leftover mashed potatoes you can skip this step and just use those – bring them to room temperature first!). Put the peeled potatoes into a pot of salted water and bring to a boil. Simmer until potatoes are tender, about 10-15 minutes, drain and return to the pot.
- Mash the potatoes with the remaining butter and the half and half. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Pour the turkey mixture into a casserole dish and spread the mashed potatoes on top. Bake for 15 minutes.
- Serve, garnished with parsley if you like! Feel very thankful.
Notes
If you don’t have have leftover cooked turkey (sob!), you can substitute a pound or so of ground turkey. Simply saute it up in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and use it instead of the leftover turkey.
We got a few inches of snow yesterday here in Eastern Iowa. I was planning on some turkey tetrazzini with my Thanksgiving leftovers, but this dish may trump that!
Well, this reminds me that I have to get a turkey tetrazzini recipe going on my site! I hope you have the most wonderful Thanksgiving, Teresa. I’m so thankful for your ongoing support of this little website – your comments always make my day! xo
I’d be glad to share my recipe for tetrazzini with you!
Yes!! I would love that! :)