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Transform your Thanksgiving dinner leftovers into this easy, delicious and comforting Turkey Shepherd’s Pie. It’s a hearty and nutritious crowd pleaser that will also reduce waste and give you a much needed break from those cold and dry turkey sandwiches. There’s also a strong chance you’ll already have most – if not all – of the ingredients needed to make the casserole, so prep time will be kept to a minimum.
Ingredients You Need for the Turkey Shepherd’s Pie
- Leftover Turkey: Make use of those roast turkey leftovers from Thanksgiving dinner. You can use dark meat, white meat or a combination of the two. Just be sure to give the turkey meat a rough chop and remove any bones or cartilage.
- Aromatics: A combination of carrots, celery and onion form the aromatic base for the gravy filling. You can also use leak or shallot if desired.
- Garlic: As always, measure this ingredient with your heart and don’t let anyone tell you there’s such a thing as too much.
- Arrowroot Starch: This naturally gluten-free alternative flour is excellent for making a roux to help thicken the gravy. If you are not concerned with keeping the recipe gluten-free and grain-free, you can use all purpose flour instead.
- Kettle & Fire Chicken Bone Broth: For more flavour and nutrition, I like to use Kettle & Fire Chicken Bone Broth. It has a more concentrated chicken flavour than regular broth and is loaded with collagen and protein.
- Milk: I used organic whole milk because it’s what I had on hand. To keep things dairy-free, substitute coconut milk.
- Fresh Thyme: This will give the gravy a delicious flavour profile. If substituting dried thyme, use 1/2 the amount called for.
- Dijon Mustard: This will give the gravy some twang and also help emulsify the milk and broth. It’s also a key ingredient if you plan on using coconut milk instead of regular milk because it will help to mask the coconut flavour.
- Frozen Peas: For colour and texture, I like to finish the turkey shepherd’s pie filling with some green peas. You can substitute frozen green beans or broccoli if preferred.
- Mashed Potatoes: I’ve included a recipe for mashed potatoes here. However, you can also use up any leftover mashed potatoes you have from Thanksgiving dinner. I recommend warming them in a sauce pan with some chicken broth first because it will make them easier to spread overtop of the pie.
Why You’ll Love this Casserole
- Budget-friendly: It makes use of ingredients you already have and reduces waste.
- Versatile: You can customize the casserole with your favourite fresh or frozen veggies and play around with the topping. Think cauliflower purée, sweet potato mash, or go the decadent route with some puff pastry or biscuit dough.
- Delicious: The combination of roasted turkey cooked in a rich, savoury and creamy gravy and topped with decadent mashed potatoes is pure comfort food. It’s also a great way to reheat leftover turkey without drying it out.
- Feeds a Crowd: If you have family or friends staying over for dinner the next day, this is a great way to get dinner on the table for the crowd. It also pairs very well with any leftover side dishes, like Brussels sprouts, green beans, carrots, or stuffing.
How to Make Leftover Turkey Shepherd’s Pie
Step 1: Preheat and Prepare
- Preheat your oven to 450°F
Step 2: Cook the Vegetables
- Melt the olive oil and butter in a large, oven-safe skillet over medium heat. If you don’t have an oven-safe skillet you can use any pan you like and then transfer the filling to a casserole dish.
- Cook the onion, carrots, and celery until just softened then add in the garlic and cook it for 1 more minute.
Step 3: Make the Gravy
- Sprinkle the arrowroot starch over the vegetables and cook it until incorporated.
- Slowly pour in the bone broth while stirring constantly to avoid lumps. You can also add leftover gravy instead if you have at least 2 cups on hand.
- Add the milk, fresh thyme, mustard and black pepper. Stir everything to combine, bring the liquid to a simmer and cook it until it has reduced in volume by at least 1/4, around 10 minutes. Be patient and don’t skip this step. As the broth and milk reduce, they will intensify in flavour and transform into the most creamy and delicious gravy.
- Add in the leftover turkey and frozen peas, stir it all to combine then taste the gravy for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper as desired.
Step 4: Assemble the Pie
- Remove the pan from heat and let it cool at least 10 minutes. This will give the gravy time to set a little before you add the mashed potatoes. Otherwise, the potatoes will sink down too deep into gravy and you’ll be left with an uneven surface.
- If you’re using a casserole dish, pour the turkey and gravy mixture into it now.
- Spread the mashed potatoes evenly over the top of the gravy and make sure you reach the edges to prevent the gravy from bubbling over.
- For extra crunchy bits, use the back of a spoon to create peaks and valleys in the potatoes.
Step 5: Bake and Serve
- Bake the Shepherd’s Pie in the preheated 450F oven for 20 minutes, or until the top is golden and the filling is bubbling around the edges.
- Let the Turkey Shepherd’s Pie cool at least 10 minutes before serving.
Variations and Substitutions
1. Alternative Proteins
- Swap turkey for leftover chicken.
2. Add More Veggies
- You can toss in green beans, mushrooms, leaks, or broccoli.
3. Dairy-Free Option
- You can actually make this recipe entirely dairy-free or Whole30 if you want. Just substitute olive oil or ghee wherever butter is called for and use my Whole30 Mashed Potatoes Recipe for the topping. For the creamy gravy, substitute coconut milk instead of regular milk.
4. Play Around with the Toppings
- For a healthy twist, top your pie with mashed sweet potatoes instead of regular ones.
- If you want something more indulgent, top the pie with puff pastry, biscuit dough or pie crust.
Tips for the Best Leftover Turkey Shepherd’s Pie
- Don’t skip the flour: I use arrowroot starch to keep things grain-free. It’s a great flour alternative that will help thicken the gravy in less time.
- Let the Filling Cool: If the gravy filling is too hot, the potatoes will sink down and create an uneven surface when you try to spread them overtop. To prevent this, just let the filling cool down for 10 minutes.
- Season to taste: Adjust salt, pepper, and herbs based on your preference.
- Don’t Over Bake: Bake the casserole just until the potatoes are golden brown and the you can see the filling bubbling around the edges. If you over bake it, the potatoes will almost certainly sink down into the filling. It will still be delicious, but it will not look as nice.
- Let It Cool Before Serving: This will give the filling and potato topping some time to set so they doesn’t ooze out all over the place.
What is Shepherd’s Pie
Shepherd’s Pie consists of ground red meat (usually lamb) that is cooked in a dark gravy consisting of onion, carrots, celery, and peas, and stock. The meat filling and gravy is added to a casserole dish and topped with mashed potatoes before being roasted in the oven to finish. Sometimes, grated cheese is added to the topping for colour, flavour and texture.
This recipe replaces ground lamb with leftover roasted turkey – in this case from Thanksgiving dinner. Unlike a traditional shepherd’s pie, which is made with a dark, tomato-based gravy, this recipe calls for making a white gravy that incorporates the use of milk or coconut milk.
Recipe FAQs
1. Can I make this ahead of time?
Yes! You can assemble the pie and leave it unbaked or assemble the pie and bake it. In either case, let it cool fully before covering it tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerating for up to 2 days.
If you assemble the pie without baking it, you will need to bake it at 400F for around 30 minutes. This is different from the recipe instructions below, which account for the filling and potato topping to already be warm.
2. Can I freeze Turkey Shepherd’s Pie?
You can also assemble the turkey shepherd’s pie ahead of time and freeze it for up to 3 months, but you should not bake it first in this case. To bake, thaw it in the fridge overnight and cook it in a 400F oven for around 30 minutes or until the potatoes are golden and the filling is bubbling around the edges.
3. What can I use instead of mashed potatoes?
Try topping the pie with mashed cauliflower or mashed sweet potatoes. For something more indulgent, try topping it with puff pastry, biscuit dough or pie crust.
4. How do I reheat leftovers?
Reheat individual portions in the toaster oven (or microwave) or reheat the entire dish in the oven at 350°F (175°C) until warmed through.
5. Can I use frozen or canned vegetables?
Yes. If using frozen carrots, add them at the same time as the frozen peas. If using canned peas and carrots, add them at the time called for the frozen peas.
Leftover Turkey Shepherd’s Pie
Ingredients
For the Mashed Potatoes:
- 2.5 pounds yellow potatoes, such as Yukon Golds, peeled and cubed
- 32 ounces Kettle & Fire Organic chicken broth
- Kosher salt to taste
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed, substitute ghee
- 1/2 cup whole milk, substitute reserved chicken broth for Whole30
- ¼ cup Greek yogurt, optional
- ¼ teaspoon freshly-cracked black pepper, plus more to taste
For the Leftover Turkey Shepherd’s Pie:
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 celery ribs, diced
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- Kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 heaping tablespoon arrowroot starch
- 17 ounces Kettle & Fire Organic Chicken Bone Broth
- ½ cup whole milk, substitute coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
- ½ teaspoon freshly-cracked black pepper, plus more to taste
- 2 cups leftover turkey meat, diced
- 1 cup frozen peas
Instructions
For the Mashed Potatoes:
- Add the potatoes to a medium saucepan, cover with chicken broth and season with 1 teaspoon salt. Place over high heat and bring to a boil. Cover partially with a lid and cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are fork-tender, around 12 minutes. Drain the cooking liquid into a large measuring pitcher and reserve.
- Return the potatoes back to the pot and set the heat to the lowest setting. Add the butter and mash with a potato masher until incorporated. Add the milk, Greek yogurt (if using), ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Mash with a potato masher until smooth. Taste the potatoes for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper as desired. Cover with a lid and set aside until ready to use.
For the Leftover Turkey Shepherd’s Pie:
- Preheat the oven to 450F.
- Preheat a 10” oven-safe frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and butter and heat until the butter has melted. Add the carrot, celery and onion, season with ¼ teaspoon salt and cook, stirring, until the onions are just translucent, around 4 minutes. Add the arrowroot starch and cook, stirring, until dissolved. Add the bone broth, milk, mustard, thyme and ½ teaspoon black pepper, bring to a simmer and cook, stirring regularly, until the liquid can coat the back of a spoon and has reduced in volume by ¼, around 10 minutes. Add the turkey and peas and stir through to combine. Taste the mixture for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper, as desired.
- Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool for 10 minutes so that the mixture can set. Using a spatula, carefully spread the mashed potatoes across the top of the turkey mixture. For extra texture, create small peaks and valleys in the potatoes with the back of a spoon. Place the pan on top of a large sheet pan to catch any drippings and transfer it to the oven. Bake the pie until the potatoes are golden brown and the filling is bubbling around the edges, around 20 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool at least 10 minutes before serving.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
About the Author
Hi, i’m Ronny! In 2013, after a lifetime of struggling with my weight and body issues, I rehabilitated my relationship with food, lost over 40 pounds and completely changed my life.
