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Turkey Shepherd's Pie - Now that's a brilliant use of Leftovers!

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The most innovative way to prevent a trip to the market and use up any possible leftovers from Thanksgiving is to make this comforting, cheesy, hearty, and soul-satisfying Leftover Turkey Shepherd's Pie. Loaded with creamy mashed potatoes, crispy bacon, and ooey-gooey shredded Mozzarella Cheese.
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turkey shepherds pie with topped with dill and parsley

Leftover Turkey shepherd's pie with vegetables is one of the most iconic Leftover Thanksgiving recipes that hits you right on!

What's better than making Turkey Shepherd's Pie after Turkey Day with leftovers?

Here are some more Leftover Turkey Recipe you can make:

turkey shepherds pie with a veggie filling
turkey shepherds pie with a veggie filling

There are endless number of variations you can make for the recipe.

Instead of Mashed Potatoes, you can use leftover Mashed Sweet potatoes for the topping.

You can use the veggies from your Thanksgiving veggie tray.

You can use your Leftover Turkey gravy, Thanksgiving sausage herb stuffing, and leftover cranberry sauce.

Why I'd make Leftover Turkey Shepherd's Pie again in a heartbeat!

  • Only one dish to wash.
  • Can be made ahead of time.
  • Can be stored in the fridge for 4 days.
  • Best way to use up leftovers from The Thanksgiving Day.
  • Prevents a trip to the market for cooking the next day.
creamy turkey shepherds pie topped with fresh parsley
creamy turkey shepherds pie topped with fresh parsley

Ingredients

  • Bacon
  • Veggies - Yellow Onions, carrots, celery, scallions, corn, chopped bell peppers
  • freshly minced garlic
  • Seasoning - dried thyme and rosemary, salt & pepper.
  • All-purpose flour
  • Turkey Gravy (can be replaced with chicken broth)
  • chicken bouillon cube (can be replaced with Poultry Seasoning)
  • Leftover Turkey Meat
  • English peas
  • Mashed Potato
  • Mozzarella Cheese

How to Make Leftover Turkey Shepherd's Pie

  • STEP 1: Cook Bacon in a large 12" skillet over medium-low heat. Remove from the skillet and set it aside.
  • STEP 2: Add diced yellow onions, carrots, celery, scallion, corn, and chopped bell peppers. Sauté onions in the leftover bacon fat until soft and translucent.
  • STEP 3: Add in freshly minced garlic. Season with Salt, Freshly ground black pepper, Italian seasoning, dried thyme, and rosemary. Cook until the garlic is fragrant.
  • STEP 4: Stir in some all-purpose flour.
  • STEP 5: Whisk in chicken or turkey broth.
  • STEP 6: Stir in one chicken bouillon cube. Mix well for deep flavor. You can replace the Bouillon cube with Homemade Poultry Seasoning
  • STEP 7: Stir in cooked leftover turkey (white or dark) and English peas. Turn off the heat.
  • STEP 8: Add in Mashed Potato. Spread the mashed potato using a spoon all over the filling until smooth. Use a fork to ruffle up the top.
  • STEP 9: Top with loads of shredded Mozzarella Cheese.
  • STEP 10: Bake in a preheated oven until the cheese is browned on top.

PRO TIP: Top with crispy bacon and serve right away! BTW, you can make baked bacon too.

turkey shepherds pie topped with mashed potatoes
turkey shepherds pie topped with mashed potatoes

Storage:

Here is how you can store Leftover Turkey Shepherd's Pie in the refrigerator:

  • Allow the Shepherd's pie to cool down completely at room temperature.
  • Wrap the baking dish with plastic saran wrap. Or transfer to an airtight container. I don't trust a foil.
  • Refrigerate under 4°C or 39°F for 4 to 5 days.

I don't recommend freezing this leftover Turkey Shepherd's Pie. Sadly, the mashed potato won't freeze well.

If you were to store it in the freezer, I would recommend storing it without the mashed potatoes.

More Make Ahead Recipes for Thanksgiving & Christmas

Variations:

  • Stuffing - Use your leftover thanksgiving turkey stuffing in the filling for this Shepherd's pie.
  • Cranberry Sauce - Use your leftover Cranberry Sauce in the filling for a fantastic flavor.
  • Pecan Stuffing - I have tried this recipe with my leftover Cranberry Pecan stuffing; it tastes decadent.
  • Mushroom Stock - You can replace Turkey Gravy with Mushroom stock.
  • Broccoli - Dump in a bag of frozen broccoli for a comforting casserole flavor.

Make Ahead Instructions:

Here is how to make Leftover Turkey Shepherd's Pie in advance:

  • Prepare the filling as you would normally do.
  • Hold off the mashed potatoes and cheese.
  • Allow the filling to cool down to room temperature.
  • Cover it up with a plastic saran wrap tightly. Double wrap with foil to prevent freezer burns.
  • Freeze for 2 months.
  • When ready to reheat allow it thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
  • Cover it up with fresh homemade Mashed Potato and top with cheese.
  • Bake at 375°F for 35-45 minutes until the cheese is browned on top.
turkey shepherds pie in a skillet
turkey shepherds pie in a skillet

Can You Make Turkey Shepherd's Pie with Ground Turkey?

Yes, it is possible. You can turn your leftover turkey to ground turkey in the food processor and then use the recipe as explained to make Turkey Shepherd's pie.

Other Recipes you should try:

turkey shepherds pie with topped with dill and parsley

Turkey Shepherd's Pie - Now that's a brilliant use of Leftovers!

The most innovative way to prevent a trip to the market and use up any possible leftovers from Thanksgiving is to make this comforting, cheesy, hearty, and soul-satisfying Leftover Turkey Shepherd's Pie. Loaded with creamy mashed potatoes, crispy bacon, and ooey-gooey shredded Mozzarella Cheese.
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Prep Time: 8 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 8 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 364kcal
Author: Surup

INGREDIENTS

  • 4 strips bacon cut into small bites

for the filling

  • 1 cup yellow onions diced
  • 1 rib celery chopped
  • 2 medium carrots chopped
  • ½ cup sweet corn thawed
  • 3 large scallions finely chopped
  • 1 small bell pepper finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic fresh, minced
  • ½ teaspoon salt adjust more if needed
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup turkey gravy or Low sodium chicken broth
  • 1 cube chicken bouillon
  • 2½ cups turkey meat dark or white (chopped in small chunks or shredded)* see notes
  • ½ cup English peas frozen
  • 3 cups mashed potatoes can be replaced with mashed sweet potatoes
  • 4 oz Mozzarella Cheese shredded

Garnish

  • fresh parsley chopped
  • fresh dill chopped

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
  • Cook bacon bits in a large 12" skillet over medium-low heat. Turn over with tongs and cook both sides until perfectly crispy. Remove from skillet and set aside.
  • In the same skillet with leftover bacon drippings (fat), sauté 1 cup diced yellow onions, 1 rib of chopped celery, 2 medium chopped carrots, ½ cup sweet corn, 1 small bell pepper finely chopped, and 3 large scallions finely chopped.
    Sauté until the onions are translucent.
  • Stir in minced garlic. Season with salt, pepper, dried rosemary, and dried thyme. Sauté until the garlic is fragrant for about 30 seconds.
  • Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour and stir well. The Flour will ensure the veggies stay crunchy. And in the next step, when you add gravy, the flour will ensure a creamy texture.
  • Whisk in leftover turkey gravy or chicken stock with 1 cube of chicken bouillon.
  • Stir in 2½ cups of leftover turkey meat cut into bite-sized chunks or shredded with two forks. Stir in ½ cup frozen English peas. Turn off the heat.
  • Top with leftover Mashed Potatoes or Mashed Sweet Potatoes
    The more, the merrier. Spread it out until smooth all over the filling. Use a fork to ruffle up the top.
  • Top with loads and loads of shredded Mozzarella cheese or shredded sharp cheddar cheese.
  • Transfer to a preheated oven. Bake in the middle rack of the oven for 30 minutes. If you don't want the top to brown, then after 15 minutes, cover the top with foil.
  • Serve the Leftover Turkey Shepherd's Pie with freshly chopped parsley, fresh dill, and crispy bacon bits from step 1.

Notes

If you are using fresh turkey, here is how to cook turkey breast in an Instant Pot. 

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Turkey Shepherd's Pie - Now that's a brilliant use of Leftovers!
Amount Per Serving (1 serving)
Calories 364 Calories from Fat 108
% Daily Value*
Fat 12g18%
Saturated Fat 5g31%
Trans Fat 0.02g
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g
Monounsaturated Fat 4g
Cholesterol 64mg21%
Sodium 752mg33%
Potassium 750mg21%
Carbohydrates 40g13%
Fiber 5g21%
Sugar 6g7%
Protein 25g50%
Vitamin A 4446IU89%
Vitamin C 48mg58%
Calcium 145mg15%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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