This Turkey Shepherd's Pie recipe is the perfect way to use up leftover Turkey meat from Thanksgiving or Christmas roast dinner. It is comforting, full of flavor, and very easy to make - a great casserole dish for cold fall and winter nights.
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Leftover Turkey Shepherd's Pie is very similar to my Easy Cottage Pie and is a perfect way to use up leftover Pomme Purée(Creamy Mashed Potatoes), Swede and Carrot Mash, and turkey gravy as well as Oven Roasted Turkey. You can easily replace leftover turkey meat with chicken, lamb, or beef, it will still be delicious!
What Is Shepherd's Pie
Shepherd's Pie is British comfort food consisting of ground beef and vegetables cooked in a rich brown gravy, topped with creamy mashed potatoes, and then baked until golden and crusty.
Shepherd's Pie made with lamb is called Cottage Pie and they both can be made either freshly minced or chopped from cooked leftover meat.
Why This Recipe Works
- This recipe is the perfect way to use up some holiday leftovers such as turkey meat from Slow Roasted Turkey Leg, or Pomme Purée (Creamy Mashed Potatoes), roasted garlic, Swede and Carrot Mash, and turkey gravy.
- Turkey Shepherd's Pie is not only hearty, delicious, and comforting but is also healthy and low in calories. 1 portion of this casserole dish contains only 492 kcal.
- This casserole dish is very easy to make, ready in 40 minutes, and loved by everyone!
Ingredients and Substitutes
Turkey Filling
- Turkey meat - You can use any part of the bird, dark, white, or a mixture. Finely chop them into small pieces.
- Mushroom - Although it is not a traditional ingredient for Shepherd's pie, it adds a great flavor and texture! I use whatever mushroom is available in my fridges such as chestnut mushrooms, button mushrooms, or a mixture of wild mushrooms.
- Onions - Any type of onions including shallots would work for this recipe.
- Celery - It adds flavor depth to meals, especially soups, sauces, and casseroles.
- Carrots - I like the aroma, texture, and color it adds to the dishes as well as nutrition.
- Garlic - I use roasted garlic left from roasting the turkey but you can substitute it with finely chopped fresh garlic cloves.
- Stock - I use chicken stock if I don't have any leftover turkey gravy. They both work great with this recipe.
Mashed Potato Topping
- Potatoes - The best potatoes for fluffy, smooth, and flavorsome mashed potatoes are the ones with higher starch such as Maris Piper, Red Russets, Desire, or King Edward.
- Double cream - It is similar to heavy cream. You can substitute it with full-fat milk, single cream, or sour cream. If you want to omit it, add extra butter to your mashed potatoes.
- Butter - It helps make the starchy texture of potatoes richer and adds loads of flavor.
- Egg yolks - They add creaminess and flavor to the mashed potatoes and also give some golden brown color to the top layer.
- Cheddar cheese - Everything tastes better with a bit of extra cheese added. You can use any hard cheese such as parmesan, Comte, or Gruyère.
Step-by-Step Instructions
This is a very easy recipe and you need to follow a few simple steps to achieve the best results :
Prepare The Pie Filling
Heat a heavy-based pan or a wok on medium heat and add olive oil. When the oil is hot enough, add the onions and sauté for a few minutes, until soft and slightly browned.
Add the garlic and quickly sauté for 30 seconds before adding the carrots and the celery.
Sauté the vegetables for a few minutes until they slightly change color, and then add the mushrooms.
Cook the mushrooms until softened, for about 2-3 minutes, and then add the turkey meat.
Give the pan a good stir and then add the flour, thyme, salt, and freshly ground pepper.
Add the stock or the gravy, mix well and let the mixture simmer for five minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat and transfer the pie filling into a pie dish.
Prepare The Potato Topping
Preheat the oven to 180° C - 360° F (fan oven). Peel the potatoes and cut them into equal chunks. Place them in a saucepan with plenty of cold water.
Put the pan on medium heat and bring to a boil, bring the heat down, and let the potatoes gently simmer for about 20 minutes or until soft.
Drain well and return the potatoes back to the pan. Put the pan back on low heat and let all the water evaporate for 30 seconds then remove them from the heat.
Add the double cream, butter, salt, and pepper. Mash the potatoes by using a masher or a ricer until smooth.
Add the cheese and egg yolks and give it a quick stir to combine.
Spoon the mashed potatoes on top of the pie filling and cover completely. Fluff the top by using a fork for extra crispiness.
Place in the oven for 30-35 minutes until the top turns golden brown and the filling is bubbling.
Please scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredients list with measurements, complete recipe method, recipe notes, and nutritional information.
Top Tips From the Chef
- Always start cooking the potatoes with cold water for even cooking. If you put your potatoes in boiling water, the outside will be mashy and start to flake while the core is still uncooked.
- Let the pie filling cool down for 30 minutes before adding the mashed potatoes to avoid them sinking in the meat sauce.
- Leftover meat from Dutch Oven Whole Roast Chicken or Rice Stuffed Chicken also works great with this recipe.
- Add ¼ cup extra chicken stock or turkey gravy if you want your pie filling soupier.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this hearty casserole dish along with some Air Fryer Brussel Sprouts, Swede and Carrot Mash, Baked Cheesy Cauliflower, Beetroot and Feta Salad, or/and some steamed green vegetables.
Recipe FAQs
The leftovers would keep for up to five days when refrigerated in an airtight container.
Yes, you can freeze this delicious turkey pie before or after baking it. In both cases, thaw it overnight before baking.
Yes, you can prepare this pie up to two days in advance. Just cover and keep it refrigerated until ready to bake.
Related Recipes
For more delicious Thanksgiving recipes why not try:
Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.
I hope you enjoy the process of making this delicious Turkey Shepherd's Pie as much as you enjoy eating it! 🙂
Bon appétit! / Afiyet Olsun!
Turkey Shepherd's Pie
Equipment
Ingredients
For The Pie Filling
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large onion (diced)
- 2 clove garlic (finely chopped)
- 1 large carrot (diced)
- 2 sticks celery (diced)
- 200 g button or chestnut mushrooms (sliced)
- 400 g leftover turkey meat (diced)
- ½ tablespoon plain flour
- 2 sprigs thyme (finely chopped)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup leftover turkey gravy or chicken stock
For The Mashed Potatoes
- 400 g floury potatoes (desire, russet or maris piper)
- 50 ml double cream or heavy cream
- 15 g butter
- 1 egg yolk
- 30 g grated cheddar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Preparing The Pie Filling
- Heat a heavy-based pan or a wok on medium heat and add olive oil.
- When the oil is hot enough, add the onions and sauté for a few minutes, until soft and slightly browned.
- Add the garlic and quickly sauté for 30 seconds before adding the carrots and the celery.
- Sauté the vegetables for a few minutes until they slightly change color, and then add the mushrooms.
- Cook the mushrooms until softened, for about 2-3 minutes, and then add the turkey meat.
- Give the pan a good stir and then add the flour, thyme, salt, and freshly ground pepper.
- Add the stock or the gravy, mix well and let the mixture simmer for five minutes.
- Remove the pan from the heat and transfer the pie filling into a pie dish.
Preparing The Potato Topping
- Preheat the oven to 180° C - 360° F (fan oven).
- Peel the potatoes and cut them into equal chunks. Place them in a saucepan with plenty of cold water.
- Put the pan on medium heat and bring to a boil, bring the heat down, and let the potatoes gently simmer for about 20 minutes or until soft.
- Drain well and return the potatoes back to the pan. Put the pan back on low heat and let all the water evaporate for 30 seconds then remove them from the heat.
- Add the double cream, butter, salt, and pepper. Mash the potatoes by using a masher or a ricer until smooth.
- Add the cheese and egg yolks and give it a quick stir to combine.
- Spoon the mashed potatoes on top of the pie filling and cover completely. Fluff the top by using a fork for extra crispiness.
- Place in the oven for 30-35 minutes until the top turns golden brown and the filling is bubbling.
Notes
- Always start cooking the potatoes with cold water for even cooking. If you put your potatoes in boiling water, the outside will be mashy and start to flake while the core is still uncooked.
- Let the pie filling cool down for 30 minutes before adding the mashed potatoes to avoid them sinking in the meat sauce.
- Leftover roast chicken work also great with this recipe.
- Add ¼ cup extra chicken stock or turkey gravy if you want your pie filling soupier.
- The leftovers would keep for up to five days when refrigerated in an airtight container.
- You can prepare this pie up to two days in advance. Just cover and keep it refrigerated until ready to bake.
Nutrition
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Nancy
Oh my goodness! So delicious! My husband thanks you for this wonderful recipe!
Diane
I just made this recipe with the leftover turkey from thanksgiving dinner and OMG, it was delicious! Thank you!