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    Turkey Shepherd’s Pie

    November 30, 2024

    Rich, savory and gloriously freezer-friendly, our turkey shepherd’s pie recipe is the ultimate use for Thanksgiving leftovers.

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    turkey shepherd's pie filled with turkey, onion, celery, carrots, green beans & topped with garlic mashed potatoes
    Photography by Gayle McLeod

    We hear that some Thanksgiving hosts send their guests home with leftovers. Sadly, we are not so generous. We wait all year for all those glorious Thanksgiving leftovers! We stock up on mayo and squishy white bread for turkey sandwiches. We make Turkey Stock with the turkey carcass to use in our Turkey Pozole Rojo. And this year, we’re hoping for enough leftover turkey and mashed potatoes to make this cozy turkey shepherd’s pie recipe. If you want to make turkey shepherd’s pie and you don’t have leftovers from your Roasted Spatchcocked Turkey, that’s OK! You can use chicken instead and it’ll be just as good. Or, if you hosted Thanksgiving and ended up with tons and tons of leftover turkey and Mashed Potatoes, this shepherd’s pie recipe almost makes itself! Plus, it freezes beautifully.

    potatoes, celery, onion, carrots, butter, milk, flour, stock, green beans, turkey and spices in prep bowls

    Turkey Shepherd’s Pie Ingredients

    • Leftover turkey: Or cooked chicken works, too, if you don’t have leftover turkey.

    • Butter: We pretty much hop on the butter train on Thanksgiving Day and we don’t plan to hop off until the new year.

    • Whole milk: We wouldn’t substitute anything else here — you want a nice slightly creamy shepherd’s pie filling.

    • Herbs and spices: Bay leaves, garlic powder and thyme.

    • Onion: A must!

    • Celery: A must!

    • Carrots: A must!

    • Flour: To thicken the filling, just a little flour.

    • Stock: Any stock you have — veggie, chicken, turkey — will work here.

    • Green beans: Veggies mean this counts as a one-pan dinner.

    • Leftover mashed potatoes: Or, you’ll whip up a quick batch of mashed potatoes for your shepherd’s pie with more milk, butter, garlic and some russet potatoes.

    onion, celery, and carrots being cooked in butter in a skillet
    spices, milk and chicken stock being added to a skillet with onion, celery, carrots and butter
    turkey shepherds pie filling being cooked in a skillet made with carrots, onion, celery, spices, milk, stock and flour
    turkey and green beans being added to a skillet of turkey shepherds pie filling

    How To Make A Turkey Shepherd’s Pie

    1. Sauté the aromatics. Onion, celery, carrots in butter until the onions are translucent.

    2. Season them with salt, pepper, garlic powder and thyme and stir in flour to create a thick paste. This paste will form the creamy base for your turkey shepherd’s pie filling.

    3. Very slowly, whisk in the milk and then the stock (Homemade Turkey Stock works like a charm!). Simmer, whisking constantly, for about 5 minutes.

    4. Add green beans and leftover turkey (or chicken) to the pan.

    5. Spread the mashed potatoes over the filling, and bake for about 30 minutes.

    6. Dig in! Or, if you’d rather enjoy the bounty later, you can freeze your pie!

    boiled potatoes being mashed with butter, milk, garlic powder, salt and pepper
    a pot of homemade garlic mashed potatoes for topping shepherds pie
    garlic mashed potatoes being spread on top or turkey shepherds pie filling with carrots, onion, celery and greenbeans
    turkey shepherd's pie filled with turkey, onion, celery, carrots, green beans & topped with garlic mashed potatoes

    How To Freeze Shepherd’s Pie

    Not quite ready to enjoy the flavors of Thanksgiving all over again quite yet? That’s OK! Instead of making this shepherd’s pie in an ovenproof skillet or braiser, bake it in a freezer-safe dish like a 9x13 Pyrex or even a foil baking pan. Bake it all the way through, then let the turkey shepherd’s pie cool completely. Cover it with foil and freeze. It’ll keep in the freezer for up to two months. Freezing your shepherd’s pie is also a great way to share the wealth of Thanksgiving leftovers with friends or neighbors who could use a little help—whip up this pie, freeze it and drop it off for them to enjoy whenever they’d like to.

    turkey shepherd's pie filled with turkey, onion, celery, carrots, green beans & topped with garlic mashed potatoes

    More Savory Pie Recipes

    Let the Thanksgiving Leftover Bonanza Begin!

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    Turkey Shepherd’s Pie

    Updated on November 30, 2024

    • Serves:  8
    • Prep Time:  20 min
    • Cook Time:  50 min
    • Calories:  471
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    Ingredients

    Garlic Mashed Potatoes

    • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
    • 3 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch cubes
    • 2 bay leaves
    • ½ cup (1 stick) salted butter, softened
    • ¾ cup whole milk, warmed
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • Sea salt, to taste
    • Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

    Turkey Filling

    • ½ cup (1 stick) salted butter, cut into pieces
    • 1 cup chopped yellow onion, (from 1 medium onion)
    • 2 celery ribs, cut into ¼-inch pieces
    • 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into ¼-inch pieces
    • ½ cup all-purpose flour
    • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
    • ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves, (optional)
    • ¾ cup whole milk, (warmed)
    • 1 ½ cups chicken stock, (warmed)
    • 1 cup frozen green beans
    • 3 cups chopped cooked turkey or chicken
    • Parsley, minced, (optional)

    Method

    1. Make the garlic mashed potatoes. Fill a large pot with water. Add the salt, the potatoes, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and boil until fork-tender but not falling apart, about 15-20 minutes.

      potatoes, celery, onion, carrots, butter, milk, flour, stock, green beans, turkey and spices in prep bowls

    2. Meanwhile, make the turkey filling. In a large, deep ovenproof skillet or braiser (see Note 1), melt the butter over medium heat. Add in the onion, celery, and carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are tender and translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the flour, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and thyme to create a thick paste.

      spices, milk and chicken stock being added to a skillet with onion, celery, carrots and butter

    3. Slowly stir in the milk. Once the milk is fully incorporated, slowly stir in the chicken stock. Simmer, whisking continuously, until mixture has thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the green beans and turkey.

      turkey shepherds pie filling being cooked in a skillet made with carrots, onion, celery, spices, milk, stock and flour

    4. Preheat the oven to 400°F with a rack in the center position.

      turkey and green beans being added to a skillet of turkey shepherds pie filling

    5. Drain the potatoes. Return the potatoes to the pot and return the pot to low heat. Remove the bay leaves.

      boiled potatoes being mashed with butter, milk, garlic powder, salt and pepper

    6. Use a ricer or potato masher to mash the potatoes. Add ½ cup softened butter and ¾ cup warmed milk, stirring quickly until incorporated. Season with 1 teaspoon garlic powder and salt and pepper to taste.

      garlic mashed potatoes being spread on top or turkey shepherds pie filling with carrots, onion, celery and greenbeans

    7. Spread the mashed potatoes over the turkey filling creating soft peaks as you spread it (see Note 2). Bake until lightly browned and the filling is bubbling, about 30 minutes.

      Turkey Shepherds Pie 13

    Notes

    1. If you don’t have an ovenproof skillet or braiser, you can use a regular skillet for the stovetop cooking and transfer the filling to a 9 x 13-inch baking dish to finish in the oven.
    2. If your mashed potatoes reach the top of your baking dish, place the casserole on top of a rimmed sheet pan to catch any overflow.

    Nutrition Info

    • Per Serving
    • Amount
    • Calories 471
    • Protein 22 g
    • Carbohydrates 43 g
    • Total Fat 24 g
    • Dietary Fiber 4 g
    • Cholesterol 97 mg
    • sodium 555 mg
    • Total Sugars 6 g

    Turkey Shepherd’s Pie

    Questions & Reviews

    Join the discussion below.

    or
    • gail

      can i use leftover stuffing instead of the mashed potatoes?

      We haven't tried that but you could certainly give it a shot.

    • Lisa

      Excellent! If you have mashed potatoes already made, this becomes a ver quick recipe to put together. I used wheat flour instead of white and no one could tell. Worked perfectly. So cozy on a cold night!!

      Thanks Lisa, we are so glad you loved it!

    • Cindy

      ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Ten stars. This is incredibly fantastic! Followed the recipe traded beans for frozen peas and added leftover dressing on top of the potatoes. Thanksgiving in a bowl!!!! Easy to make and better to eat😋. This will definitely go into the family cookbook.

      Thanks Cindy, we are so happy you loved it!

    • Holly

      Holy moly. This was so delicious! Because my daughter doesn't like white potatoes I used sweet potatoes instead and used fresh green beans instead of frozen. Everyone in my family loved it. I wanted to finished the pan off it was so good. Once again you ladies have knocked it out of the park. Your recipes are consistenly fabulous. Thank you. We'll be returning to this often now that the cold weather has arrived in the PacNW.

      Thanks so much Holly, we are so happy your family loved it!

    • Allison

      Truly delicious recipe. I loved the baked mashed on top with the gravy oozing through. I used fresh green beans and a ripened vine tomatoes and a few mushrooms for extra umami/liquid.

      Thanks Allison, we are so happy you loved this recipe!

    • Chryscenthia

      Made this for some company, and it was a huge hit! Timing is everything with this dish, and it tasted amazing!!! I did use the 9x11 pan to bake the pie. Would absolutely make again, and to make my life easier, I used frozen mixed veggies with fresh onions and ground turkey.

      Thank you Chryscenthia! We are so happy that everyone enjoyed it, thanks for trying it out!