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    Turkey Shepherd’s Pie

    September 11, 2024

    Leftover turkey gets new life in this ultra-hearty, rich, savory turkey shepherd’s pie recipe.

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    Homemade Turkey Shepherd's Pie in a cast iron skillet being scooped with a spoon

    Hello, Leftover Turkey! So Nice To See You Again.

    We hear that some kind Thanksgiving hosts send their guests home with leftovers. Sadly, we are not so generous. We wait all year for that leftover turkey goodness. We stock up on mayo for turkey sandwiches. We make stock with the turkey carcass to use in our Turkey Pozole Rojo. And this year, we’re hoping for enough leftover turkey to make this cozy turkey version of classic shepherd’s pie! In creating this comforting recipe, we leaned hard into classic Thanksgiving flavors and ingredients—garlic, thyme, onion, green beans and butter (and butter, and more butter). If you are really lucky and end up with lots of leftover mashed potatoes—you’ll need about 5-6 cups of mashed potatoes—you can use them for the topping rather than making the garlic mashed potatoes fresh.

    turkey, mashed potatoes, celery, onions, carrots, green beans, spices, flour, milk, butter and chicken stock in bowls

    Leftover Turkey and...Everything Else You’ll Need To Make This Shepherd’s Pie

    So actually, if you’re wanting to make this turkey shepherd’s pie and you don’t have any 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! In other words, it’s surprisingly versatile—all that will vary is the amount of effort you’ll need to put in. Here’s everything you’ll need to make a leftover turkey shepherd’s pie:

    • Bay leaves

    • 2 sticks of butter

    • Milk

    • Garlic powder

    • Onion

    • Celery

    • Carrots

    • Flour

    • Thyme

    • Chicken or turkey stock

    • Green beans

    • Cooked turkey (or chicken)

    • Russet potatoes (only if you don’t have leftover mashed potatoes)

    onion, celery and carrots in a skillet
    onion, celery, carrots, buter, spices and flour in a skillet
    onion, celery, carrots, butter, spices and flour being stirred in a skillet with a wooden spoon
    onion, celery, carrots, butter, spices and flour being stirred in a skillet with a wooden spoon

    How To Make A Turkey Shepherd’s Pie

    If you’ve got leftover turkey and leftover mashed potatoes (at least five cups worth), you’re about halfway done with this recipe already. How great is that? Here’s how quick and easy it is to finish the job:

    1. Sauté 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 (or chicken) 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 the frozen green beans and leftover turkey (or chicken) to the pan.

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

    6. And your shepherd’s pie is done!

    onion, celery, carrots, butter, spices, flour and milk being stirred in a skillet with a wooden spoon
    onion, celery, carrots, butter, spices, flour and milk being stirred in a skillet with a wooden spoon
    cooked onion, celery, carrots, butter, spices, flour and milk topped with green beans and cooked turkey in a skillet
    homemade turkey shepherd's pie filling in a skillet

    Yes! You Can Freeze This Shepherd’s Pie. Here’s How:

    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 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.

    homemade turkey shepherd's pie filling topped with roasted garlic mashed potatoes in a skillet
    homemade Turkey Shepherd's Pie in a skillet on the counter

    Tools You’ll Need:

    5 More Savory Pie Recipes to Try

    homemade Turkey Shepherd's Pie in a skillet on the counter
    Homemade Turkey Shepherd's Pie in a cast iron skillet being scooped with a spoon

    Let the Thanksgiving Leftover Bonanza Begin!

    What’s your favorite way to use up all those lovely leftovers? We hope this shepherd pie recipe makes it onto your list! When you try it out, we’d love to know how it goes! Share a photo and tag us on Instagram using @themodernproper and #themodernproper so that we can see your stuff! Happy eating!

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    Turkey Shepherd’s Pie

    Updated on September 11, 2024

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

    Garlic Mashed Potatoes

    • 1 Tbsp kosher salt
    • 3 lb Russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 2-inch cubes
    • 2 Bay leaves
    • 1/2 cup salted butter (1 stick), softened
    • 3/4 cup whole milk, room temp or warmed
    • 1 tsp garlic powder
    • Salt & pepper, to taste

    Turkey Filling

    • 1/2 cup salted butter (1 stick) cut into 8 Tbsps
    • 1 cup chopped yellow onion, 1 small
    • 2 celery ribs, 1/4-inch sliced
    • 2 medium carrots, peeled, 1/4-inch sliced
    • 1/2 cup all purpose flour
    • 1/2 tsp Freshly ground black pepper
    • 1 tsp Kosher salt
    • 1 tsp Garlic powder
    • 1 tsp Fresh thyme leaves, minced (optional)
    • 3/4 cup Whole milk (room temp or warmed)
    • 1 1/2 cups Chicken stock (room temp or warmed)
    • 1 cup frozen green beans
    • 3 cups chopped cooked turkey or chicken
    • Parsley, minced optional

    Method

    1. Heat oven to 400°F.

    2. Fill a large pot with water, 1 tablespoon salt, the potatoes and bay leaves. Bring to a boil over high heat. Turn the heat to medium-low and simmer until potatoes are just fork-tender but not falling apart, about 15-20 minutes.

    3. While the water is heating up, make the turkey filling. In a large/deep oven-proof skillet or braiser**, melt the 1/2 cup of butter over medium heat until bubbling. Add the onion, celery, carrots to the butter and cook for 5 minutes, until the onions are tender and translucent.

    4. Add the flour, salt, pepper, garlic powder and thyme to the butter and vegetables to create a thick paste. Stir constantly for about 30 seconds.

    5. 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.

    6. Add the green beans and leftover turkey or chicken to the sauce. If you are not using an oven-proof skillet, transfer the filling to a 9x13 baking dish at this time.

    7. Drain the potatoes into a colander. Add the potatoes back to the pot and place it back on the stove over low heat. Keep it there for about 2 minutes to dry out the potatoes. The dryer the potatoes, the more liquid they will reabsorb. Remove the bay leaves.

    8. Use a ricer or potato masher to mash the potatoes. Add one stick of softened butter and 3/4 cup warmed milk to the potatoes, stirring quickly with a large spoon until they are fully absorbed. Season with 1 teaspoon garlic powder and salt and pepper to taste.

    9. Spread the mashed potatoes over the turkey filling creating soft peaks as you spread it*** Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. If you’d like a little color, broil for 5 minutes.

    ** If you don’t have an oven-proof skillet or braiser, you can use a regular skillet for the stove-top cooking and transfer the filling to a 9x13 pan to finish the shepherd’s pie in the oven.

    *** If you are using leftover mashed potatoes, you will need about 5-6 cups. They will need to be warmed up in order for them to spread easily over the top of the casserole.

    ****If your mashed potatoes reach the top of your baking dish, place the baking dish on top of a rimmed baking sheet to catch any overflow.

    ****To freeze: Instead of making the 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 it cool completely. Cover with foil and freeze. It’ll keep in the freezer for up to two months. When you’re ready to eat it, defrost it in the fridge for a day, then bake at 350ºF for about 30 minutes, until it is warmed through.

    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.

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    • gail

      can i use leftover stuffing instead of the mashed potatoes?

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

    • 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!

    • Jenn

      This was such a huge hit with my family. Everyone loved it and most of us had seconds! It is so hearty and comforting!

      Thanks Jenn, we are so happy you all loved it!