Leftover Turkey Shepherd’s Pie With Mashed Potatoes

Recipe at a glance

Leftover Turkey Shepherd’s Pie With Mashed Potatoes gives holiday food a distinct second meal instead of simply reheating the original plate. Food Network’s collection of post-Thanksgiving ideas shows how turkey, stuffing, potatoes, vegetables and cranberry sauce can move into casseroles, sandwiches, soups, snacks and other formats; this version is an original formulation built around 3 cups turkey, 3 cups mashed potatoes and 1/2 cup gravy. ^[1]

Yield: 6 servings. Preparation time: 25 minutes. Cooking time: 35 minutes. Use leftovers that were refrigerated promptly. FoodSafety.gov lists cooked meat and poultry leftovers at three to four days in a refrigerator kept at 40°F or below. ^[2]

Ingredients

1. 2 tablespoons butter 2. 1 small onion, diced 3. 2 carrots, diced 4. 2 tablespoons flour 5. 1 1/2 cups turkey or chicken stock 6. 1/2 cup gravy 7. 3 cups chopped cooked turkey 8. 1 cup frozen peas 9. 1 teaspoon thyme 10. 3 cups mashed potatoes 11. 2 tablespoons Parmesan ^[1]

How to make leftover turkey shepherd’s pie with mashed potatoes

1. Heat the oven to 400°F. 2. Melt butter in an ovenproof skillet; cook onion and carrots until tender, about 7 minutes. 3. Stir in flour for 1 minute, then slowly whisk in stock and gravy. Simmer until lightly thickened. ^[1]

4. Fold in turkey, peas and thyme. Season only after tasting because gravy and turkey may already be salty. 5. Spread potatoes over the filling, sprinkle with Parmesan and bake 25 minutes. Broil briefly for deeper browning and verify 165°F in the center. ^{[1] [2]}

Make-ahead, storage and useful substitutions

Warm stiff mashed potatoes with a splash of milk before spreading. Place the skillet on a sheet pan to catch any bubbling sauce. Mashed sweet potatoes make a sweeter topping; lentils can replace turkey for a meatless version. ^[1]

Refrigerate leftover turkey shepherd’s pie with mashed potatoes within two hours in shallow covered containers. Count storage time from when the original Thanksgiving food was first refrigerated, not from when it was transformed into this recipe. Eat refrigerated cooked turkey and other perishable leftovers within three to four days, or freeze sooner. Reheat hot portions to 165°F and discard food that has spent too long at room temperature. ^[2]