Turkey Shepherd’s Pie Recipe

Turkey Shepherd’s Pie—boy, this recipe is getting bumped to the top of our Thanksgiving Leftover Turkey recipes. I love using leftovers to make dinner after the holidays.   We all know Thanksgiving leftovers make for the best comfort food.

Now, I always make too many mashed potatoes, so I used leftovers of those; I have to say I will have to try this with loaded mashed potatoes. This is an easy dinner that even picky eaters will love.

With growing kids and teens, I always have extra turkeys at the local grocery store when they are on sale. I will make them just for the turkey, so this Thanksgiving is leftover from just cooking one throughout the year.

Turkey Shepherd’s Pie Ingredients

• Turkey
• Red Pepper-I made large chunks so the kids could pick around it.
• Red Onion
• Minced Garlic
• Mashed Potatoes– I like to use Garlic Mashed Potatoes but in a pinch you can also use instant mashed potatoes aka boxed potatoes
• Salt and Black Pepper
• Cream Of Chicken– If you don’t want to use chicken, you can use cream of celery, mushroom, potato, or asparagus.

How To Make Turkey Shepherd’s Pie

If not using leftover mashed potatoes, start a pot of boiling water to boil your potatoes. If you have leftover mashed potatoes, reheat them on top of the pie or cook them longer if they are not reheated.

Peel and cut your potatoes; I used russet potatoes. I have used gold and red potatoes on Shepherd’s pie before, and they all work great. Sweet Potatoes would work as well.

Boil your potatoes until they are ready to be mashed. 

Chop your onion and peppers up.  I did bigger chunks for mine so the kids could pick those pieces out.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Strain your potatoes; I mashed mine up in my kitchen aid mixer.  You could also mash potatoes by hand with a potato masher or a hand-held mixer.

Reheat your turkey if it is not warm to put in the pie. I used my microwave for this step.

For the potatoes, I used I add milk, sour cream, salt, and pepper. You can substitute heavy cream into yours or add butter as well.

In a large mixing bowl, I used my 8 Cup Pyrex measuring cup; to combine your Cream of Chicken soup, peppers, onion, shredded ham, and minced garlic.

Spray your pie pan with a nonstick spray. You can use any baking dish or casserole pan, but you must increase the ingredients to fill the dish.

Put the turkey mixture into your sprayed dish and press flat with a spatula or wooden spoon. 

Place and spread your mashed potatoes onto the top of the meat mixture in the pie plate.  

*Now I goofed and put cheese on mine before I put it in the oven because everything was warmed up it was done in 20 minutes. If your potatoes and turkey aren’t warm it will take longer to cook. You can bake and then add cheese it is a preference, for me, it was one less step to have to do.*

Place the shepherd’s pie in the oven and cook for about 20 minutes.

Remove from oven and top with cheese, bake for five more minutes until the cheese has melted. I used mild cheddar cheese, but this works with any shredded cheese.

Serve and enjoy!!  This is delicious, with leftover gravy on top as well. 

How To Store Leftover Shepherd’s Pie

Store in the fridge in an airtight container for 3 to 5 days. You can also use plastic wrap or aluminum foil to cover the pan. You can freeze in an air-tight container for up to three months.

Storing leftovers properly requires the right tools! My preferred storage method is if the leftovers can be sealed in a food saver. If not, then an air-tight container or Ziploc bag for the fridge is the way I go. The airtight container or a freezer Ziploc bag are the next best bet for freezing the leftovers. I also use a food scale to measure portions into serving sizes.

How To Reheat Leftover Shepherd’s pie

You can microwave to reheat or bake in the oven.

What To Serve With Shepherd’s Pie

Bread: Cheesy Garlic Pull Apart Bread, Garlic Parmesan Bisucti Pull Part Bread, English Muffin Garlic Cheese Bread, Easy Cheesy Monkey Bread, Corn Bread

Side Dishes: Air Fryer Bacon Asparagus, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Oven Roasted Baby Potatoes, Air Fryer Brussell Sprouts. Green Beans, Ceasar Salad, Green Salad, Baked Sweet Potatoes, Air Fryer Broccoli, Grilled Zucchini, Grilled Corn On The Cob, Air Fryer Zucchini Chips, Crockpot Quinoa

What Type Of Meat Alternatives To Use In Shepherd’s Pie

Any ground meat or shredded meat will work for the meat portion. A Classic Shepherd’s Pie Recipe or a Classic Cottage Pie Recipe will be made with ground beef.

• Ground Lamb
• Roast 
• Ground Chicken
• Ground Beef
• Ham

Shepherds Pie Recipes To Try Out

While many think of Shepherd’s pie as a St Patrick’s day dinner is one of my favorite ways to use leftover mashed potatoes and fall comfort food.

• Easy Shepherd’s Pie Recipe
• Ham Shepherd’s Pie
• Turkey Shepherd’s Pie
• Brisket Shepherd’s Pie
• Vegan Shepherd’s Pie

Alternatives To Put In leftover turkey shepherd’s pie:

• Mixed Vegetables- Frozen peas and carrots would be good in this or mixed frozen veggies
• Garlic Powder
• Chicken Broth-Adding to the water you are boiling potatoes or cooking the turkey is a great way to add flavor to your potatoes.
• Thyme 
• Yellow Onion

Pans To Cook Shepherd’s Pie In

The size of dish you bake the shepherd’s pie in will affect the servings and how much you need to fill the dish. So be sure to have an idea of how much of the ingredients you will need.

• Casserole Dish
• Large Skillet Pan– Cast iron is fantastic; if not using a cast iron skillet, use an oven-safe skillet.
• Pie Pan-You can use a disposable pan, glass pie plate, or metal pie plate.
• Cast Iron Pan 
• Dutch Oven Pan