Thanksgiving Leftovers Turkey Shepherd’s Pie

Holiday leftovers are just as tasty the second time around, especially in this Thanksgiving Leftover Turkey Pie. It uses everything you have in warm, comforting cooking. Move over, turkey sandwich: Shepherd’s pie is the true post-feast hero. Also ideal for Christmas leftovers!

Think of it as Thanksgiving dinner, round two. Add all the vegetables, meat and even the stuffing to a baking dish. Top it with colorful mashed sweet and plain potatoes (and even top it with cheese).

Bake until heated through, then pour in that extra sauce. Serve with additional cranberry sauce. It’s like reliving the best meal of the year, without all the work. This popular recipe has been a favorite year after year since 2015.

Tip: If your leftovers seem a little dry, add a little hot chicken broth before cooking. It keeps everything moist and adds great flavor. You can also mix melted butter into the puree to make it creamier.

Ingredients

• Leftover cooked turkey meat (beef or ham)
• Vegetables
• Leftover stuffing/dressing
• Mashed potatoes
• Sauce
• Cranberry sauce

Cottage pie

Technically, it’s more like a cottage pie – but not exactly. Classic shepherd’s pie is made with lamb, while shepherd’s pie uses ground beef. Since this version is made with turkey (or whatever poultry you have left over), think of it more as a cozy little poultry pot pie.

Whatever components you have, in my case it’s turkey (of course), cornbread and sage stuffing, roasted carrots, green beans, mashed potatoes and gravy (I added peas because I like them in shepherd’s pie), throw them in. What I love about this dish is that because all the Thanksgiving flavors are layered, you get them all in one bite…every time.

Crush

You see that my puree has a pretty and colorful look. That’s because I always make regular sweet potato and yam mash. I mixed them together to give the puree a colorful look.

Save leftovers, to have as leftovers

This dish really keeps on giving – you’ll even have leftovers from your leftovers! Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, warm them in the oven until heated through, or microwave them in individual portions.

More Thanksgiving Leftover Recipes

Looking for more ways to use up Thanksgiving leftovers? Try my Turkey, Stuffing and Cranberry Sausage Rolls, a cozy Turkey Pot Pie or a hearty Ham and Split Pea Soup.

If you made my Thanksgiving Leftover Turkey Shepherd’s Pie, please leave a star rating in the recipe. You can also leave a comment below or ask a question.

Janette is a professionally trained chef based in California who channels her passion for cooking into carefully crafted recipes. His culinary creations are inspired by his English heritage as well as his favorite global cuisines, including Indian and Italian. Connect with her on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for more delicious inspiration. Learn more about Janette…