Turkey “Shepherd’s Pie”

Turkeys are some pretty big birds.  Roast one, and you’ve got yourself enough turkey to last until you start gobbling.  Or maybe crying.  Yep, probably crying.  Don’t despair, help is here in the form of a modern twist on an old recipe.

(All links open a new page, so you won’t lose your spot when you look around!  Get information on gardening and cultural traditions, recipes, stories, and more!)

I had my first Shepherd’s Pie when I was in high school.  I took my grandparents out to dinner one night for their anniversary (with a little help from my parents’ credit card), and we went to this new Irish themed pub.  The mix of meat, gravy, and mashed potatoes was so simple, yet so amazing, that I wanted to eat it all the time.  I’ve moved on since then, but I still love the idea.

The great thing about Shepherd’s Pie is that it can be made with any meat and gravy.  I like to throw in some frozen mixed vegetables as that turns this casserole into a complete meal.  The veggies make it a little more like pot-pie, but it still works.  This time instead of the mashed potatoes, I used sliced baby potatoes that had been seasoned with some herbs and tossed with olive oil and a little salt.  It just made the meal feel a little lighter which isn’t such a bad feeling after the usual turkey feast at Thanksgiving.

The other great thing about Shepherd’s Pie is that you can roast it up in smaller casserole dishes, cover and freeze, and voila! you have dinner pre-made for any time you need it.

Turkey Shepherd's Pie Recipe

Shepherd’s Pie is one of those meals that was put together to use up leftovers and help stretch out ingredients.  This means no measuring!  Simply take any leftover turkey and cut into small chunks, mix with leftover gravy and add in whatever vegetables you desire.  Just make sure that you have a good balance of gravy or the food will be dry.  Spread this mix about 1 1/2 inches deep into a casserole dish.  I then simply sliced a bunch of baby potatoes and tossed with a hefty drizzle of olive oil, about a teaspoon of dried herbs (thyme, oregano, and rosemary are good choices), and a sprinkling of salt, and then layered them over the top of the meat mixture.  Mashed potatoes also work well here, too.  Bake in a 400 F oven for about 40-50 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender.  If using mashed potatoes, bake until the gravy mix is bubbling and heated through.  Check out more recipes here!