Instead of using ground lamb, this version of the comfort food classic, called Ground Turkey Shepherd’s Pie, is gluten-free and macro-friendly. It consists of ground turkey and vegetables cooked in a flavorful gravy, topped with perfectly baked mashed potatoes and optional cheese. This recipe is perfect casserole recipe for meal prep, and it’s a dinner the entire family will enjoy!.
The holidays are a time for family, friends, and of course, delicious food But what happens to all those leftovers? Don’t let your Thanksgiving turkey go to waste! Instead, transform it into a hearty and comforting shepherd’s pie.
Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey Shepherd’s Pie: Two Delicious Options
Option 1: Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey Shepherd’s Pie from Baked by Rachel
This recipe is a classic take on shepherd’s pie, featuring a creamy mashed potato topping and a flavorful filling of leftover turkey, vegetables and gravy. It’s a perfect way to use up all those Thanksgiving leftovers and create a new and exciting meal.
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup chopped onion
- 1/3 cup chopped celery
- 1/3 cup chopped carrots
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 1/2 cups leftover turkey meat
- 1/4 cup peas or green beans
- 1/4 cup corn
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 cup gravy
- 2 cups mashed potatoes*
- 4 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add onion, celery, and carrots, cooking until onions are translucent.
- Add minced garlic, cooking for an additional minute.
- Add turkey, corn, and peas (or green beans), along with seasonings and gravy, cooking until heated through.
- Transfer to a 1-quart baking dish, pressing into an even layer.
- Heat mashed potatoes until lukewarm and easy to stir. Add half of the shredded cheese to the potatoes, stir to combine.
- Spread mashed potatoes over the turkey filling. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
- Bake for 30 minutes. If desired, broil or use a kitchen torch to char cheese slightly.
- Serve warm.
Option 2: Turkey Shepherd’s Pie from The Cozy Cook
This recipe takes a slightly different approach, using frozen vegetables and a simple mashed potato topping. It’s a great option for those who are short on time or don’t have a lot of leftover vegetables on hand.
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup diced onions
- 1/3 cup diced celery
- 1/3 cup diced carrots
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 1/2 cups diced turkey meat, leftover from Thanksgiving, or from a rotisserie
- 1/3 cup green beans, can sub peas
- 1/3 cup corn
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 cup gravy, try my 10-minute brown or chicken gravy!
- 2 cups mashed potatoes, about 4 medium potatoes needed for this
- 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add onions, celery, and carrots. Cook uncovered, until the onions are soft and translucent. About 5 minutes.
- Add minced garlic and cook for an additional minute.
- Add turkey, corn, and green beans (or peas) in addition to the salt, pepper, and thyme.
- Gently stir in the gravy: If preparing a packet of gravy, cook that separately according to package instructions. Once thickened, add it to the skillet.
- Once the mixture is heated through, pour it into a one-quart casserole dish, spreading it into one even layer.
- If using leftover mashed potatoes, heat them a bit to make it easy to stir and spread. Add half of the cheese to the potatoes and stir to combine.
- Spread the potatoes in an even layer over turkey mixture and top with the remaining cheese.
- Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Serve warm, and enjoy!
Tips and Tricks for Making the Perfect Leftover Turkey Shepherd’s Pie
- Use a variety of vegetables. This will add flavor and texture to your shepherd’s pie. Feel free to experiment with different combinations, such as peas, carrots, corn, mushrooms, or even chopped broccoli.
- Don’t be afraid to get creative with your mashed potatoes. You can use leftover mashed potatoes, or you can make a fresh batch. You can also add different flavors to your mashed potatoes, such as roasted garlic, herbs, or cheese.
- Top your shepherd’s pie with a sprinkle of cheese. This will add a nice golden brown crust to the top of the pie.
- Serve your shepherd’s pie with a side of your favorite vegetables or salad. This will help to round out the meal and make it more balanced.
Leftover Turkey Shepherd’s Pie is a delicious and easy way to use up your Thanksgiving leftovers. With two great recipes to choose from, you’re sure to find the perfect one for your family. So get creative, have fun, and enjoy this delicious and comforting dish!
How To Make Ground Turkey Shepherd’s Pie
- Preheat the oven to 400. Grease a 9×13-inch casserole dish. In a big skillet, warm the olive oil over medium-high heat. When the turkey is mostly cooked through, add the ground turkey and sauté it for five to seven minutes. When the garlic is fragrant, add it and stir for 30 seconds.
- Add the tomato paste, coconut aminos, rosemary, and thyme. Stir until well-incorporated and everything is well-combined.
- Add the frozen peas, carrots, corn, and chicken broth. Cook over medium-high heat for five to seven minutes, stirring periodically.
- Make a slurry by mixing the arrowroot powder and water together. Pour it into the pan and stir for about 30 seconds, or until it thickens. Transfer the mixture to the casserole dish.
- Boil some water for your potatoes in a pot while the beef mixture is cooking. Add them and cook for 15-18 minutes until fork tender. Drain and return to the pot. Add the butter and half of the Nutpods.
- Mash using a potato masher until combined. Stir in the parmesan cheese.
- Top the ground turkey mixture in the casserole dish with the mashed potato topping. Use a spatula to spread it out evenly.
- Top with cheddar cheese, if desired. Bake for 25-30 minutes until browned and bubbling!.
Yes, shepherd’s pie freezes quite well. Just bake the casserole according to the recipe’s directions, then let it cool completely. Tightly cover it with aluminum foil and freeze for up to 2 months. To reheat, you can remove it and thaw overnight, or bake at 350 for one hour from frozen.
Traditional cottage pie is made with beef, and shepherd’s pie is made with lamb.
There may be too much liquid from the ground turkey filling. Simply combine one more tsp of arrowroot powder with one tablespoon of water and add it to the bubbling mixture on the stove if you feel that your filling is too thin. This will help to thicken the sauce and ensure the casserole stays together.
4 oz. of ground turkey has approximately 160 calories. There are approximately 640 calories in 1 lb ground turkey. It is a great source of lean protein.
The night before you want to use it, take it out of the freezer and let it thaw in the fridge. This is the safest way to thaw ground turkey.
4 oz of raw ground turkey has approximately 22g of protein
Although this dish is quite filling on its own, you can always add a side dish, like this 10-minute Greek Cucumber Salad or these Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts! Steamed broccoli would also be delicious!
What Makes This Recipe Great
Shepherd’s pie with ground turkey is one of my favorite foods from my childhood, and if you’ve never tried it, you’re in for a treat! She used to make a version with ground beef, creamed corn, and mashed potatoes. Using lean ground turkey, a gluten-free gravy, and lighter mashed potatoes, I made a healthier version. It is full of flavor and full of healthy fat, carbohydrates, and protein. It is a well-balanced meal. This gluten free shepherds pie is also perfect for making ahead of time and baking later. Check out my skillet shepherd’s pie recipe, which uses mashed cauliflower, if you’re searching for a keto shepherd’s pie recipe!
- Easy shepherd’s pie recipe
- Budget-friendly
- Meal prep-friendly
- Gluten Free
- Dairy Free option
- Great source of protein with 44g per serving
- Comforting and delicious
You may be wondering where name came from, and what traditional shepherd’s pie is made of. A filling dish with roots in the UK and Ireland, traditional shepherd’s pie is made with ground meat cooked in gravy, onions, carrots, and celery, topped with mashed potatoes. It originated in the late 1700s and early 1800s, when housewives were purportedly attempting to save money and maximize the use of leftovers.
Traditional shepherd’s pie uses ground lamb, where “cottage pie” uses ground beef. Here in America, it’s been widely accepted to use any type of ground meat in shepherd’s pie. Because shepherds tended sheep, they gave it the original name “shepherd’s” pie. The casserole was typically made with pastry and ground lamb.
Ground turkey: I like to purchase my ground turkey from Costco because I can freeze the extras for later use. Any type of ground turkey will work, but I prefer to use lean. Ground chicken will also work in this recipe.
Potatoes: I’ve found that russet potatoes work best to get the creamiest mashed potato topping.
Peas
Butter: Feel free to use vegan butter for dairy free. Ghee also works.
One of my favorite gluten-free substitutes for Worcestershire sauce that gives recipes a similar flavor is coconut aminos. You can also use gluten free Worcestershire sauce if you do not have coconut aminos. I do not recommend using soy sauce.
Parmesan: Use nutritional yeast instead for dairy free, or you can omit this completely.
Arrowroot powder: This is a gluten free thickening agent similar to cornstarch. Both can be used interchangeably in this recipe.
The BEST Turkey Shepherd’s Pie Recipe • Easy & Healthy Turkey Shepherd’s Pie
FAQ
Does shepherd’s pie have gravy in it?
What can I use to thicken my shepherd’s pie?
Why is my shepherd’s pie soggy?
How do you make shepherd’s pie not runny?
How do you cook a Turkey Shepherd’s pie?
Turkey shepherd’s pie is a perfect way to use leftover turkey, mashed potatoes, vegetables, and delicious gravy. For a quick and easy weeknight meal, the whole family will love it. Heat a large oven-safe skillet (I use cast iron) on medium-high heat. Add butter, onion, celery, carrots salt, and pepper, and cook until soft about 3 minutes.
What is Turkey Shepherd’s pie?
Turkey shepherd’s pie is a perfect way to use leftover turkey, mashed potatoes, vegetables, and delicious gravy. For a quick and easy weeknight meal, the whole family will love it. WANT TO SAVE THIS RECIPE? We may earn a small commission for purchases made through links in this post. Read our disclosure policy here.
How do you make a shepherd’s pie from leftovers?
Thanksgiving leftovers reinvented into a flavorful shepherd’s pie. Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add onion, celery and carrots, cooking until onions are translucent. Add minced garlic, cooking for an additional minute.
Can you use ground turkey in a shepherd’s pie?
Use ground turkey: Similar to a traditional shepherd’s pie or cottage pie, you can use ground meat in this recipe—just cook it before using it! Swap in cooked ground turkey for the cubed turkey, then prepare the recipe as directed. You can also try this winter vegetable shepherd’s pie with ground turkey.