This post may contain affiliate links, please see the privacy policy for details.
Everyone has their own way of using up holiday leftovers. If you find yourself with turkey and can’t really face yet another turkey sandwich, how does this leftover turkey shepherd’s pie sound? You can use leftover mashed potatoes in it as well. This tasty meal also includes onion, herbs, vegetables and Guinness for richness. Rich, hearty and perfectly delicious, leftover turkey shepherd’s pie is a great way to use up those Christmas or Thanksgiving leftovers.
This tasty dish is a leftover turkey recipe flavored with ingredients like Worcestershire sauce, garlic, Guinness, and herbs. You will love the rich flavors!
You might also enjoy turkey tacos, smoked turkey breast, turkey taco casserole, or how about smoked honey-glazed ham?
Ingredients for Leftover Turkey Shepherd’s Pie
The filling of the turkey shepherd’s pie recipe is made with leftover turkey, onion, carrots, parsnips, and celery. Flavour comes from garlic, thyme, sage, tomato paste, Guinness, and bone broth.
The topping on a classic shepherd’s pie is simply creamy mashed potatoes, but this recipe takes things the extra mile! Along with the leftover mashed potatoes, butter, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, sour cream, and onion powder boost the flavour into the stratosphere. This really is the ultimate comfort food.
If you have other leftover vegetables from your Thanksgiving dinner or Christmas dinner, you can include those rather than the ones specified in the ingredients list.
How to Make Cottage Pie with Turkey Leftovers
Although this is neither traditional cottage pie (beef) or traditional shepherd’s pie (lamb), it is prepared in a similar style, and is a mashed potato-topped meat-based dish. So you can call it whichever you wish!
Sauté the onions in a hot cast iron skillet. Next add the tomato paste and cook for a few minutes. Pour in the Guinness and add the butter, then let the mixture cook for ten minutes. Meanwhile you can boil peeled, chopped potatoes until tender. If you’re using leftover mashed potatoes, you can omit this step.
Add the carrots, parsnips, celery, and garlic to the pan, and add the dried thyme too. Cook, stirring often, for five minutes. If you’re including cooked leftover veggies, add those at the end.
Drain the potatoes (unless you’re using leftover mashed potatoes) and mash in butter, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, sour cream, onion powder, and thyme. Add salt and black pepper to taste.
Now you can toss the shredded turkey with sage and add this to the pan too. Add the rest of the Guinness and also the bone broth and simmer for about 15 minutes.
Pipe the mashed potatoes on top of the turkey filling and bake in the oven for half an hour. Serve hot, garnished with fresh parsley.
Tweaks and Variations
I love making this leftover turkey shepherd’s pie with Christmas or Thanksgiving leftovers because it’s so versatile. Not only is it a leftover turkey recipe that the whole family will love but it’s also wide open to tweaks and variations.
You can use leftover turkey (or even ground turkey), leftover creamy mashed potatoes and even leftover veggies like green beans. If you don’t have enough leftover potatoes, you can cook some more, or even use half mashed potatoes and half mashed cauliflower or mashed rutabaga or another variation.
You can sub dark beer for the Guinness and use any kind of bone broth, or even regular turkey, chicken broth (chicken stock) or beef broth.
If you have even more turkey leftovers than this recipe requires, try this leftover turkey and rice casserole recipe too. Sweet potatoes, leftover turkey gravy or a layer of stuffing could also be used in this if you have some left next time you have a family dinner. Whatever holiday leftovers you want to use up, this leftover turkey recipe is the perfect dish to use them in. Don’t forget the cranberry sauce on the side!
Leftover Turkey Shepherd’s Pie FAQs
Keep leftovers of classic shepherd’s pie in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap or tin foil in the refrigerator for up to 4 days and reheat in the microwave or stove.
Trying to eat lighter after treating yourself to delicacies over the festive period? You might want to reduce the carbs in this turkey shepherd’s pie. If you’re not using leftover mashed potatoes you could sub mashed cauliflower. Either boil your own then drain it very well or you can buy frozen mashed cauliflower and use that.
You might wonder what this word means if you haven’t heard it before. No it’s not a type. To pince something means to cook it until it’s golden brown. In this recipe we are using tomato paste and browning it gives it a richer flavour, similar to how caramelizing meat, onions or another ingredient enriches the taste.
Leftover Turkey Shepherd’s Pie Recipe
Leftover Turkey Shepherd’s Pie
Ingredients
- 2 Cups turkey, leftover (smoked or regular), shredded
- 1 Teaspoon salt
- 1 Teaspoon black pepper
- 2 Cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 Teaspoon thyme, dried
- 1 Tablespoon sage, fresh
- 3 Tablespoon tomato paste
- 3 carrots, diced
- 3 parsnips, diced
- 2 Stalks celery, diced
- 2 Tablespoon salted butter, melted
- 1 Cup Guinness
- ½ Cup bone broth
Potatoes
- 2 lbs Yukon gold potatoes, unless you have leftover mashed potaotes then use those!
- ¼ Cup salted butter
- 4 Cloves garlic cloves
- 1 Teaspoon worcestershire sauce
- 2 Tablespoon sour cream
- ½ Teaspoon onion powder
- 1 Pinch salt
- 1 Pinch black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and place a deep cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Prepare diced vegetables as it heats.
- Add olive oil and diced onions to a sauté pan over medium high heat. Sauté for 3 minutes, then add the tomato paste. Pince the tomato paste for 5 minutes, then add ¼ cup of Guinness and butter. Cook for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, start preparing the potatoes. Add 4 cups of salted water to a Dutch oven along with potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook for 15 minutes.
- Add the carrots, parsnips, celery, garlic, and dried thyme to the pan. Stir and cook for 5 minutes.
- Drain the potatoes and add melted butter, crushed garlic, Worcestershire, sour cream, onion powder, thyme, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Mash completely and allow to cool as the filling is cooked. (2 minutes)
- Combine shredded Turkey with sage and add to the pan. Stir well, then pour in the remaining Guinness and bone broth. Bring to a simmer, then lower heat to medium/low. Cook for 15 minutes.
- When 5 minutes remains for the filling, add potatoes to a piping bag.
- Remove cast iron from heat. Pipe potatoes over the top.
- Place into the oven and bake for 30 minutes.
- Garnish with fresh chopped parsley.
Nutrition
Instead of turkey sandwiches or pot pie, your Christmas or Thanksgiving leftovers can be used up in this unusual leftover turkey shepherd’s pie. Flavoured with Guinness, bone broth, herbs, and garlic, this is a real feast and a delicious way to use your holiday dinner leftovers this time of year. It is a total comfort food and the entire family will want seconds! This will be your new favorite way to use the rest of your Christmas and Thanksgiving dishes.
Other Recipes You Will Love
Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.
This leftover turkey shepherd’s pie is a game changer! So tasty and perfect for holiday leftovers.
The perfect dish for leftovers. Absolutely impressed!
This recipe was a winner! Can’t wait to enjoy it again.
This leftover turkey shepherd’s pie was a great way to use up about a tonne of leftover turkey! It’s just as good as the beef or lamb kind.
This looks delish with the beer in it