Turkey Shepard's Pie - Thanksgiving Leftover Ideas

This recipe is probably my proudest culinary dish because not only did my Dad and my Nephew like it, they had seconds!!!  (Both never like anything new, or anything creative or anything not what they have always eaten lol)  For them I did cook this in a premade pie crust (though that isn’t clean unless you make your own crust).

I originally made this with chicken, but am posting in the Thanksgiving Leftovers post, so we will use turkey.  But know that you can always substitute with chicken.

You will also want to make extra gravy, which I had included the recipe for below this recipe.

Turkey Shepard’s Pie

Ingredients:

4 oz bacon

1 tbsp butter

1 large or 2 small shallots

2 medium carrots, peeled and diced

1 tsp dried thyme

½ tsp kosher salt

½ tsp pepper

¼ cup whole wheat flour

2 ½ cups low sodium chicken broth

¼ cup heavy cream

3 cups leftover turkey meat, shredded or cut into pieces

1 cup peas

½ cup corn

1 tbsp corn starch

2 tbsp water

2 cups leftover mashed potatoes

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 F

In a large saucepan, add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until brown and crispy, about 8 minutes. Pour the bacon and any cooking juices onto a paper towel-lined pate. Add the butter, shallots, carrots and thyme to the saucepan. Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook until the carrots are tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Increase the heat to high. Add the chicken broth and scrape up the brown bits that cling to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Cook until the mixture thickens, about 3 minutes. Add the cooked bacon, heavy cream, turkey, peas, corn, and the remaining salt and pepper. In a small bowl, add the cornstarch and water and stir until mixed.  Add mixture to the pan.  Simmer for 3 minutes until heated through.

Transfer filling to a baking or pie dish.  Top with the mashed potatoes.  Bake for 20 minutes until potatoes are heated through.

For additional gravy:

Add a little butter and 2 tbsp of flour to a small pot.  Stir until mixed over medium heat.  Add 1 ½ cups chicken broth, 2 tbsp heavy cream, a pinch of salt, pepper and thyme.  In a separate, small bowl mix cornstarch and water.  Add mixture to pot and simmer 3 minutes.