Elyce Recommends Turkey Shepherd’s Pie

So I love turkey. Usually I buy an extra turkey right around Thanksgiving or Christmas to cook in January or February and keep it in the freezer. I have one of those big box freezers in my basement that came with the house, so I have that luxury. Although, I know not everyone has the room. Anyway, I wanted to share with you some of my favorite recipes for turkey, in case anyone is looking for things to do with leftovers this year, since most of us had a smaller gathering than usual.

So Here Goes – Classic Shepherd’s Pie – Turkey Style

There really isn’t anything easier to do with your left-over turkey and gravy (and mashed potatoes – should there be any) than the classic shepherd’s pie. I usually make at least one every year. Then if I still have more leftovers – which I usually do because I cook extra to be able to make these dishes – I’ll make a turkey pot pie too, only family sized, and freeze it. Since I don’t usually freeze it with the crust – it could end up being another shepherd’s pie, it just depends on what I’m in the mood for.

Ingredients

For this you will need approximately:

• 2 cups of gravy
• 3 – 4 cups cooked turkey diced
• 2 cups frozen mixed veggies (organic tend to hold their texture best I find)
• Or you can use leftover cooked veggies if you have them
• 3 – 4 cups mashed potatoes – to cover

Bake at 375 for 35 to 45 minutes until the gravy is bubbling and the potatoes look slightly golden brown. Put a cookie sheet underneath your pie plate – because it will bubble over.

Stretching the Gravy

The most important ingredient is the gravy, since this is what gives your pie it’s flavor. You will want about 2 cups of gravy for this recipe. Now I know what you’re thinking. “Elyce, you must be joking. Who has 2 cups of leftover gravy?” Well I admit this can be a problem, but there are several great ways you can stretch your gravy. You can add turkey or chicken broth, chicken bullion, or even milk or cream of chicken soup. Usually I add broth or bullion depending on what I have or cream of chicken soup. This year I did both.

So I like to just melt the gravy in a frying pan –
like so – and add some broth or bullion to start with. I had about 2 cups of gravy this year so I added 2 cups of Knorr’s Chicken Bullion (my favorite brand) to that. You can see it has a really rich amber color, which is partly because I add some paprika to my basting concoction. I melt about 2 to 3 tablespoons of butter, add sage or Bell’s Poultry Seasoning (the best!) some garlic powder and paprika to it. If I had to guess I would say about 1/2 teaspoon each, maybe a bit more. Then I use that to baste the turkey. This gives the gravy a really nice flavor too.

Mix it all together, cover with gravy and top with mashed potatoes. Voila! A beautiful savory pie for dinner.

So all you do is add the turkey, about 3 – 4 cups, whatever you have (dark is fine for this or a mix of white and dark – it doesn’t matter) a few cups of frozen mixed veggies or leftover veggies are fine too, pour the gravy over it and mix. And then you cover it with the mashed potatoes. There’s no need to grease the pan or sauté onions or anything like that. What could be easier?

Here I did two. As you can see I used a foil lasagna tray for the one I plan to freeze, so that I can just put it right in the oven when I’m ready. I would say that used about 1.5 times the ingredients listed above, perhaps slightly more.

Now if you don’t have enough mashed potatoes, obviously, you will have to make a fresh batch. But it’s worth it, your family is going to love this recipe. If you are using cold mashed potatoes from the fridge, I like to add about 1/4 cup of milk or maybe a bit more, and pop them in the microwave for a few minutes. Then I whisk them up to their former fluffy selves with a fork and spread. Or sort of plop them on top by the spoonful.

Here is what the two pies look like with the different gravy.

How About A Little Turkey Pot Pie To Freeze?

Okay, I admit this is a large turkey pot pie – in a lasagna tray – and I know my family will love it when I bust it out in about 2 weeks. But wait – I don’t have enough gravy! I’ve used half of what I already stretched with the bullion for the shepherd’s pie. What’s a girl to do?

Campbell’s soup to the rescue! Well, you can use any kind of cream of chicken soup – I just happen to like Campbell’s. As you can see, the original gravy is quite dark and it goes very light and creamy when you add the soup. To me this is perfect for pot pie so that’s probably what I will turn it into. And it’s delicious!

My hope is to get over to Trader Joe’s and get one of their frozen French puff pastry pie crusts and use that – it’s conveniently frozen in rectangular sheets so it will be perfect. And it’s so good, imported from France, and they know pastry!

Or I could make one if I’m feeling adventurous – unlikely but possible – or just make some more mashed potatoes. For the pot pie, you don’t have to add all the milk to the condensed soup if you’re concerned it will be too watery, but for this I did add a full can of milk since I had that whole lasagna tray to cover, and I think it will be fine. Just use your judgement.

 

To Freeze The Pot Pie

Now to freeze the pot pie, you want to prevent freezer burn so you want to cover the pie with plastic wrap, pressed down right onto the surface of the pie, eliminating any air. You seal the plastic down to the wet ingredients and then to the sides of the tin tray. Then you cover it with tinfoil for extra protection.

Take it out a day ahead of time and let it defrost in the fridge. Then just add the pie crust and heat according to the pie crust instructions. Don’t forget to remove the plastic wrap  before you put it in the oven! You can also run a little warm water carefully over the top to loosen the plastic if you don’t have time to defrost. But then I would bake at 375 for at least 30 minutes before adding the crust and baking according to the directions for the crust. This is what it looks like when you’ve got that plastic wrap sealed down properly.

 

Enjoy!

Let me know how it came out in the comments, or if you have a favorite leftover recipe of your own.

Featured image credits: Oh that’s my kitchen… So that would be me. 🙂