Day 19 – Countdown to Christmas Turkey Shepherd’s Pie

Since Thanksgiving was last week I still have some leftover turkey, gravy, taters and stuffing. Normally I would freeze them individually for Mr. Fantabulous but he’s kinda spoiled and would never put that stuff all on one plate and then heat it up.  Okay wait.. he’s not kinda spoiled, he is spoiled. LOL I can’t help it!  We don’t have kids and honestly it’s just how I was raised I guess.  I’m the one that takes care of stuff.  Don’t get me wrong, he’s an amazing husband and will go above and beyond to make me happy but well, he’s spoiled when it comes to food and cooking.  So instead of freezing them separately I decided to whip up some shepherd’s pies that I could take out of the freezer, thaw in the fridge and literally all he’d have to do is heat it up in the oven.

So literally you can use what leftovers you have plus a few extra ingredients will leave you gobbling this up!  This is an awesome meal to have on hand for unexpected company.  Just take it out of the freezer, pop it in a cold oven and let it bake for about 45 minutes (when frozen).

It’s delicious and yummy.  Plus it allows you to use up those leftovers without wasting food. While the half-way shot isn’t the prettiest (though the thing is, a lot of you guys requested me show ‘inside’ shots of stuff), it tastes amazing.  This is one of those dishes that on the surface they are gorgeous with the lightly broiled potato tips however when you cut into.. yeah, not so pretty.

Eh, you’ll have that.  This is so yummy and to-the-bone comforting, you can forgive the inside appearance.

Now if you’re out of turkey or stuffing, go buy one and make one just for this purpose.  Stuff it on a Saturday morning, bake it and then carve it.  Save the carcass and make stock out of it.  Sunday just take an hour, if that, and assemble the shepherd pies for the freezer (be sure to save one for dinner that night though).

Day 19 – Countdown to Christmas Turkey Shepherd’s Pie

• Author: The Kitchen Whisperer

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Ingredients

• 5 Tbl butter, unsalted
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, finely chopped
• 3 cups cooked stuffing
• 4 cups chunked Thanksgiving turkey meat (mixture of white and dark works best)
• 1 cup turkey gravy
• 1/2–1 cup heavy cream *optional
• 1/2 tsp parsley (dried) or 1 Tbl fresh, chopped small
• 1 1/2 tsp fresh thyme
• 1 tsp sage, chopped small
• 1/2–1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp fresh black pepper
• 3 cups mashed potatoes (already seasoned with salt & pepper), warmed
• 2 Tbl chives, minced
• 1 large egg, beaten

Instructions

1. Melt 2 Tbl of the butter in a large non-stick skillet over low heat. Toss in the onion, celery and carrot and cook over low heat until softened, ~10-13 minutes. Add the turkey and cook, stirring, ~3-5 minutes. Stir in the gravy and cook until bubbling around the edges. *if the mixture is too thick, add in the cream and stir until all combined and the mixture has just started to re-thicken. Remove from the heat, stir in the parsley, thyme, sage, salt and pepper.
2. Butter the sides and bottom of a 3 quart casserole dish with 1 Tbl of butter. Cover the bottom and sides of the casserole dish with the stuffing. Pour the turkey mixture into a 3 quart casserole dish.
3. Preheat the oven to 400° with the rack in the upper third of the oven.
4. While the mixture in cooling, mix the mashed potatoes with the chives. Add in the beaten egg and mix well to incorporate. Melt the remaining 2 Tbl of butter. Spread the potatoes over the filling as evenly as possible leaving small peaks (for presentation). *See note on freezing Brush the top with the melted butter.
5. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the topping is lightly browned and the filling is bubbling. Let the pie stand for about 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

To freeze, once you’ve topped it with potatoes allow the dish to cool to room temperature. Double wrap in plastic wrap, then foil. Write on it (with the date) as to what it is, and the directions.
– Thaw in the fridge completely and then bake as normal; or
– Place frozen, unwrapped dish in a cold oven and bake at 400F for 45 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

To get that super crisp potato topping, after 30 minutes, broil for 2-3 minutes.

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