Day 19 – Countdown to Christmas Turkey Shepherd’s Pie
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Ingredients
- 5 tablespoon 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 teaspoon parsley (dried) or 1 tablespoon fresh, chopped small
- 1 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon sage, chopped small
- 1/2–1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon fresh black pepper
- 3 cups mashed potatoes (already seasoned with salt & pepper), warmed
- 2 tablespoon chives, minced
- 1 large egg, beaten
Instructions
- Melt 2 tablespoon 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.
- Butter the sides and bottom of a 3 quart casserole dish with 1 tablespoon of butter. Cover the bottom and sides of the casserole dish with the stuffing. Pour the turkey mixture into a 3 quart casserole dish.
- Preheat the oven to 400° with the rack in the upper third of the oven.
- 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 tablespoon 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.
- 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.