This Leftover Turkey Shepherd’s Pie is so easy to make and freezes like a dream!
If you’ve had enough turkey for a few days, pop a few of these in the freezer and thaw them out when you’re short on time and looking for some quick and delicious comfort food!
Next time you have leftover turkey and trimmings (and really, who doesn’t at times in the fall and winter?) I can’t think of anything easier or tastier to make than this Leftover Turkey Shepherd’s Pie.
We actually cooked a turkey this week (between holidays haha!!!).
It was a great way to free up some space in our freezer and use a bunch of lovely fall root vegetables. After we’d eaten our fill, we decided to make these Leftover Turkey Shepherd Pies that Laurier invented last Christmas.
The BEST way to use turkey dinner leftovers
Whether your turkey dinner is leftover from Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, or just a random Sunday dinner, this is the perfect way to deal with too many leftovers!
We used what we had on hand, but you could use any combination of turkey dinner leftovers and this would still be great!
Layer your shepherd’s pies up in individual ramekins or a larger casserole dish. Stick ’em in the freezer if you’ve had enough turkey for now.
Then, when it’s a cold winter’s night and you’re looking for something easy and cozy for supper, thaw them out, heat them up, and enjoy all the comfort and deliciousness of Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, all over again (without the mess!).
Tip: These also make a great fast lunch you can stash in your freezer for busy days!
Leftover Turkey Cottage Pie / Shepherd’s Pie – Q&A
Can I make this turkey shepherd’s pie in one large casserole dish?
Yes, of course! This recipe works just as well as one large shepherd’s pie as for smaller, personal sized casseroles.
Is turkey shepherd’s pie healthy?
This is a difficult question to answer. It depends on how healthy your turkey dinner was to start with, of course, and your idea of what is healthy.
In my opinion, it is fairly healthy, since it is made up of vegetables (mashed potatoes, mixed vegetables, sweet potatoes, etc), turkey, gravy and stuffing, all of which are whole foods and not processed or deep fried. So I would say yes!
What can I do with tough turkey leftovers?
If your turkey leftovers are tough, dice the turkey into tiny pieces (smaller than in the pics) and then mix it with the gravy. If the pieces are small enough the toughness shouldn’t matter.
When should you throw out turkey dinner leftovers/ how long can they be safely stored for?
Most trusted sources say you can keep your leftover turkey in the fridge for 3-4 days and your leftover gravy and stuffing for 1-2 days.
If you finish your holiday dinner and are not looking forward to leftover turkey dinner, this is the perfect way to enjoy all the comfort and coziness of turkey dinner at a later date (when you’re not sick of it!).
How do I freeze Shepherd’s Pie?
Whether you opt to make one large turkey shepherd’s pie / casserole or smaller individual ones, I would assemble it in a freezer-safe container, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and then wrap it again in tin foil. Label it clearly.
Step-by-Step Instructions – Leftover Turkey Casserole with stuffing (Freezer Meal!)
Ingredients for Leftover Turkey Shepherd’s Pie.
Mix turkey and gravy together and spread in bottom layer of a larger casserole dish or ramekins (for individual pies).
Tip: The gravy helps make sure your turkey won’t be dry.
Cover with a layer of stuffing.
Continue with a layer of cranberry sauce.
Top with a layer of mashed (or even better, whipped) potatoes.
If you want, cover tightly and freeze. When ready to eat, just thaw and heat in microwave or oven.
Tip: Just a reminder – DO NOT put a cold dish into a hot oven – it could break! Bring the dish to room temperature or thaw it in the microwave first.
Enjoy! 🙂
We have more EASY, healthy leftover turkey recipes here:
Easy Turkey Dinner Shepherd's Pie (freezer meal!)
Ingredients
- Turkey
- Gravy
- Stuffing
- Cranberry
- potatoes
- Any other leftovers or vegetables from a turkey dinner
Instructions
- Mix turkey and gravy together and spread in bottom layer of a larger casserole dish or ramekins (for individual pies). The gravy helps make sure it won't be dry.
- Cover with a layer of stuffing*.
- Continue with a layer of cranberry sauce**.
- Top with a layer of mashed (or even better, whipped) potatoes.
- If desired, cover tightly and freeze. When ready to eat, just thaw and heat in microwave or oven.
Notes
* If you're looking for recipes for stuffing, check out our Light and Fluffy Stuffing recipe.
** If you're looking for a recipe for cranberry sauce, have a look at our Easy Cranberry Sauce recipe!
Nutritional information is based on 4 ramekins of Leftover Turkey Shepherd's PieNutrition
Originally published on November 14, 2017.
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We are making this tonight!! Great idea
Thanks Debra! I hope you enjoy it! 🙂
I was looking for a comment on freezing turkey mixed with gravy, I just could not see benefit in freezing them separately. So I was glad to see this recipe, shepherd-ish pie …even better. I still wonder why the rest of the cooking world seemed to freeze everything separately. It would be interesting to see a picture of the end result: frozen then defrosted then heated dish. I wonder if we can reheat it entirely in the microwave using a “reheat frozen entree” setting.
Hi Jeff! Glad you found the post! Next time I make them I’ll take a picture of the reheated dish and post it. I’m going to check my microwave and if I have that setting I’ll even give it a try and report back! 🙂 Or, if you happen to try it, please let us know!
SUCH a cute leftovers recipe!
Thanks Rebecca! 🙂
Oh my goodness, these look amazing. I’ve been thinking about cooking a turkey (for the first time!!) soon and this recipe for the leftovers may be the motivation I need to do it.
Thanks Heidi! I don’t cook turkeys that often but I find the best thing to do is to have a plan for how to eat all the meat! I have a post coming up about exactly that! I hope your turkey is delicious and you get lots of yummy meals out of it 🙂
My Little Dude loves shepherds pie, so this will be such a welcomed recipe to have in our beg of “toddler feeding” tricks 🙂
I hope he loves it! 🙂
okay (a) I’m OBSESSED with these photos and (b) what a brilliant idea. These are all my favorite things !
Thanks Kayla! We really love it. Plus sometimes I don’t feel like eating more of our big holiday meals right away, but ask me again in a month and I’m pumped! 🙂
It is also delicious with sweet potatoes instead of mashed potatoes.
Awesome idea! Thanks Melanie!
Yummy….I am going to try this….looks so good
Thanks! We love it 🙂