Smoked Turkey Shepherd’s Pie is a Great Use for Thanksgiving Leftovers

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It doesn’t have to be Thanksgiving. You’ll want to smoke a bird just to make Smoked Turkey Shepherd’s Pie with the leftovers.

Oh, don’t worry, I will be reminding you about this recipe when Thanksgiving rolls back around. In the meantime, we need to seriously talk about the leftover smoked turkey shepherd’s pie that my family absolutely destroyed last night.

The average turkey can feed a family of four for at least three dinners. So, with the addition of a mountain of leftover mashed potatoes, you need options for keeping those leftovers interesting every day.

Obviously, my favorite thing in this recipe is the great smoked turkey, so we’ll start with tips on how to get your bird perfectly brown and delicious. Then, the second-best part is the mashed potatoes. If you already have a great recipe, use that! If not, I’ll include my thoughts on rustic taters. The rest is easy.

Starting with Smoked Turkey

If you’re following me on Facebook, you may have seen my post about my husband smoking the most perfect turkey we’ve ever had with one of our neighbors. Maybe not… so here it is!

So, what was the secret? How can you get a turkey like this? It’s easier than you think, but it will take a little time and prep.

Start with a Great Brine

We have a great big stock pot that we lovingly refer to as a Toddler Pot. In this pot, we boil together about a gallon of water with 1/4 cup salt, 1/4 cup brown sugar, a handful of whole peppercorns, bay leaves, garlic, and really, anything else you want to toss in there. After boiling, allow it to cool completely.

Submerge the turkey in the brine, and let it soak in the fridge for 1 to 2 days. If you put in the turkey still a little frozen, go for 2 days.

Stuff it with Aromatics

You can go the traditional route, and fill it up with carrots, onions, and celery. We went the sweet route. Our turkey was stuffed with halved clementines and quartered apples.

Please do not stuff it with dressing. Here’s why. The raw turkey juices that are filled with bacteria will soak right into your stuffing. Then, instead of just worrying about getting the meat to a perky 165ºF, you need to wait for the stuffing to reach temperature, too. By then, your meat will dry out.

Smoke it Right

Soak your wood chips overnight. We used hickory and just soaked in water. Feel free to use your favorite. Now, load up the bird, and keep an eye on the temperature of both your turkey and the smoker itself. You want to go low and slow for moist meat.

The meat is going to need to reach 165ºF at the thickest part to be fully cooked through. Check at a couple different points to make sure it’s really done.

Let it Rest Before Cutting

The rest time between pulling the turkey and cutting into it is important. So, while the meat is hot, the muscle is nice and relaxed but the juices are also flowing. By letting it rest, the meat will cool and absorb that juice back up. You’ll end up with super moist and flavorful meat.

How to Nail Rustic Mashed Potatoes

Mashed potatoes are such a subjective thing. Skins or no skins. Perfectly smooth or kind of chunky. Whipped or puréed. Cheesy or garlicky. Please use your favorite mashed potatoes, and don’t be afraid of how it will turn out.

We like our potatoes rustic. If you want to follow along with us, start by scrubbing your russet potatoes to remove the dirt. Leave the skins on, and cut into 1 inch cubes. Then, boil them up.

We used the Instant Pot this time, and it only took 5 minutes of pressure cooking to get them just right. Then, strain out water, and add butter, sour cream, and milk to the potatoes.

We use an immersion blender to get it mostly smooth. The key is to know when to stop. Going too far makes it goopy. But the immersion blender is great for breaking up the skins. You get a little bit in each bite!

Using Your Leftovers

The turkey and the mashed potato leftovers are the obvious part, but what else do you need? Well, for one thing, gravy. It’s honestly not that hard to whisk up a little gravy on the stove top if you don’t have leftovers.

But let’s face it. If you have leftover mashed potatoes and turkey, but no extra gravy, you’re going to need to make more even without a shepherd’s pie on the menu.

What else? Well, do you have green beans or asparagus? Those will go great! I like putting frozen peas and carrots in, because it rounds out the dish with a little brightness.

If you want to add in any other vegetables or mushrooms, go for it. But you might want to make sure that onions and mushrooms are cooked before you put them in so they develop better flavor.

Building the Perfect Smoked Turkey Shepherd’s Pie

Everything up to this part has been a little difficult sounding. The good news is that, if you already have your leftovers in the fridge, the hard part is done! So, let’s get to building this smoked turkey shepherd’s pie!

I start by cubing some leftover turkey as best I can. Leftover turkey is rarely perfect for cubes, right? Then I dice an onion, and get out my frozen mixed veggies, leftover gravy, and leftover mashed potato. Everything’s ready.

Before I start cooking, I set the oven to preheat. Then, in my cast iron skillet, I’ll sauté that diced onion until it’s lightly golden and then toss in my turkey, veggies, and gravy. Bring that all up to a little bubbly simmer to thin the gravy out.

Now, spread that leftover mash on top! If you are like me, I bet you like a good cheesy top, right? So, get your cheddar out and sprinkle that as heavily as you wish.

Bake it uncovered for about 30 minutes or until the cheese on top has browned to your liking. I like it a little browner than some for that deeper flavor.

Smoked Turkey Shepherd’s Pie is Great for Little Ones!

My 18 month old is hardly a picky eater, but she is going through a phase where she only wants bananas, avocados, and Cheez-its. So, her dinner last night was avocado and mashed potatoes.

Then as my husband and I sat eating our shepherd’s pie, she opened her mouth up wide for a bite. She did this again and again and again. By the end of dinner, she’d finished nearly half of a cup of this, including the turkey and vegetables.

There aren’t any crazy flavors or spices to worry about, and it’s a nice soft food, too. Your kids will love this! Plus, you’ll love how easy it is to throw together a yummy casserole after doing all that feast cooking the day before.

And, if you still have leftovers after this, try out my recipe for Thanksgiving Leftover Egg Rolls! There you go. Two dinner ideas for your Turkey Day remnants.

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Smoked Turkey Shepherd’s Pie

It doesn't have to be Thanksgiving. You'll want to smoke a bird just to make Smoked Turkey Shepherd's Pie with the leftovers.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 4 people

Equipment

• 2 medium bowls
• 1 small casserole dish

Ingredients

  

• 2 cups leftover smoked turkey cubed
• ½ cup leftover turkey gravy
• 1 cup frozen peas and carrots
• ½ cup leftover green beans
• 2 cups leftover mashed potatoes
• 1 large egg
• ½ cup sharp cheddar shredded
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• In a medium bowl, mix together your leftover smoked turkey, vegetables, and gravy. Spread it into a small casserole dish.
• In a separate medium bowl, re-season the mashed potatoes with salt and pepper as needed. Then mix in one egg. Layer this over the turkey mixture in the casserole dish.
• Sprinkle the cheddar over the top of the mashed potatoes.
• Cover and bake for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes. Broil until the cheddar bubbles and browns.
• Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Keyword Leftovers, Shepherd’s Pie, Thanksgiving, Turkey

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