Thanksgiving is a holiday steeped in tradition and the day afterwards is no exception. No, I’m not referring to shopping on Black Friday. The Friday after Thanksgiving is the day I strive to use up as much leftover turkey as possible! As there is often an overabundance of leftover turkey at our house, I try to come up with a a new dish to use that turkey every Black Friday. (The sides get eaten up waaay before the turkey runs out!) Heating everything back up feels like a poor imitation of the Thanksgiving feast to me after the second or third time we do it in the 4 days we have together! So, I search for something to make that specifically uses turkey every year.
Even though I have posted a leftover turkey recipe on this day for each of the past 5 years (Turkey Stromboli, Sweet Potato-Topped Turkey Casserole, Turkey & Mushroom Bread Pudding, Turkey-Mushroom Risotto, and Turkey & Sweet Potato Soup) there are still lots of great recipes out there to use it all up after the side dishes (which we have no problem finishing off every year) are gone. This year’s use-up-the-leftover-turkey recipe comes from EatingWell magazine. The magazine is all about moderation and balance and making healthy eating a way of life, things I also aspire to achieve. This recipe lives up to all of those standards and tastes delicious!
(Though we did not do it due to an aversion to peas in our family, 1 cup of frozen peas can be added to the mix when the turkey is added.)
Turkey Shepherd’s Pie
Turkey & Leek Shepherd’s Pie (adapted from eatingwell.com)
Active Time: 45 munutes, Ready In: 1 hour, 15 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 large leeks, white and light green parts only, well washed and thinly sliced
- 2 cups (8 ounces) thinly sliced carrots
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/3 cup dry white wine
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage, or 1/2 teaspoon dried, rubbed sage
- 2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups (8 ounces) diced cooked turkey
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- ground pepper to taste
- 2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
- 1/2-3/4 cup buttermilk
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Preparation:
Prepare the filling: Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a large saucepan or skillet over medium heat. Add the leeks and carrots and cook, stirring, until the leeks soften, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute more.
Cook the carrots & leeks, and the potatoes.
Pour in the wine and stir the veggies until most of the liquid has evaporated. Add the flour and sage and cook, stirring constantly, until the flour starts to turn light brown, about 2 minutes. Stir in broth and bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens and the carrots are barely tender, about 5 minutes.
Add the wine & flour to the veggies.
Next comes the broth.
Add the turkey and season the filling to taste with the salt and pepper. Transfer the mixture to a 2-quart baking dish or a deep 10-inch pie pan and set it aside.
Add in the turkey.
Meanwhile, place the potatoes in a large saucepan and add cold salted water to the pan to cover them. Bring the potatoes to a boil over medium heat. Cook them, partially covered, until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Drain the potatoes then return them to the pan. Cover and shake the pan over low heat to dry the potatoes slightly, for about 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat.
Preheat oven to 425 °F. Mash the potatoes with a potato masher or whip with them with an electric mixer, adding enough buttermilk to make a smooth puree. Season the potatoes with salt & pepper. Stir in the beaten egg and the tablespoon of oil.
Mash the potatoes then add the buttermilk, egg & oil.
Spread the potatoes on top of the turkey mixture.
Top the filling with the mashed potatoes.
Set the dish on a baking sheet and bake the casserole until the potatoes and filling are heated through and the top is golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes.
Bake the casserole until it is heated through.
Serve immediately.
I could eat this for days in a row!
This will help use up those turkey leftovers! ~Linda
Turkey & Leek Shepherd’s Pie (adapted from eatingwell.com)
Active Time: 45 munutes, Ready In: 1 hour, 15 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 large leeks, white and light green parts only, well washed and thinly sliced
- 2 cups (8 ounces) thinly sliced carrots
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/3 cup dry white wine
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage, or 1/2 teaspoon dried, rubbed sage
- 2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups (8 ounces) diced cooked turkey
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- ground pepper to taste
- 2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
- 1/2-3/4 cup buttermilk
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Preparation:
Prepare the filling: Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a large saucepan or skillet over medium heat. Add the leeks and carrots and cook, stirring, until the leeks soften, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute more.
Pour in the wine and stir the veggies until most of the liquid has evaporated. Add the flour and sage and cook, stirring constantly, until the flour starts to turn light brown, about 2 minutes. Stir in broth and bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens and the carrots are barely tender, about 5 minutes.
Add the turkey and season the filling to taste with the salt and pepper. Transfer the mixture to a 2-quart baking dish or a deep 10-inch pie pan and set it aside.
Meanwhile, place the potatoes in a large saucepan and add cold salted water to the pan to cover them. Bring the potatoes to a boil over medium heat. Cook them, partially covered, until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Drain the potatoes then return them to the pan. Cover and shake the pan over low heat to dry the potatoes slightly, for about 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat.
Preheat oven to 425 °F. Mash the potatoes with a potato masher or whip with them with an electric mixer, adding enough buttermilk to make a smooth puree. Season the potatoes with salt & pepper. Stir in the beaten egg and the tablespoon of oil.
Spread the potatoes on top of the turkey mixture. Set the dish on a baking sheet and bake the casserole until the potatoes and filling are heated through and the top is golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes.