Turkey Shepherd's Pie
| There is no better time of the year than the holiday season to showcase how vacuum packaging can streamline your life. Case in point, are the leftovers of my delicious Thanksgiving holiday feast. At the end of the evening every little bit of grub was vacuum packed and labeled. Now, I have a refrigerator full of incredible edibles vacuum sealed for perfect preservation. All that’s needed is a simple recipe that I can use my vittles for - a sensational meal with very little work, my kinda dinner! |
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This Shepard’s Pie is a riff on the traditional lamb version using up all the tasty turkey you have leftover. I prefer the dark meat for this recipe but it doesn’t really matter what you use, just use what you have. The same goes for the vegetables, I combined green beans, carrots and Brussels sprouts because that’s what I had, feel free to use your creativity and your leftovers. The mashed potatoes would have been fine on their own but the addition of whole eggs lightens the mix considerably and the cheese well, it’s cheese and it makes the dish ridiculously tasty! |
| Vacuum packing allows you to not only wrap up your leftovers perfectly but it also preserves your hard work far longer than some flimsy plastic wrap or bulky plastic tubs Your fridge will thank you as those bulky containers are replaced by streamlined vacuum bags. |
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| Ingredients: • 2 tablespoons unsalted "sweet” butter • 1 cup onion, white, cored, peeled and diced • 1/2 cup celery, diced • 1/2 cup carrots, peeled and diced • 3 cups turkey meat, leftover, dark and light meat, see recipe, or your favorite, cubed, leftover, cooked • 1 1/2 cups vegetables assorted, leftovers cooked • 1/2 teaspoon thyme leaves, chopped • rosemary leaves, fresh, chopped • 1/2 teaspoon sage leaves, freshly chopped, chopped • 1/4 cup roasted garlic puree • 1 C turkey gravy, see recipe, or your favorite • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, coarse For the mashed potato crust: • 1 quart mashed potatoes, your favorite recipe, leftover, or cooked • 3 large eggs, whole • 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, white, grated |
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Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 350°F. 2. In a large casserole pan or similar over medium heat, melt the butter until foamy 3. Add onion, celery and carrots, cooking until onions are translucent and the vegetables are soft. 4. Add the cubed turkey and assorted vegetables along with the thyme, rosemary, sage, garlic and gravy 5. ring the mixture to a simmer and season to taste with the salt and pepper 6. Press the mixture down into an even layer if using a casserole pan or transfer to a suitable baking dish. |
| For the mashed potato crust: 1. Gently heat the mashed potatoes until just warm and beat in the eggs 2. Add half of the shredded cheese to the potatoes and blend thoroughly 3. Gently spread the mashed potatoes over the turkey filling being careful not to disturb the filling. 4. Top with the remaining cheese. 5. Place in the middle center of the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes or until the mixture is hot and the potatoes are golden brown. 6. Serve warm. |
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