Shepherd’s Pie – a great way to use leftover turkey

We typically have more leftovers from Thanksgiving than we know what to do with. Turkey sandwiches made with breast meat are one of our favorites, but the leftover dark meat is always a dilemma. Last year we made Turkey Hash (recipe in the archives) with a fried egg on top and it was delicious. Other years we’ve make a Turkey Curry, but this year we were in the mood for something different. I found a classic recipe for Shepherd’s Pie in The Fannie Farmer Cookbook and substituted the dark meat from our turkey for the lamb, added a dash of sherry to the gravy, included corn and green peas, topped the mixture with the traditional mashed potato crust, but added a sprinkling of good Gruyere cheese at the end. Note, if fresh rosemary is not available, substitute dried thyme. Dried rosemary, in my opinion, can taste like dried twigs. A classic Shepherd’s Pie calls for leftover lamb or beef, but we thought the turkey gave it a current twist on a classic. It is an earthy, comfort food type of dish and would be good with other vegetables, such as carrots.

Currently the Food Network is featuring quite a few recipes for Shepherd’s Pie on their website. They’ve switched up ingredients and have used some creative twists. For example, one uses cornbread for a topping; another contains sweet potatoes. They are taking this classic, to quote them, from “familiar to fabulous.”

Shepherd’s Pie

Adapted from The Fannie Farmer Cookbook

2 cups chopped cooked turkey meat, preferably a combination of light & dark meat

Olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 large clove garlic, peeled and chopped

2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary (do not substitute dried rosemary) or 1 teaspoon dried thyme

4 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

¼ to ½ cup beef broth

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Dash of dry sherry

1 cup cooked corn kernels

1 cup cooked small English peas

4 medium potatoes, cooked and mashed (about 3 cups)

½ cup freshly grated Gruyere or Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Sauté the chopped onion in a small bit of olive oil in a non-stick pan over medium-low heat until soft and beginning to brown. Season the onions with salt and pepper, then add the garlic and rosemary and cook a minute or two more. Remove from heat and set aside in a large bowl.

Chop the meat in a food processor until finely minced, but not turned into a paste, and remove from the processor and add the meat to the cooked onions and garlic.

Melt the butter in a non-stick pan and stir in the flour. Cook for a few minutes until smooth and blended. Slowly add the beef broth. Stir and cook until the gray is thickened, cooking at least 5 minutes to get rid of the raw flour taste. If necessary, use an additional ¼ cup of broth if your sauce is too thick. Add a dash of dry sherry and cook a minute or two more. Add the meat mixture along with the corn and peas; stir to blend, and add salt and pepper to taste.

Spoon mixture into a casserole or individual soup dishes. Spread the mashed potatoes on top and cover to the edge of the casserole. Make a crisscross design with a fork. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the meat is bubbling hot and the potatoes are browned. Top with the cheese and bake a few minutes more until cheese melts. Serves 4 to 6.

Left-over Turkey Dilemma

We fix a turkey for Thanksgiving every year and always have the same dilemma. What should we do with the left-overs? The white meat automatically goes to sandwiches, which we love more than the roasted turkey itself. The problem is with the dark meat. Most years we make a turkey curry which turns it into an exotic but strong dish. If you would like a copy of the turkey curry, email me and I’ll send it to you. It’s a fast and easy dish.

This time we went another route and tried turkey hash. The recipe below is our version of Martha Stewart’s Pepper Turkey Hash that I found searching for recipes on the internet. In the right column are listed an extensive number of search sites and also food blogs that I follow.

Martha used more peppers that we did and ground turkey instead of left over dark meat. We also added a little oregano plus red wine vinegar in the end to give it the spark it needed. This is ideal for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Turkey Hash

While it is tempting to substitute green peppers, the red & yellow ones are sweeter where the green ones can overpower dishes.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 red onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 carrot, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 medium Idaho potato (about 9 ounces), peeled, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 red and 1 yellow bell pepper, seeds removed, cut into 1/2-inch dice
8 ounces button mushrooms, stems trimmed, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
16 ounces left over cooked dark meat turkey
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup dry sherry
1 cup chicken broth, more if hash is dry
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
6 large eggs (optional), poached or "fried" in a nonstick skillet

Heat olive oil in a large nonstick sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, carrot and potato. Cook until vegetables soften and begin to brown, 6 to 7 minutes.
Reduce heat to medium. Add bell peppers and mushrooms, and cook until vegetables are just tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Add turkey; sauté until cooked through. Sprinkle with flour; stir to combine.

Add sherry; scrape any browned bits from pan. Cook until most liquid has evaporated. Add broth, salt, black pepper, chili powder, paprika, and oregano; bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer; cook until liquid thickens and reduces by half. Stir in parsley and red wine vinegar. Serve hot, topped with egg if using. Serves 6.