Turkey Cottage Pie with Asiago Mashed Potatoes

I don't know if the turkey was bigger this year or if we all just ate less of it but we have been enjoying the leftovers for a couple of days now and there is no end in sight! This is on top of sending some home with all of our guests. I know that this is not a unique problem because there are a gazillion sites on the internet featuring suggestions for leftover turkey.

How about this one for a 'cake' made from your leftovers:

I decided to give this one a 'pass'!

I did find a recipe for a turkey pie with a mashed potato crust that looked delicious - particularly since I had 2 containers of mashed potatoes in the fridge. This is not a pot pie but more commonly known as a cottage pie - a British term for a pie made with leftover roast meats and topped with mashed potatoes.

I made quite a few changes to the recipe in my desire to use up as many leftovers as possible as well as make a dent in some of the stockpiled veggies from our CSA delivery. I also wanted to use up a large wedge of Asiago cheese which had been in the basement refrigerator for close to a year!

The end result was delicious - an excellent way to use up those Christmas Dinner (or Thanksgiving) leftovers.

Turkey Cottage Pie with Asiago Mashed Potatoes

2 tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped leek (you could use onion but we had a leek in the fridge from our CSA that needed using)
1 medium bell pepper, chopped
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tsp dried sage
1/2 tsp dried savory
3 tablespoons four
2 cups chicken broth (or turkey stock if you have some handy)
3 cups chopped, cooked turkey
2 cups leftover vegetables (we had eaten all of our leftover vegetables so we used 1 cup fresh peas and 1 cup chopped CSA carrots)
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups grated asiago
4 cups leftover mashed potatoes

Preheat the oven to 350

melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the leeks. After about 2 minutes add the chopped pepper and spices. Cook until soft, about 8 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over top the cooked leeks and peppers, stir for about 2 minutes. Mix in the broth and stir until thickened - about 5 minutes. Stir in the cooked turkey and vegetables. Season with salt and pepper.

Transfer the mixture to a 2-quart casserole dish or ramekins on a large rimmed baking sheet (very important as this will likely bubble over while baking).

Heat the mashed potatoes in the microwave. Stir in the grated cheese. Carefully spread the mashed asiago potatoes over the turkey, vegetable mixture.

Bake until the filling bubbles - 30 - 45 minutes.

Turn the oven broiler on and place the casserole dish under the broiler until the mashed potato topping is golden, about 3 minutes.

Cool for about 10 minutes prior to serving.

Comments

[Karen (Back Road Jouranl)]

Sometimes leftovers are a blessing. You created a delicious looking meal. :)

[Kayte]

LOL...thank goodness you didn't make the cake, when I saw it I was frantically trying to think of something good to say in the comment section and I couldn't come up with anything without compromising my sense of truth in self! LOL. Fortunately I kept reading. Your final choice looks wonderful. :-)

[JDeQ]

Karen - so often I think we forget that leftovers can often lead to a wonderful new creation.

Can you imagine making that kayte?????ACK