One of my favorite things about the days after Thanksgiving is getting to lounge around eating leftovers, but let’s be honest, after a few reheats the food can get old fast. My favorite way to combat leftover fatigue is to turn the same ingredients into something completely new. That way, the flavors still feel comforting and familiar, but the dish tastes fresh and exciting.
This Leftover Thanksgiving Shepherd’s Pie does exactly that. It transforms your holiday dinner into a cozy, hearty bake using leftover mashed potatoes, veggies and herbs from the stuffing, a splash of red wine from the holiday table, and even extra cheese from the cheeseboard or mac and cheese. The result is a rich, savory filling topped with a crisp, golden mashed potato layer that cracks beautifully when your spoon breaks into it. It’s deeply comforting and guaranteed to be a crowd favorite all winter long.
And if you’re wondering about the naming—traditionally, a Shepherd’s Pie uses ground lamb, while a Cottage Pie is made with ground beef. I usually reach for ground beef because I always have some on hand, but feel free to use whichever meat you prefer. The beauty of this dish is how flexible it is.
Ingredients You’ll Need
(Adjust quantities based on what you have—this is a very “use what’s in the fridge” recipe!)
- Leftover mashed potatoes (for the topping). If you don’t have leftover mashed potatoes, use a simplified recipe below.
- Ground beef or lamb
- Onion, celery, or any leftover aromatics
- Leftover mixed veggies (carrots, celery, peas, green beans, roasted vegetables—all fair game)
- Leftover shredded cheese (cheddar, gruyere, etc.)
- Building flavor
- Fresh herbs from your stuffing (thyme, rosemary, sage, parsley)
- Tomato paste
- Red wine + beef broth (feel free to add a few tablespoons of leftover gravy for extra depth of flavor!)
- Worcestershire sauce
Tips & Tricks for a great Shepherd’s Pie
- Use room temperature mashed potatoes
Mashed potatoes firm up when refrigerated, and you want a smooth, spreadable mixture to top. You can always add more cream as needed, it should be easy to mix. - Add cheese to the topping
Mixing leftover cheese into the mashed potatoes makes the top extra golden and flavorful. - Caramelize the tomato paste and reduce the wine
Cook the tomato paste for a few minutes until deepened in color, then add the wine and let it simmer for a minute or two to cook off the alcohol and concentrate the flavor. - Season generously
Leftovers can be a little muted after sitting in the fridge. Taste and adjust seasoning until the filling is rich and savory. - Broil at the end
A quick 2-3 minute broil adds extra color and crunch to the topping.
Quick Mashed Potato Recipe
If you don’t have leftover mashed potatoes, you can follow this simplified version below:
Ingredients:
- 1½ lbs yukon gold potatoes
- ⅓ cup half & half or heavy cream
- 2 tbsps salted butter
- 1 sprig thyme
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 1 sprig sage
- 2 garlic cloves, slightly mashed
- Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
- Wash and peel the Yukon gold potatoes and cut into 1” cubes.
- Add to a pot with enough cold water to cover and season with a large pinch of salt.
- Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce to low and cook for 15-18 minutes or until fork tender.
- A few minutes before the potatoes are done, add the cream, butter, garlic, and herbs to a small pot. Heat on medium low until the butter is melted, then keep warm on low until the potatoes are cooked.
- Once the potatoes are tender, shut off the heat and drain. Return to the pot and let sit for 2-3 minutes to allow any excess water to evaporate.
- Add in some of the heated milk and butter mixture a little at a time with a good pinch of salt, and start mashing, continuing to add the butter mixture a little at a time until you reach your desired consistency. Taste and adjust for seasoning.
Shepherd’s Pie
- Total Time: 75
- Yield: 6
Description
This Leftover Thanksgiving Shepherd’s Pie is the ultimate cozy meal, transforming leftover mashed potatoes, veggies, and holiday flavors into a rich, comforting bake with a crispy golden topping. It’s the perfect way to use leftovers while making a completely new, crowd-pleasing dish.
Ingredients
For the Mashed Potato Topping:
- 3 cups leftover mashed potatoes
- ¼ – ½ cup half & half or heavy cream**
- 2 egg yolks
- ½ cup shredded white cheddar or preferred cheese
- ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
For the Filling:
- 1 lb ground beef or lamb
- 2 tbsps olive oil
- 1 tbsp salted butter
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 celery stalks, leaves removed and diced
- 4 cloves minced garlic
- 2 tsps chopped fresh rosemary
- 2 tsps chopped fresh thyme
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tbsps all purpose flour
- ¾ cup red wine
- 1¼ cups beef broth
- 1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
- ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
- ½ cup fresh or frozen english peas
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
For the Shepherd’s Pie:
- Start by removing your leftover mashed potatoes from the fridge to come to room temperature. *If you don’t have leftover mashed potatoes, you can follow the steps to making simplified mashed potatoes above.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Heat a cast iron or oven proof skillet* over medium heat and drizzle in the olive oil. Add the ground beef or lamb and flatten into a single layer. Season with salt. After 4-5 minutes or until golden brown, flip and continue cooking until browned, breaking the meat into crumbles with a wooden spoon. If using a fattier cut of meat, you may need to drain some of the excess fat, you should have about 1-2 tbsps before adding the veggies.
- Add the chopped onion, carrot, and celery and season with a pinch of salt. Cook on medium for 10-15 minutes until veggies have softened but still have a bit of bite.
- Add the butter and once melted, add in the chopped garlic, rosemary, and thyme. Continue cooking for 1 minute or until garlic is fragrant.
- Add in the tomato paste and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the tomato paste has darkened. Add in the flour and cook for 60-90 seconds, stirring into the vegetables to cook out any raw flour taste.
- Add the red wine and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir and continue cooking until almost all liquid has evaporated.
- Add in the beef broth and bring to a boil, then reduce and simmer for 15 minutes or until thickened. Season with worcestershire sauce and pinch of salt. Gently stir in the peas and cook for 3 minutes.
- Shut off the heat and stir in the fresh parsley. Let the mixture cool slightly while you make your mashed potato topping.
- **Mashed potatoes tend to firm up quite a bit as they sit, so they need more moisture to liven them up. Once your mashed potatoes are at room temperature, mix in the egg yolks, shredded cheddar, ¼ cup parmesan cheese, and ¼ – ½ cup half & half or heavy cream, depending on how thick your mashed potatoes are. If using fresh, you may not need to add any cream beyond what is already in your recipe. You want the mashed potatoes to be spreadable.
- Top the meat mixture with the mashed potatoes, spreading out into an even layer. Use a fork to make ridges in the mixture to create texture, then top with the remaining ¼ cup parmesan cheese.
- Bake in a 400°F oven for 25-30 minutes or until the cheese has melted, then broil for the last 2-3 minutes or until golden brown.
Notes
*You can use a 9”, 10”, or 12” cast iron, just keep in mind this will be quite full in a 9” cast iron. If you don’t have a cast iron or ovenproof skillet, just cook this in a skillet and transfer to a 9×9” baking dish before adding the mashed potatoes and baking.
**The amount of cream you use will depend on the original mashed potato recipe you used, you want the mashed potatoes to be just to the point of spreadable.
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 55
- Category: Dinner
- Method: One Pot