Leftover Thanksgiving Cottage Pie with Turkey | Best Recipe Box (2024)

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by Diane

Leftover Thanksgiving leftovers Cottage Pie is an all time favorite for us because it’s the whole Thanksgiving dinner in one awesome warm casserole. Cottage pie is a celebration of all of our favorite Thanksgiving comfort dishes in a “pie” and a great way to eat your Thanksgiving leftovers. This turkey cottage pie is a fantastic casserole using leftovers from Thanksgiving and nothing goes to waste!

Leftover Thanksgiving Cottage Pie with Turkey | Best Recipe Box (2)

Cottage Pie vs Shepherds Pie?

Traditionally Shepherds pie uses ground lamb and sometimes ground beef. We originally called this recipe a shepherds pie but got reminded that we were wrong. Ok! So we realized this recipe is more of a cottage pie because it doesn’t use the traditional ground lamb meat. But if you’re still fixated on this not being a cottage pie, then consider it a everything-but-the-kitchen-sink-leftover-thanksgiving-bake. What ever you decide to call it, we call it DELICIOUS!

Leftover Thanksgiving Cottage Pie

It’s hard to pass up this dish because it’s topped with mashed potatoes and baked until everything is warmed and combined into one complete delicious goodness. This turkey cottage pie recipe has veggies, meats, gravy and potatoes. So it’s the perfect opportunity to take all our Thanksgiving leftovers into a cottage pie version because Thanksgiving has all those delicious components! Share it with family and friends and enjoy. Thanksgiving doesn’t have to just be one day of feasting! This is the dish that keeps on giving. Click here for all of our great Thanksgiving Leftovers Recipes and Delicious Thanksgiving Recipes.

Video: Watch how Leftover Thanksgiving Cottage Pie is made!

Add Leftover Gravy to Cottage Pie

Thanksgiving and Holidays is always about the gravy and this cottage pie definitely is better with it. You can add some to the filling to make it more saucy. But we love adding more on top during serving. Having the rich gravy on top adds so much more flavor and decadence. Make an extra batch of gravy because you’ll love pouring this over this casserole.

Can you freeze this recipe?

You can freeze leftovers and they still taste great! If you made a big batch and more leftovers, then freeze them small batches. By doing this, they will thaw a little quicker. Or you can leave it in the fridge overnight to get a head start on thawing. They are even better later, especially when you’re craving leftovers. But also beware because when mashed potato thaws, it can often get a little dry and mushy.

Leftover Thanksgiving Cottage Pie with Turkey | Best Recipe Box (3)

Leftover Thanksgiving Cottage Pie with Turkey | Best Recipe Box (4)

Leftover Thanksgiving Cottage Pie

Yield: 8 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 50 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr

If the leftover ingredients are cold and straight from the fridge, they might be a little firm to spread and pour. Microwave them a bit to loosen up the texture. This will also help reduce the cooking time if the ingredients were layered warm.

5 from 6 votes

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Ingredients

  • 2 cups (480 ml) leftover stuffing , approximately
  • 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) leftover turkey , cubed or cut in small pieces
  • 1/2 cup (120 ml) cranberry sauce
  • 1 cup (240 ml) leftover veggies , ham or anything but the pie, cut into small pieces
  • 1 cup (240 ml) leftover gravy , or more if you like!
  • 3-4 cups (720-960 ml) of leftover mashed potatoes
  • 2 Tablespoons (30 ml) butter , cut into 1/2” pieces

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease a 9” pie pan or an 8”x8” baking dish.

  • Layer stuffing, turkey, cranberry sauce, veggies and gravy. Spread potatoes over the casserole. Dot with the butter.

  • Bake until heated through and potatoes are golden, 40 to 50 minutes. Let cool slightly. If you want, drizzle more gravy on top! Enjoy!

Nutrition Information per Serving

Calories: 371kcal, Carbohydrates: 42g, Protein: 12g, Fat: 17g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 36mg, Sodium: 642mg, Potassium: 489mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 9g, Vitamin A: 1415IU, Vitamin C: 10.3mg, Calcium: 34mg, Iron: 1.4mg

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Holiday

Calories: 371

Can you make this a vegetarian cottage pie?

Sure! If you don’t have leftover turkey, then use all your other leftovers except for the pies. Sautee up some extra vegetables if you’re a little low on leftovers. And for a vegetarian gravy, try our vegan mushroom gravy recipe.

More Holiday Recipes:

  • Thanksgiving leftover pull apart sliders
  • Easy Pumpkin Pie Recipe
  • Fresh cranberry sauce
  • No bake cranberry pie
  • Here’s more shepherds pie recipe ideas. This recipe was originally published in 2017 and re-published in 2018 with an updated video!

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posted in: 300+ Easy Meals, Casseroles, Chicken | Turkey, Holiday, Holiday-Thanksgiving 5 comments

Leftover Thanksgiving Cottage Pie with Turkey | Best Recipe Box (5)

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Leave a Reply

    5 Comments on “Thanksgiving Leftovers Cottage Pie”

  1. Janis Neill Reply

    Leftover Thanksgiving Cottage Pie with Turkey | Best Recipe Box (8)
    Looking forward to making this !

  2. Christiana Reply

    Leftover Thanksgiving Cottage Pie with Turkey | Best Recipe Box (9)
    I look forward to make this after Thanksgiving. We always end up with so much leftover.

  3. Melody Reply

    Leftover Thanksgiving Cottage Pie with Turkey | Best Recipe Box (10)
    Had the chance to make this last year and it was good!
    Came back here to check out how to make it again for this year’s Thanksgiving.

  4. Alice Reply

    Leftover Thanksgiving Cottage Pie with Turkey | Best Recipe Box (11)
    I remember making this for Black Friday dinner. It was the best. I’m totally making it again.

  5. Patricia Reply

    Leftover Thanksgiving Cottage Pie with Turkey | Best Recipe Box (12)
    This was such a great idea. I’m glad to get the chance to make it again.

Leftover Thanksgiving Cottage Pie with Turkey | Best Recipe Box (2024)

FAQs

How long will a cooked cottage pie keep in the fridge? ›

How long can you keep Cottage Pie in the fridge? Once you've put it out, ideally you should eat it within 4 hours. If you allow any left overs to cool, make sure to refrigerate in a container with a lid and chill. You can keep leftovers of Cottage Pie in the fridge for approximately 3 days or so.

How long is Thanksgiving turkey leftovers good for? ›

The answer is simple: leftovers can be kept in the refrigerator for three to four days. This means you have until the Monday after Thanksgiving to eat all those delicious leftovers or place them in the freezer to enjoy later. If you store leftovers in the freezer, they will be of best quality within 2-6 months.

Why does my cottage pie go sloppy? ›

It just sinks to the bottom, disintegrates and turns into slop. I'm not expert buy I would say your filling isn't thick enough or your potato needs bulking out with cheese. I'd say either your mash or cottage pie sauce isn't thick enough. Do you add milk to your mashed potato?

How long to reheat cottage pie in oven? ›

All appliances vary, these are guidelines only. Oven from chilled: 190°C/Fan 170°C/Gas 5 25-30 mins. Place on a baking tray in the centre of a pre-heated oven. Leave to stand for 2 minutes after heating.

Can I eat 4 day old cottage pie? ›

Easily till Monday. As long as you follow good food hygiene, it should be fine for 3-4 days.

Can you freeze cottage pie once cooked? ›

Let cool for 5-10 minutes before eating. Alternatively, leave to cool completely before placing the lids on and vacuum sealing the containers. Cooked cottage pies will also keep fresh for 5 days in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer.

Is it safe to eat cooked turkey after 5 days? ›

USDA recommends using cooked turkey within 3 to 4 days, kept refrigerated (40°F or less). Refrigeration slows but does not stop bacterial growth. Turkey can be frozen for 3 to 4 months. Although safe indefinitely, frozen leftovers can lose moisture and flavor when stored for longer times in the freezer.

Is it safe to eat leftover turkey after 6 days? ›

Like other leftovers, leftover cooked turkey can—and will—go bad. “The texture and smell of turkey will indicate when it has gone bad,” Edwards says. “Generally it will smell bad and get a slimy texture. It's best to throw it away after four days in the fridge or move it to the freezer at that point.”

Can you eat turkey 5 days after Thanksgiving? ›

Turkey: 3-4 days.

Eat turkey within three to four days of cooking. If you use the turkey in a new dish like a soup or casserole, only consume within those initial four days. Another option is freezing the cooked turkey. Turkey can last up to four more months if frozen.

Why put flour in cottage pie? ›

The cornflour is used to thicken the mince, if you don't have any, you can continue without, reduce it for longer, or add a little plain flour. Remove the bay leaf, and spoon the mixture into a pie dish – I generally try to keep the ratio of potatoes to beef mixture about 60/40.

How do you thicken cottage pie sauce? ›

Flour power

A classic thickening method for a classic dish. A few tablespoons of flour, cooked-out so you can't taste it, turns a thin sauce into a velvety gravy of dreams.

Can you reheat cottage pie twice? ›

While most food can be reheated more than once, it is better to only reheat food once which is why it's suggested that you split large portions into smaller ones. Each time you reheat and cool food it is likely that you will alter the food's taste/texture as well as increasing the chances of bacteria growing.

Is it best to reheat cottage pie in oven or microwave? ›

If you are in a rush and your dish fits in your microwave (and is microwave safe) you could cut a great deal of time off that by first nuking it until it's mostly heated up and then finishing it off under your oven's grill or broiler to re-crisp the mashed potato.

What's the best way to reheat homemade cottage pie? ›

The best way to keep the textures of your dish just right and as delicious as before is to use an oven to reheat it. Place your desired serving of cottage pie in an oven-safe dish, cover with foil, and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes.

How long can you eat leftover cottage pie? ›

Always cook them properly the first time around, cool them at room temperature for no more than 2 hours, store them in a refrigerator, and reheat them properly before eating. The NHS recommends eating all leftovers in 2 days but at the absolute most, 4 days. If you think you may store food for longer, freeze it.

How long does a cooked cottage pie last? ›

It's generally recommended that cooked produce, if cooled quickly enough, will last 3 days safely when stored at or below 5°C. Anything over that and you risk food poisoning.

Can you eat 3 day old cottage pie? ›

3 days as long as it's chilled and wrapped properly. Or freeze? I do this a lot. Make a cottage pie or lasagne on my day off and oven cook the next eat when I get in from work.

How do you store cooked cottage pie? ›

Make sure the pie is completely cold, then cover it well with cling film and freeze. Always freeze the pie on the day that you make it.

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